Marae Kai Masters - Series One

When I rang to let these guys know they were in the top eight, they were so cute. They played the message on speakerphone to their entire marae community, five times.

– Presenter Nevak Rogers on telling Kutarere Marae they'd made it onto the finalists, late in episode one

...working on a marae's the hardest, because when you're cooking for a tangi or a hui, you only cook what comes in the door. Somebody'll walk in with a pig over their shoulders, "where shall I put this?" [You say] "put it there, we'll work it out."

– Hospitality veteran Wiki Ratima describes cooking at Whiti Te Rā Marae, in episode one

Lo said "no, you're making the sandwiches". I said "what?", and she said "there's a recipe there." I said "I don't even know how to read a recipe!"

– Gundy Pryor of Tu Teao Marae, in episode two

Poach the chicken? I said 'you don't poach chicken, you poach the egg that comes out of the chicken!'

– Gundy Pryor of Tu Teao Marae, on his sandwich-making mission in episode two

It's the mahi that we do every day at the marae. You know... I think we're honouring everyone who works on the marae.

– Gaynor Paul of Tu Teao Marae on being thanked for their cooking, in episode six

Yeah, the multicooker is a challenge  . . .  For us, yeah, it's a tool or a kai machine that's gonna be good for our marae, no matter which way you look at it. For us, it was our first time, so yeah, we're gonna have our teething problems. But once we get it at our marae, you know when we win and we take the big one, it's gonna be a godsend, because . . . apparently in the big one, you can cook for 300.

– Gundy Pryor of Tu Teao Marae, on trying out one of the big prizes, the jumbo MultiKai Cooker, in episode six

Pretty disappointed at that stage, because what kid doesn’t like a nice hot, crispy spud? Especially if it’s in the shape of a wedge, with a nice sauce on it. That’s a whole lot of rīwai to waste, so I’m not happy about it.

– Tania Urwin of Huria Marae, on having to throw out a batch of potato wedges, in episode seven

Children at that age are just so honest; they’ll tell you if anything’s yuck. I was just hoping that they’d really like what they see, and hopefully, it tastes nice in their mouth and they get full.

– Daniel Tuahine of Pukemokimoki Marae on cooking for Tamariki, in episode seven

Heoi, nā kōutou anō te whakatau kia kaura e pānui e te rārangi kai. Ki a au, e whakahīhī kē tenā.                   
However you decided not to read the recipe. To me, that is arrogant.

– Presenter Te Kohe Tuhaka, in episode five

I'll give you a hand. Don't tell Te Kohi I'm helping you, though. 

– Presenter Nevak Rogers helps the Huria Marae team peel three kilos of kūmara, in the final episode

...ko te mana te kaingākau o ngā ringawere kia riro i a rātou te ingoa o te whakaihuawka, arā, ko Marae Kai Masters!       
...what the teams want most of all is to be bestowed with the mana and title of Marae Kai Masters.

– Presenter Nevak Rogers, in episode one

Ka mōhio mātou o mātou nei tīma ko wai, kei roto i a mātou nei tīma, ko wai te tāngata tino kaha. 
We know in our team, who the best person is [for the job].

– Charlie Rahiri from Huria Marae, in episode three

Kei te hari te koa au, i au e mah ana i roto i tēnei wero. Tērā tāku hiahia, ki te tunu kai.
I'm thrilled to be part of this challenge. That's what I want, to cook food. 

– Charlie Rahiri from Huria Marae, in episode three

He tangata māia, e mātau ana ki tēnei mea te tunu kai — mīti, o te puihi, nō te whenua, nō te moana hoki atu ērā. So I said "Oh, kaiwhakawā pai tērā".
He's confident, really knows how to cook food — meat, from the wild, from the land, from the sea too. So I said, "Oh, he's a great judge."

– Lloyd Whiu, early in episode four

Ā, te urunga ki roto, ka pātukituki te manawa, i runga i te kore mõhio ka pēwhea taka ai ngā māka, tēwhea tīma ka eke, ka heke.
Ah, going into it, the heart's thumping, not knowing how marks will be taken, which team will win, which will loose.

– Lloyd Whiu, late in episode four