Te Kaha prioritises local food outlets over brands

Mario Grey-Hammer, one of the owners of Lyttelton's beloved Arbour Woodfire Pizza and Bar says this is an awesome opportunity for local businesses. 

"The overriding emotion is definitely excitement, this is a massive opportunity" Grey-Hammer says. 

"It is a bit of like 'going into the unknown'... but it's just such a cool opportunity to do something completely new and have a bit of a twist."

He says the application process was extensive, but was attracted with the attention being brought to local businesses in particular.

"We try to prioritise local Christchurch producers and grocers... I think that really aligned with Venue's Ōtautahi's values." 

The list of the following outlets soon to be available span from ice cream to fish, pies to fried chicken, with the majority of them having ties to Ōtautahi's culture. See the list here:

• Korea House Chicken

• Bacon Bros Burgers

• Black Burger

• Arbour Woodfired Pizza

• Little Fish Co.

• Fush

• Sheffield Pies

• Smokey T’s Hot Dogs

• Smokey T’s BBQ

• Papa’s Hot Dogs

• Pedro’s Lamb

• Co-Lab

Grey-Hammer thinks this move from the Te Kaha team reflects a positive shift in the climate around Ōtautahi for both food and overall culture. 

"For me, as a person who lived through the earthquakes, the opening of this new stadium is a big step towards the completion of the rebuild of Ōtautahi," says Grey-Hammer.

"Being able to bring world-class events represents an awesome opportunity as well."

While nervous, Grey-Hammer has full faith in his team at the Lyttelton restaurant and he is excited to expand the whanau and adapt to the challenges that come with this new adventure.