While the world wrestles with wars, politicians’ egos and endless bad news, here in New Zealand, we’re busy debating far weightier matters: which pies you can eat in the car, whether you need to sign a contract for your leftovers and a retired farmer knitting blankets for babies.
It’s small stuff, sure, but these stories make life here feel a little warmer and a lot more cheerful.
Pies on the Go: Hilary and Jeremy’s Car Test
16 August 2025
New Zealand just can’t get enough of pies.
Right on the back of last week’s Supreme Pie Awards, which I reported on in Weekly Whirl #12, the iconic delicacy was in the news again this week.
Kiwis will agree that a true test of a Kiwi pie isn’t just about taste and texture. It’s about whether you can eat it behind the wheel without littering your lap with pastry flakes.
So well-known New Zealand TV personalities Hilary and Jeremy hit the road to discover which of the country’s finest, medal-winning pies was the ultimate ‘car pie’.
From flaky pastries snowing down on Hilary’s upholstery to dangerously runny gravies, the pair held nothing back in their reviews. Some award-winning pies were simply too messy for mobile munching. Others proved themselves solid road-trip companions.
Jeremy’s personal winner turned out to be the potato top from Rosedale Bakery, while Hilary backed Dad’s as the safest bet for eating on the run.
Their verdict? While every pie had its charms, car-friendly pies are a rare breed. A potato top might just be your best option if you want to avoid flaky chaos.
And because no New Zealand town is truly complete without a quirky oversized monument, Hilary and Jeremy even floated the idea of a giant pie statue in Silverdale, home to multiple award-winning bakers.
One thing is clear: New Zealanders will find any excuse to talk (and argue) about pies.
Read all the details of Jeremy and Hilary’s verdict on the 1News website: Hilary and Jeremy pull no punches in quest to find the most car-friendly pie.
Sign Here for your Leftovers, Please
16 August 2025
From pies behind the wheel to food with a twist that might raise an eyebrow.
Would you sign a contract before taking your leftovers home after dining out?
That’s exactly what the owner of a Wellington restaurant expects you to do if you want to take your leftovers home.
Customers are asked to record the date, time, staff member and food they’re taking before leaving with their doggy bag. The fine print basically says: once the food leaves the restaurant, it’s your responsibility. Eat it quickly or keep it chilled, but don’t come back blaming the kitchen.
It’s not illegal, nor is it standard practice, but the Restaurant Association says some eateries introduce these agreements after customer complaints.
Auckland’s Boda restaurant has been doing it for years, citing allergy risks and food safety concerns. For them, the paperwork means they can reduce food waste by letting people take extra dishes home without worrying about liability.
Not all restaurants have taken such a cautious route. Auckland’s Mekong Baby once made headlines for banning doggy bags altogether. New owners later scrapped the rule, arguing that tossing perfectly good food was far worse than trusting customers to handle reheating responsibly.
Food Safety NZ says the choice is up to each restaurant. The law requires food to be safe when it’s served, but once it’s packed up, it’s over to us.
One thing’s clear: Kiwis don’t just obsess over pies; they debate every last crumb of food culture, even down to what happens with leftovers.
Full story on Stuff: This restaurant is asking people to sign a contract before taking leftovers home.
The Knitting Cowboy of Dargaville
15 August 2025
We’ve talked pies. We’ve talked leftovers. And now we’re moving from food to wool, but still with that uniquely Kiwi flavour of people doing things their own way.
Meet Mike Gilligan, better known around Whangārei Hospital as the Dargaville Knitting Guy. At 74, this retired dairy farmer has traded gumboots for knitting needles, and he’s not the least bit fussed if anyone calls it women’s work. His response?
That’s their stiff cheese.
Since hanging up the milking apron nine years ago, Mike has knitted more than a thousand colourful blankets for preemie and special-care babies at Whangārei Hospital.
Boxes of 80-plus blankets arrive at the ward regularly, bringing cheer (and warmth) to families who need it most. His bright, cartoon-covered creations are as practical as they are heartfelt.
But Mike’s generosity doesn’t stop at the hospital doors. From slippers for school kids to fingerless gloves for an entire retirement village, he knits comfort for people of all ages. He even raffled off one of his intricate blankets to raise funds for the local fire brigade.
Knitting isn’t new to him. His mum taught all nine siblings as kids, but it only stuck later in life, during a farming injury that kept him off his feet.
Now, it’s his most relaxing hobby, something he does in front of the TV or outside the supermarket while his wife shops and its’ turned him into a much-loved local fixture.
Mike’s blankets and his big-hearted spirit are a reminder that warmth comes in many forms, sometimes in wool, sometimes in kindness.
Full story: On The Up: Retired farmer knits for neediest babies at Whangārei Hospital.