The experience
Aroha arrives at your home three hours before service. She sets the table, prepares every course from scratch in your kitchen, serves each plate with its story, and leaves the kitchen cleaner than she found it.
Every dinner begins with a karakia and a small taste of kawakawa — a bitter leaf that wakes the palate and grounds the evening in the whenua. From there, each course draws on seasonal ingredients sourced within 100km of your table: Wairarapa lamb, Kāpiti crayfish, Martinborough olive oil, foraged horopito and pūhā.
You provide the space and the guests. We bring the knives, the pots, the linen napkins and the stories behind every ingredient. BYO is welcome; Aroha can suggest pairings if you send your wine list ahead.
What is included
- All ingredients, sourced that morning where possible
- Table setting: linen, candles, hand-thrown ceramic plates
- Full service by Aroha and one kaiāwhina (assistant)
- Printed menu card for each guest
- Kitchen left spotless
About Chef Aroha
Aroha Ngata
Head Chef & Founder
Ngāti Porou. Trained at Le Cordon Bleu Paris, staged at Noma Copenhagen, then came home to explore the kai of her tūpuna. Eight years running private dinners across Wellington.
Tai Whaitiri
Kaiāwhina & Sommelier
WSET Level 3. Tai sources New Zealand wines to pair with each menu and manages front-of-house on the night. Formerly at Hippopotamus and Logan Brown.
Mere Raukawa
Forager & Pastry
Mere supplies foraged herbs, shoots and seaweeds from the Remutaka ranges and south coast. She also makes every dessert, bread and petit four for the menus.
Upcoming pop-ups
Occasional public dinners and collaborations around Wellington. Limited seats — book early.
| Date | Event | Venue | Seats | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matariki Harvest Dinner | Thistle Hall, Cuba St | 28 | $165pp | |
| Crayfish Season Opening | Petone Wharf Shed | 36 | $210pp | |
| Valentine Hākari for Two | Your home | 2 | $380pp |
Press & reviews
"Aroha cooks with a clarity that makes you taste the land itself. Every plate carries a whakapapa."
Cuisine Magazine,"The most memorable meal I have eaten in Wellington — and it was in my own dining room."
The Spinoff,"A quiet revolution in how New Zealand thinks about its indigenous food traditions."
Metro,"She foraged the herbs from the hill behind our house and used our garden lemons. The lamb neck was transcendent."
Guest review,
Enquire
Tell us about your evening and we will send a proposal within 48 hours. No deposit until you confirm.