$6m Michelin Stars for wank food in a land of 170 000 hungry children and broke Foodbanks
Fifteen NZ restaurants awarded Michelin stars
Fifteen New Zealand restaurants have been awarded Michelin stars at a ceremony in Auckland this evening.
The winners of the first Michelin Guide New Zealand restaurant awards were in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown.
TVNZ
I think there is something terribly sick about a country that can find $6million from taxpayers to pay for wanky Michelin Stars when 180 000 kids are in poverty and this Government continues to cut back on Food Banks.
600 000 Kiwis need assistance from food banks every month.
Food wank is nice for those with the money, but when so many are hungry in a. land of plenty, this all feels very ugly.
I often wonder if hungry children watch Food Porn TV shows ever lick the screen in desperation.
We have our priorities so wrong in this country.
The New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services (NZ CCSS) published a report this morning showing measures of the number of people in Aotearoa who are hungry and living in poverty has risen over the last year to their worst-ever levels. One in six households are living in income poverty after housing costs, just over one in ten have to go without essential items regularly, and one in three households experienced food insecurity in the last year. (See more detail and charts below, along with a full interview above with NZ CCSS CEO Alicia Sudden).
https://thekaka.substack.com/p/half-a-million-new-zealanders-living
” The Government is engaged in a war against the poor, pandering to prejudices that they are living the high life on a benefit that barely allows subsistence living ”
HE GOVERNMENT’S sanctions regime, its harassment of the homeless, and its partnership with the most punitive instincts of the Act Party amount to something far more deliberate than a collection of harsh policies. They form a coherent political project: a war on the poor. It is a war of bureaucratic cruelty, public shaming, and the calculated withdrawal of social rights. And like all such wars, it is justified by a narrative that paints the victims as the problem.
https://nzagainstthecurrent.blogspot.com/2026/07/the-governments-war-oin-poor.html
In November 2025 the NZ Govt paid Michelin $6.3m to bring its world-famous restaurant ranking system to the country. What an absolute disgraceful decision and waste of money. We have thousands of starving children, with parents who earn so little having to stretch all they have to try to make ends meet. I don’t care where the money came from, it’s about who it could have “genuinely” helped! This epitomises Luxon’s lot absolutely, and he calls himself a Christian! He is without a conscience, without a working brain, without compassion or empathy! Again, he is simply an empty bag of lard = pouch that used to hold rendered pig fat used for cooking. Again and again how in the hell is he still PM? – I know they have no one any better!
Why am I not surprised at this take on the awards. You do not account for the increase in revenue these awards bring by attracting big spending tourism. Increase turn over means more staff employed in kitchens and those that supply them .
Is the increased revenue to the restaurant or the country? You need better evidence as while I can understand the awarded restaurants getting more customers and other restaurants getting less customers it’s unlikely that more people will visit NZ just to try a high quality, high price meal.
If their turnover increases maybe there should be a Michelin tax to recover the governments investment.
I’m more interested in value for money and plant based meals so I don’t think that I will be visiting any of the restaurants.
The awards will generate $30million extra from tourists. This will return extra tax which will cover the $6m spent .Young chefs will not need to go overseas to get the experience of working in a Michelin restaurant and when they do travel they will be listened to when they suggest NZ products.
Hey I’m a foodie, no issue with the revenue, I just find it hilariously funny to see the prestige and status of your culinary craft being rated by a car tyre company cause everyone else fomos the badge.
Fuck off Trevor ,what a crock of shit .No body comes to NZ just to go for an over pried feed then goes home again .
Thats a hell of a lot of $3 chuck that could have been given to starving people out side the venue .
Car tyre starred restaurants as I like to call them.
“600 000 Kiwis need assistance from food banks every month.”
Which parties have a moral policy to STOP TAXING FOOD ?
Act. No.
National. No.
Labour. No.
Greens. No.
Opportunity. No.
Te Parti Maori! YES!
NO GST ON FOOD!