Controversy at republic’s wild and wacky cook-off
A wild cook-off was the kind of contest only the Republic of Whangamomona could produce, complete with rule bending and suspect dishes.
On Sunday, in the second event of what is hoped to be become an annual affair, the judges were served everything from Lucy goosey goose to huhu grubs in tequila and eel cooked in a myriad of ways.
There was also some kind of bird on the menu which may or may not have been pukeko, depending on if it was illegal to kill them.
The rules for the competition held at the Whangamomona Hotel in east Taranaki were simple.
The food had to be wild, shot or caught by the contestant, processed and cooked by the contestant and presented with the ‘‘utmost love and care’’.
The overall winner was announced as Bloss Cobblestone, who works in the Whangamomona Hotel kitchen, and she was presented with a charred pig’s head for first place.
However, she was soon stripped of the title when she announced that her conscience had got the better of her, and while she had killed, gutted and cooked the pork, it was in fact a domestic animal which was strictly against the rules.
The blackened pig’s head was instead passed on to Vanessa Kennedy, who had cooked a venison and Guinness pie and was adamant that she had killed the deer herself.
The children’s section was taken out by 9-year-old Kate Pease, with her whitebait and lemon juice. ‘‘We went with some friends to catch the whitebait and I made the lemon juice myself,’’ she said.
Organiser and Whangamomona pub manager Anika Williams said the night was a way to bring the community together, and also a chance for families to find out who was the best in kitchen.
‘‘For me it’s the communication between parents and children and the stance between husband and wife,’’ she said. ‘‘It’s just a fun night for the community, especially in the middle of winter.’’
Colonel Malone’s Restaurant and Bar manager Owen Brighurst came from Stratford to judge the competition, while Whangamomona residents Linda Harris and Murray Peat made up the rest of the judging panel.
There was also a people’s choice award, with the public asked to rate each dish, from Really Good to Help!, with some meals eliciting a comment of ‘‘I wouldn’t feed that to my dogs’’.
All up the competition attracted 14 entries in the open section and 10 in the children’s section.
Williams said she was hoping to continue growing the competition next year and knew some entrants were already planning their next dish for the event.