From cooking Umu with his dad to building a name in New Zealand's BBQ scene, Moe's journey has taken him from a shop, to the Soul Food Festival, and beyond.

In this episode, we sit down for a yarn about his journey into low & slow BBQ, the realities of running a food business, helping others with the foodpreneur club and what it takes to turn a passion for cooking into something more. We talk cooking, helping other food businesses grow, and what's happening in the NZ food scene.

We also get into the BBQ itself — favourite meats and woods, common backyard cooking mistakes, and what people tend to overcomplicate. Along the way, we talk about failure, family, and how his idea of success has changed over the years.

It's an honest conversation about BBQ, business, and the people behind it, with a few laughs and a quick-fire round to finish.

Check out Soul Food Fest - Auckland, 20 March 2027

Instagram: @soulfoodfest_nz

Follow the team: @moeandmarika

What is it about a Kiwi BBQ that makes everyone want to come round for a feed?

Today we look at the classic Kiwi gathering — the BBQ going, food everywhere, bringing a plate, a few drinks, plenty of stories, and usually enough leftovers to feed everyone twice.

From sausages and steak to brisket, pulled pork and smoked meats. Low & slow BBQ might have changed what we're cooking, but the reason we cook it hasn't really changed.

Because sometimes the food isn't actually the point. It's the people around the table, the conversations, the laughs, and having an excuse to get everyone together.

Low & Slow Aotearoa isn't just about smoking meat. It's about what happens around the smoker.

And at the end of the episode, I tease an upcoming interview 🤫

Charcoal smokers can make dam good BBQ — but they can also be super frustrating.

Today, I have a yarn about why some backyard cooks are moving from charcoal smokers to pellet smokers. Temperature swings, fuel management, changing weather and those overnight cooks can make charcoal a lot of work.

But is convenience actually the point of low & slow BBQ? We look at what pellet smokers make easier, what you might lose by stepping away from the fire, and why there's something satisfying about learning to manage charcoal, wood and your smoker.

This isn't charcoal vs pellets. It's about finding the smoker that makes you actually want to cook.

Because whether you're managing a fire all day or pressing a button, we're all here for the same thing.

Delicious Low and Slow BBQ.

This episode, we're going out.

I head out to pick up a hāngī from a workmate, bringing you along for the journey before taking it home and sitting down to actually taste it.

We talk about what hāngī and low & slow BBQ have in common — patience, time, slow cooking and feeding people, while also looking at what makes hāngī its own unique Māori cooking tradition.

From the smell on the drive home to opening it up and taking that first bite, this one is about experiencing the food rather than just talking about it.

I've spent a lot of time talking about low & slow BBQ, but this episode reminded me that slow cooking has been part of Aotearoa for a bloody long time, and its an amazing example of our unique style.

You know that feeling when you smell BBQ before you can even see it?

The smoke drifting down the street, charcoal firing up, meat hitting the heat, or opening the smoker after a few hours and getting that first hit of smoke.

In this Side Dish, we talk about the smells that make BBQ what it is — wood smoke, charcoal, rubs, meat, fat hitting the fire, and that unmistakable Kiwi BBQ smell.

Because sometimes the best part of a cook starts long before the first bite, and can take you back to great moments.

Low & slow, one smell at a time.

BBQ feels different the moment you're cooking for other people?

Same smoker, same meat, same process — but suddenly you're checking temperatures more, second-guessing decisions and putting pressure on yourself to get everything just right.

Today, I talk about where that pressure comes from, how chasing the perfect cook can actually make us cook worse, and why the people we're feeding probably aren't judging our BBQ nearly as harshly as we are.

Because low & slow shouldn't feel like a performance. It's about good food, good people, and enjoying the time around the smoker.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is stop trying to prove something — and just cook.

#BBQ #NewZealand #cooking #lowandslow

Brisket and ribs get all the attention, but a whole chicken might be one of the best cooks you can do on a smoker. It's affordable, forgiving, feeds the family, and doesn't take all day.

This episode of "Side Dish" Im at the pit again, talking through how I smoke a whole chicken, the little things that make a big difference, and why it's such an easy cook when you want great smoky BBQ without committing 12 hours.

Whether you've never smoked a chicken before, or just wanna join me at the pit for a little chat, this one is for you.

Low & slow BBQ looks incredible on social media, but there's a side to it that rarely gets talked about.

I share the realities of the hobby that most people only discover after they start their journey . The long hours of waiting, the cleaning and maintenance, the cost of fuel and meat, and adapting to New Zealand's unpredictable weather.

Despite the setbacks, it's all part of what makes low & slow so rewarding. Because every failed cook teaches you something, every long day builds patience, and every great meal reminds you why you started in the first place.

Low & slow isn't always glamorous—but for those who stick with it, there's nothing quite like it.

#lowandslow #bbq #smokingmeat #Aotearoa #NewZealand #local