‘He aha te mea nui i te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata’
‘What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people’
SANDER -Owner
A Hospitality Management degree from Amsterdam & Leeds saw Sander exploring all areas of Hotel life … although when it came time to help in the kitchen, he found it hard to leave.
His early fond food memory was Oma Rie’s pancakes because she cooked on gas with butter which made the edge crispy. Stints in Mayerhofen, Sydney, London & Barcelona restaurants secured his fate.
Landing in NZ Sander started furthering his wine - food knowledge working at Amisfield & Brancott Estate. Curious to try his taste buds at a new profession, Sander enrolled in the NMIT Winemaking & Viticulture diploma, which saw him jointly rewarded with the Wine Marlborough scholarship and being able to work in the boutique Mahi & Seresin wineries.
However a career in winemaking wasn’t to be as while funding his studies by being Head chef at Scotch restaurant and doing catering gigs on the side, Sander built a following that he could no longer turn his back on. The knives were sharpened, his notice was handed in, the Karaka mobile kitchen was created and he was on the road.
In late 2018 that road lead to Riverlands Estate, the catering kitchen, the dedicated team & further down that road, 'The Karaka Kitchen' in Park Terrace.
Chef inspirations - Marco Pierre White, Merijn van Berlo & David Everitt-Mattias.
Chef inspirations - Marco Pierre White, Merijn van Berlo & David Everitt-Mattias.
A proud Dutchman who enjoys football - Ajax & Arsenal his teams. He balances the buzz of kitchen life with runs in the withers or down the Taylor river and being with his whanau: partner Huia, sons Maui & Tamati & reluctant dog owner to Awha, although he is softening .. slowly
Why Karaka?
“Anything is possible!” Diversity of catering jobs, connecting with people in the cafe & learning off each other in the kitchen. A slick, fun, professional team.
HUIA - Sidekick & Cafe
Huia is Sanders partner in crime and the Karaka background support person. She can be found lending a hand with ordering for the shop, marketing, the regularly changing local art exhibitions in the cafe & helping out in the cafe.
A devoted Mum to her two boys and dog Awha, when not at Karaka can be found wearing other hats - a Medical Herbalist, Yoga teacher, Massage Therapist, Antenatal Educator & Zumba instructor. Huia loves travel and the great outdoors.
Why Karaka?
The food is so so good! The quality of the ingredients used, everything made from scratch at reasonable prices, the team spirit, the service they provide for the community. Enjoying all the years Sander has been chipping away at and perfecting his craft, the hard work and dedication, to see it take root and for this opportunity to watch it grow makes me really smile.
BIANCA - Senior Manager
“The team are my second family”
Bianca is an invaluable ingredient in Karaka’s success. She is incredibly focused within the weekly workloads and provides structure to the kitchen.
Bianca enjoys balancing kitchen life with the change of scenery, being at home on her small farm, “I love that lifestyle for our kids. I like going home from the bustling kitchen to the quiet sounds of the swamp - the ciccadas, the bird life, the fantails chasing flies, kingfishers, herons, hawks and moreporks. The magpies tap on the window for bread but I like them as they keep the hawks away from our pet ducks.
I love animals - the cat and dog are important to me. We have fresh duck eggs, herbs and greens & we grow and butcher our own meat.”
Bianca is a Mum-Taxi ferrying her two boys around but she also enjoys researching in her recipe books in her spare time - Ottolenghi, alternative foods such as raw or paleo like the Underground Kitchen. “I just love learning!” She relaxes by baking at home.
Why Karaka?
The diversity, the huge variety of jobs that we do - cafe, the large number of wineries that we cater for at vintage time, funerals, weddings, corporate lunches.
FAVOURITE FOOD CREATED:
Creating personalised platters gives me great enjoyment, especially the moment of handing it over and seeing the clients excitement.
CHRIS - Chef
An invaluable member of the team. He is the calm one. Head down, he gets it done.
Chris is a quick thinker, the problem solver. He keeps the kitchen going, will try anything and fix anything. Chris enjoys the challenge of getting to the end result - simple, clean, fresh flavours.
A farm kid from Wanganui who loved being self sufficient. Chris started cooking in his 20’s on the Gold Coast which progressed into hotel and nightclub management in Queensland.
He is a mountain biking, adrenaline junkie - favourite spots: Wakamarina cycling ground & the Whites Bay loop. He loves free diving, spear fishing & skiing backwards down mountains. A part-time mechanic too.
In his down time Chris enjoys chopping wood, spending time with his florist wife Anita & enjoying a lazy spa on the beach.
Why Karaka?
“We can cater for everybody!”
Always a fun environment - challenging and rewarding. Chris is known for his practical jokes on his colleagues- don’t leave your coffee cup lying about or it will have a chilli in it!
CLAIRE - Chef
“We personalise everything as much as we can”
A traveller at heart Claire loves exploring the globe in search of food, trying different cuisines, getting out in nature, listening to stories and learning histories.
Originally childcare qualified, she found herself working in countries such as The Dominican Republic, Egypt, Finland and Thailand and kitchen life began to evolve from there, cooking in French and Swiss chalets for childrens’ camps.
“I’ll try my hand at everything and anything! “
Claire relaxes by pole dancing, cooking, reading, climbing hills, zumba
I enjoy the adventure in being open to adventure of what life brings.
Why Karaka?
I love a challenge - every day it’s different working here, always different - different customers, different jo briefs. It’s fun, it’s a great team, great atmosphere.
Abi - Senior Chef
“I enjoy thinking on your feet, coming up with new recipes & making stuff from scratch, I love learning & I enjoy being appreciated.”
Alongside Sander & Bianca, Abi completes the senior management of Karaka. She arrived at Karaka with close to two decades experience in the kitchen scene. She is passionate, professional, eager for knowledge and we’re damn blessed to call her one of our own!
