New Wood Street deli owner a cut above

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JULIA WADE

11 July, 2022

 

After months of prep, a popular retailer specialising in deli meats and treats have brought their delicious range closer to the locals at Mangawhai Heads, with the recent opening of a brand-new store at Wood Street’s burgeoning food hub.

Launched on June 30, Mangawhai Meats owners, Dan and Ange Klink, celebrated their new venture with guests, officially opening the doors to their decked-out shop to reveal a colourful display of condiments, sauces, cheeses, spices, pickles, breads and of course various meats. The award-winning butcher says the store has been in the pipeline for about three months.

“It started quite organically actually, from talking to the landlord, who has wanted a deli in this area for some time. He approached Ange and I and has been incredibly supportive to get us here,” Dan says. “We’ve tried to cross over the product with our Village shop as much as possible, to help make our business more accessible to everyone. With this space we can branch out and really help to make Wood Street an appealing food hub.”

On top of setting up the new deli, Dan has also been sharpening his knives and skills after being selected for a prestigious position in New Zealand’s national butchery team, the Hellers Sharp Blacks, who will compete at the 2022 World Butchers Challenge in California this coming September.

The team of seven are considered to be some of the elite meat carvers in the country and are currently practising to serve their best sides up to the world plate to win the top award at the ‘butchery Olympics’: The Golden Knife Trophy.

Starting in 2011, the inaugural friendly butchery comp originally began between New Zealand’s Pure South Sharp Blacks and the Australian Steelers, with the British Beefeaters joining the fun in 2013, followed by France and Ireland. In the 2022 competition, 14 teams from all over the world will be attending.

Conducted over three hours, competitors are given a side of beef and pork, a whole lamb and five chickens which they have to transform into a ‘themed display’. Each team is appraised by a global panel of independent judges who score on strict criteria such as knife skills, hygiene, safety, consistency, time management, cookability and saleability as well as style, visual impact and innovation of the display.

Held in Onehunga’s former Countdown building, Dan says the team’s official training is now in full swing.

“Our first practise was just everyone still finding their feet but by the second time we got a momentum going and were coming up with some awesome stuff,” he says. “The practise is the same as a full competition, beginning with the raw animals right through

to the end, a full display with garnish, like what you’d see in a shop window, all pretty looking.”

As the official ‘boner and trimmer’ of the team, Dan’s role entails breaking down the carcass. However due to his national achievements, including winning the Supreme Sausage Award at 2016s Great New Zealand Sausage Competition for his chicken, lime and lemongrass banger, the team will probably also look to Dan for his unique taste and creativity.

Mangawhai’s talented butcher says he never planned to be a butcher, he just ‘kind of fell into it’.

“Actually I wanted to be a chef and while waiting for my course, my mum didn’t want me doing nothing and told me about a job at the Village butchers, so thought I’d give it a go,” he says. “I ended up enjoying the trade and was reasonably alright at it… and here I am 19 years later.”

 

“With this space we can branch out and really help to make Wood Street an appealing food hub.”

– Dan Klink

 

 

Just opened, Dan and Ange Klink’s family deli at the Heads is an ideal accompaniment to the popular butchery at the Village. PHOTO/ELEVATED MEDIA

 

Dan Klink, front right, with the Hellers Sharp Blacks Squad, who are now in training for the World Butchers Challenge in California this coming September. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

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