New Zealand Unveils Tiaki

United Arab Emirates, Dubai: 13^thSeptember 2021: The New Zealand Pavilion will feature a full-service restaurant, Tiaki, operated by Emirates Flight Catering, offering visitors the chance to experience the outstanding quality and taste of New Zealand's food and beverage offering.

"Tiaki" (meaning to care, safeguard, protect and preserve in te reo Maori), will be central to NewZealand's participation at Expo 2020 Dubai, underpinning the nation's special connection to both land and sea a relationship founded on respect and understanding that when nature thrives, we all thrive.

New Zealand's theme is Care for People and Place and dining at Tiaki will enable guests to experience, first-hand, how that care extends to quality food production, while preserving the land and sea for future generations.

"Expo 2020 Dubai will be a global gathering where countries and cultures meet, and food is shared and enjoyed by millions of visitors. Our Tiaki restaurant will be the perfect place for us to showcase our delicious food and beverage produce, build on our reputation as a supplier of premium products and demonstrate our manaakitanga our warm and generous hospitality," said Clayton Kimpton, New Zealand's Commissioner-General to Expo 2020 Dubai.

Tiaki will offer contemporary cuisine featuring premium-quality products, from sustainably sourced hoki fish, grass-fed beef and free-range chicken to an exceptional selection of cheeses and honey. Tiaki is one of only a few fully licensed pavilion restaurants open to the public throughout Expo 2020.

Designed to bring people together, the menu includes a Best of Aoteaora platter giving diners a sampling of the countrys seafood, meat and cheese and sharable cheese selections from Fonterra.

The restaurant will offer a permanent menu, which will feature a choice of delicious starters such as horopito marinated salmon, greenshell mussels and a Kāpiti Akatea traditional baked brie.

Main courses include dishes such as seared Canterbury lamb cutlets, crumbed sustainably caught hoki fillet, slow-cooked pasture-raised venison, and a succulent Kiwiburger made with beef or a mushroom vegetarian option.

Rounding off a dining experience at Tiaki is a selection of mouth-watering dessert options including honey cake and an Anzac biscuit ice cream sandwich both made with Comvita Mānuka honey - as well as New Zealands signature Pavlova and a fresh fruit carpaccio made with Zespri Kiwifruit.

The restaurant will also offer rotating specials to accompany the permanent menu and Dubai-loved Raw coffee will be served in Tiaki, as the brands owners herald from New Zealand.

Tiaki will be operated by Emirates Flight Catering, part of The Emirates Group, and one of the worlds largest caterers. The exceptional menu was curated by a culinary team who visited NewZealand to source food and beverage products from experienced exporters. They will be supported by young apprentice chefs recruited from New Zealand, who will gain invaluable experience working in a professional kitchen and representing their country at the global event.

"A core element for New Zealand at Expo is supporting and empowering youth talent, and our apprentice chefs will have the experience of a lifetime working alongside and learning from the experienced culinary team at Emirates Flight Catering,"said Clayton Kimpton.

"The opportunity to work in partnership with the New Zealand pavilion, throughout Expo 2020 Dubai, hosting visitors to Tiaki restaurant is something were incredibly proud of. Were also extremely excited to be able to mentor a group of young, New Zealand apprentice chefs as they embark on this exciting journey at the start of their careers. Our team of world-class chefs will guide them through our innovative approach to hospitality and expertise in food, to provide an outstanding experience to anyone who visits Tiaki," commented Daniel Wells, Vice President Commercial at Emirates Flight Catering.

The relaxed and welcoming space of the 100-seater restaurant will feature bespoke furniture, tableware and lighting designed and supplied by prominent New Zealand brands that include Abodo, Citta, David Trubridge, Noho, Resident, and Tim Webber Design.