Abi wanted to leave school at 15 but to achieve that she needed to find a full time job before her Dad would agree. Kitchen life began washing dishes at the Speights Ale House in Timaru and over the five years there she worked her way up to kitchen hand, sous chef and gained a Certificate in Cookery from Aoraki Polytechnic too. The Chch earthquakes offered a unique opportunity to be a part of the rebuild where Abi helped to reopen three restaurants “it was a good experience I learnt a lot from other chefs - the placement of equipment, the art of training staff, organising menus” with an array of different cuisines - Japanese, Italian, Chinese.
A seven month stint at the Meatworks came to an end when she came to Marlborough for the weekend and fell in love - “the weather, the Marlborough sounds, the beauty”. Marlborough’s gain was Queensland's loss (which was to be her next destination) as Abi spent the next decade sharpening her skills in bakeries, cafes & at the Woodbourne air base.
Abi relaxes from busy kitchen life with friends, doing jigsaw puzzles, enjoying beer at the weekends, camping, going out for dinner and cuddling her cats.
FAVOURITE FOOD TO EAT: Japanese! FAVOURITE FOOD CREATED:
Seafood dishes with food my husband catches. I also love creating platters with cheese & thoughtful design.
Why Karaka?
The variety! Every order or function that we cater for is different. “I’m really growing & evolving in myself, I love learning”
DIA - Events Coordinator / Cafe Queen
Dia is a Hungarian national who decades ago fell deeply in love with New Zealand and found that the Hospitality industry held her hand over the years as she navigated practicing English in an Auckland cafe, Queenstown eateries & stepping up to Maitre’D in Marlborough restaurants.
She finds the Karaka crew “amazing” and enjoys the hard working team energy “there is no gossip. It is a fun nice place to work”.
Dia loves Marlborough, she finds it similar to her hometown - a small town next to a river, yet in the province “you can do everything here, it’s a great location. I love running in the hills, cycling her roads, relaxing and playing badminton.” However, it’s the close friends she has made here which keep the multi talented Dia beautifully by our side.
“I wake up and go home very very happy.”
EDDIE - The Reinforcement
Eddie hails from South Germany, near Munich. He strengthens the Karaka team when needed like no other. He enjoys exploring - a people person who has travelled the world cheffing and enjoys the way connections gift new countries and the flow of ever evolving new colleagues to visit.
“And food! Everywhere is good food!”
Why Karaka?
“A good team. That’s the best. There are no worries. Nowhere in NZ you have a team like this - it’s very unusual. There are no sick days or no shows, it’s pretty unique. One day it’s this, the other day it’s that. It’s always different, it’s good”.
When not at work Eddie enjoys listening to heavy metal music, golf and tramping - from Cape Reinga to Bluff & Stewart Island - “The nature is good here”
Helena - Baker
Helena has oodles of hospo experience from her days of being a Barista at Raupo, to learning the art of baking at BV Gourmet to the Karaka kitchen at Park Terrace.
Why Karaka?
The only place I have known where you talk, sing & work at the same time. We have a laugh here!
CAMILLE - The Master Baker
Camille’s wonderful laugh, dedication and team spirit are a welcome asset to Karaka.
I gained my love of baking from my Nana who was a very good baker. Whenever she came to stay we would always bake. My favourite memories were pikelets drizzled into animal shapes which was a great childhood delight.
Camille enjoyed a unique childhood, her family followed her Father around small south island electrical substation communities, Kikiwa in Nelson Lakes National Park being a memorable one.
A people person, who is on every committee she can possibly be on. A Mother & wife who loves Shania Twain. Camille lives on a lifestyle block with horses, a dog and cat when not being the Mum-Taxi at swimming, taekwondo and rugby she unwinds with a glass of dry white wine when everyone has gone to sleep. A morning person, early to bed.
Why Karaka?
The people - we’re a team, everyone stays to help, they care and think of others the variety of jobs, never the same thing.
The quality of the food is excellent, the ingredients are of a high standard.
FAVOURITE BAKES:
Pavlova and cakes
MATT - Coffee King
“The moment you have with someone give it to them fully, that’s what I try and do in life”
We are delighted to welcome Matt to the Karaka team, he is a seasoned barista and very well loved in Marlborough cafe scene. Matt and his mother, Heather, from Banjo Brews Kombucha fame, founded the landmark cafe Ritual in the town centre with roaring success.
Matt is a music man who spends a lot of time thinking about it and amongst it, and plays in a band ‘Big Scout’. He has recently created Blenheim’s premier music venue, a performance lounge “the plant” (follow on fb and instagram).
When Matt is not in the cafe or teaching drumming lessons to kids he is focussing on the building his tempeh business with his partner Tatiana ‘Found Tempeh’ - a fermented Indonesian soybean product - nutrient dense, texturely interesting, delicious plant protein.
Karaka Cafe Tip:
“I’m vegan & I’m always spoilt for choice”
ANK - Administration Extraordinaire
Ank is our phenomenal background Karaka glue - overseeing accounts and all officey things, occasional driver, a people person who gives us structure. A great support for Sander with the Dutch connection.
A devoted Mother of three who is heavily community focussed and a selfless volunteer. An outdoor enthusiast - under and above the water. Ank loves to travel and explore new places. She was brought to NZ by a possible career in the wine industry … And over dinner she met the free diving Bryan & that was over 17 years ago!
Why Karaka?
“Great vibes & amazing food! Awesome people, lifts the spirits, very encouraging supportive atmosphere”
More to come ..... Nina Oehlrich, Nadia Carrington, Sharon Watkins, Tettra Chom, Charlotte McKenzie, Viola Minghetti, Catherine & Molly Treloar.
