What’s your local? Where (and what) election candidates like to eat in their electorate

From boat clubs and beef phở to turmeric lattes and meatballs, nine candidates from six parties shout out their favourites, from Whangārei to Invercargill.

Election campaigning thrusts MPs and wannabes into the public sphere. Every pit stop at the local shops presents a chance to ingratiate yourself with potential voters (everyone cares about the cost of living, and kai is one way to get your message across). Candidates diligently visit restaurants and pubs, bars and cafes – even supermarkets! But campaigning is hungry work. Luckily charisma can usually be restored with a combination of coffee, calories and enlivening community interactions. 

With all the electioneering going on, it’s easy to get jaded and forget that aspiring MPs do, in fact, need to eat and might even enjoy it. It’s also reasonable to assume they know their respective electorates pretty well. So, we invited* some electoral contenders to share their favourite local spots.

Whangārei

Labour candidate (and emergency department doctor) Gary Payinda says that Mean’s Vietnamese Cafe does a delicious phở that fills you up without feeling heavy. “Their beef broth is fantastic,” he explains. “I recommend the P3 phở with thinly sliced beef, washed down with a Vietnamese iced coffee.” Lucky for him this restaurant is located only one block from his campaign office. “A pure coincidence.” 

Mean’s Vietnamese Cafe, 13 Rathbone St, Whangārei.

Tāmaki 

James Christmas, Act’s candidate for Tāmaki, also has a local right by his office. He rates St Heliers Bay Home Cookery, a rather quaint old-school caf with gothic signage that serves rustic tarts, gourmet pies and filled rolls with house-made bread. It’s a modest choice for a suburb where properties command a $1.87 million median sale price. The Cookery does numbers too, with an impressive 4.8 stars on Google and hundreds of glowing reviews. Christmas shares the sentiment. He loves the huge selection, great coffee, friendly staff and “good chats with other customers while waiting”.  Get the mini lumberjack cakes, his favourite.

St Heliers Bay Home Cookery, 43 Saint Heliers Bay Rd, St Heliers, Auckland.

Māngere

MP and Labour candidate for Māngere Lemauga Lydia Sosene is a fan of Sushi Time in Māngere Town Centre. She endorses their “lovely” wonton soup, “because soup is good for the soul”, she explains. “It’s one of my favourite foods, especially after a full-on day in politics!”

Sushi Time, Shop 36, Māngere Town Centre, Māngere, Auckland.

Tukituki

Former All Black Taine Randell, making his debut as an NZ First candidate, couldn’t choose between the many good bakeries in Hastings that serve up a beloved Hawke's Bay delicacy: the crumbed meatball. “It’s a three-way tie between Shaneo’s Bake House, BJ’s Bakery and John’s Bakery for the best meatball in Tukituki,” he admits. “Unfortunately, I can’t pick a winner because I’m pretty sure the other two would ban me for life!” All are great local spots and, Randell insists, “you can’t go wrong with a good meatball”.

Shaneo’s Bake House, 302 Hastings St North, Hastings. BJ’s Bakery, 305 Karamu Rd, South, Hastings. John’s Bakery, 358 Heretaunga St West, Hastings.

Palmerston North

Cafe Jacko is a bit of a Palmy institution thanks to its large servings and classic fare. Palmerston North MP and Greens candidate Teanau Tuiono recommends it for breakfast and brunch, pointing out plenty of good options on the menu. “Eggs benny, that sort of thing,” explains the Green Party politician. Alongside the classics are some more novel items. “I’d never heard of a turmeric latte before until I went to Jackos so I do like to get one of those when I’m there,” says Tuiono. He also likes the staff, who are “down to earth and friendly”. You’ll find Cafe Jacko on George Street – “a great location” – where Tuiono likes to take a stroll after visiting.

Cafe Jacko, 8 George St, Palmerston North.

Kapiti 

National party candidate Tim Costley is a man torn between two boat clubs. He loves Waikanae Boating Club and Paraparaumu’s Kapiti Boating Club equally and says both have just had major upgrades. “Can I give them joint first place?” They’re pretty perfect, says the Waikanae-based MP. “You can sit outside overlooking the beach and Kapiti Island enjoying a cold drink and some fries and the whole experience is basically impossible to beat anywhere on the coast.”

Waikanae Boating Club, 97 Tutere St, Waikanae Beach. Kapiti Boating Club, Marine Parade, Paraparaumu Beach.

Kaikōura

National MP Stuart Smith’s electorate is large, over 21,000m² in size, which makes choosing one local “impossible”. He gives us four favourites instead. For paddock to plate, “our speciality”, he recommends Harris Farms Shop in Cheviot and MiddleHurst Station Farm Store in Kaikōura. But there’s more! He also enjoys two classic spots: Nin’s Bin on the Kaikōura Coast and Jolly Roger Bar & Restaurant in Waikawa Bay, Picton. Smith’s pretty proud of the region. “This electorate has it all,” he says. “We grow and harvest our wine and food and get to enjoy it with some of the best views.” 

Harris Farms Shop, 28 Hall St, Cheviot. MiddleHurst Station Farm Store, 54 West End, Kaikōura. Jolly Roger Bar & Restaurant, 1/4 Te Ara Kaimoana, Waikawa, Picton. Nin’s Bin, State Highway 1, Rakautara, Kaikōura.

Christchurch Central

The Afghan Restaurant in Ōtautahi has caught the attention of The Spinoff before and it’s heartily co-signed by Christchurch Central Opportunity candidate Eden Skipper. “You don't know when it's open and you don't know what's being served but you always walk out satisfied,” Skipper says. “You need to check their Facebook page called "IS AFG OPEN TODAY?" which has 36.6k followers.” There, hopeful punters politely ask if the restaurant is open. Sometimes the answer is yes and you’ll find the doors to 318 Lincoln Road unlocked. “They serve one dish,” explains Skipper. “You get what’s given, which makes choosing quick, but I promise you’ll return.”

Afghan Restaurant, 318 Lincoln Rd, Addington, Christchurch.

Invercargill

Labour candidate Janice Lee loves The Auction House Cafe & Bar for its “friendly staff and consistently good coffee”. You’ll find it on Don Street, in the modern business precinct that replaced the historic Todd’s Auction House (the cafe’s namesake). The spot’s “great for breakfast meetings”, according to Lee, which she often has with Kuma, the southern Māori business network. She regularly bumps into people she knows there. “I had lunch there with Mananui Ramsden [Labour’s candidate for the Te Tai Tonga seat] yesterday.” Lee ordered the beef and pomegranate salad. “Every bite was a delight!!”

The Auction House Cafe & Bar, 20 Don St, Invercargill.

(Te Pāti Māori didn’t respond to our requests to contribute.)