Tiaki will be open daily from 10:00am to late at the New Zealand Pavilion, located in the Sustainability District. For more information, please visit the Tiaki social channels @tiakirestaurant, and to make an online booking visit:https://www.sevenrooms.com/reservations/tiaki

For more information about the New Zealand Pavilion and events at Expo 2020 Dubai visitwww.nzatexpo.govt.nz

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TIAKI

Tiaki, meaning to care, safeguard, protect and preserve in te reo Māori, is the New Zealand pavilions restaurant where visitors to Expo 2020 Dubai can taste the outstanding quality of the countrys food and beverage offering. In Aotearoa New Zealand, there is a special connection to the land and sea. It is a relationship founded on care, respect and an understanding that when nature thrives, we all thrive. Combining this connection and ethos with the lush, green pastures, fertile soil, and cool, clear waters, the results are incredible outstanding, great-tasting, nutritious produce, from a place you can trust.

Tiaki will open from 10am to late, daily and serve a range of light bites, platters and dishes in a beautifully designed, fully licenced area which can seat up to 100 (Covid distancing depending).

Key ingredients from Care Collective members Fonterra, Comvita and Zespri are included in several signature dishes on the menu including cheese platters featuring a variety of Fonterras Kāpiti cheeses, Comvita Mānuka honey cake and fresh fruit carpaccio with Zespri Kiwifruit.

Emirates Flight Catering, part of The Emirates Group and one of the worlds largest caterers, will lead the hospitality and operations for Tiaki and there will be a team of talented chefs and matre ds from New Zealand to bring to life the countrys manaakitanga (meaning warm, generous hospitality and to look after) and highlighting the care for people and place which underpins the wider pavilion experience.

The light and airy dcor will provide a haven from the hustle and bustle of the Expo 2020 park and the interior will feature a range of bespoke furniture and lighting which has been designed and supplied by New Zealand companies especially for the six-month event. To book a table at Tiaki visithttps://www.sevenrooms.com/reservations/tiaki

Remember to secure your Expo 2020 Media Accreditation

As a registered member of Tawassul, you will be able to submit anExpo 2020 Media Accreditationexpression of interest. If your organisation has not done so yet please submit one Media Accreditation expression of interest (per organisation) within Tawassul to commence the media accreditation process.

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About New Zealand at Expo 2020

New Zealand's theme for Expo 2020 is Care for People and Place, which is based on the indigenous environmental ethos of kaitiakitanga, the connection and responsibility between people and the natural environment.  

The theme was inspired by the world-first status given to the Whanganui River by legislation that recognised it as a living entity.  Te AwaTupuais a legal person and has all the rights, powers, duties and liabilities of a legal person.  The story is a universal narrative that represents a paradigm shift from overlooking to valuing our relationship with nature.    

New Zealand architectsJasmaxled the global multi-disciplinary design consortium, designed the pavilion and visitor experience concept. Haumi, in partnership withJasmax, led the cultural design aspects of the building.Development and delivery of the visitor experience is through the collaboration ofHaumi,TeĀtiHaunui-a-Pāpārangiand Workshop e.The pavilion's kinetic faade is designed byKaynemaile.

The 2,000 square metre pavilion features a visitor experience, a restaurant showcasing New Zealand food and beverage and hosting facilities and is in Expo 2020s Sustainability District.    

Creative Parris Goebel will curate New Zealand's entertainment and cultural programme for Expo 2020.  Parris is a five-time World Hip Hop dance champion.  Her talents span choreography, dance, music, directing and acting.    

Sponsors of New Zealand at Expo 2020 are known as the Care Collective: Fonterra, Comvita, Kaynemaile, Zespri, Mr Apple, Shadowspec, Abodo, Air New Zealand,Caroma, Citt, David Trubridge, Gallagher, Method, Methven, Moffat, noho, Raw Coffee, Resident, Rodd Gunn, Scion, Sistema, Skope, TR Interior Systems, Tait Communications, Tim Webber Design and Toitū Envirocare. 

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About Expo 2020 Dubai

Expo 2020 Dubai is the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa or South Asia region. 191 nations will participate in Expo 2020 with country pavilions that will showcase achievements, creativity, and innovations.

Connecting Minds, Creating the Future is the overall theme for Expo 2020, with three thematic districts: Mobility, Opportunity, and Sustainability.

Expo 2020 was postponed, due to Covid-19, and will now run from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022.