LAST YEAR WAS THE WORST ON RECORD FOR DROWNINGS IN NEW ZEALAND ` 90 PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES. TODAY IS WORLD DROWNING PREVENTION DAY, AND THE KEY MESSAGE IS A VERY SIMPLE ONE. TE RAUHIRINGA BROWN WITH THE IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING HOW TO FLOAT. (BROODING MUSIC) ANYONE CAN DROWN, BUT THE TRUTH IS NO ONE SHOULD. KNOWING HOW TO PREPARE, PROTECT AND PREVENT COULD MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH. AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION; A POUND OF CURE. YOU KNOW? LIKE, WE REALLY NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO TO EDUCATE PEOPLE TO KEEP SAFE IN, ON AND AROUND THE WATER, UM, AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT STARTS WITH THE REALLY KEY SIMPLE MESSAGES OF JUST BEING ABLE TO FLOAT FIRST. (UPBEAT MUSIC) FLOAT TO SURVIVE ` THIS YEAR'S KEY MESSAGE FOR WORLD DROWNING PREVENTION DAY. FLOAT FIRST. SO LIE BACK WITH YOUR EARS UNDERWATER, CHIN UP. MOVE YOUR HANDS TO HELP YOU FLOAT. IGNORE YOUR INSTINCT TO SINK, AND IT'S FINE IF YOUR FEET SINK BELOW THE WATER. BREATHE NORMALLY AS WELL. RELAX. SLOW DOWN YOUR BREATHING TO KEEP CALM WHILE WE'RE FLOATING. SIGNAL FOR HELP AS WELL, IF WE'RE OUT IN TROUBLE IN THE WATER, AND ALSO SHOUTING AS WELL. THEN WE NEED TO DECIDE IF WE'RE GOING TO EITHER SURVIVE BY SWIMMING OR SURVIVE BY FLOATING. SO IF IT'S SAFE TO SWIM TO SAFETY, DO SO; OTHERWISE, REMAIN FLOATING AND HOLD ON TO ANYTHING THAT HELPS YOU FLOAT. (HORN TOOTS) (LAID-BACK MUSIC) I FLOATED FOR 90 SECONDS. YEAH? HOW DID YOU LIKE THAT? UM, IT WAS A BIT TOUGH, BUT I GOT THROUGH IT IN THE END, AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY GOOD. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, COS THERE'S, LIKE, A LOT OF DROWNING PER YEAR. FLOATING MAKES YOU CALM, AND IF YOU RAISE YOUR HAND, SOMEONE WILL COME AND GET YOU. IT WAS COOL. IT WAS QUITE GOOD HAVING, LIKE, THE ENVIRONMENT ` ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHERS AS WELL. ESPECIALLY HAVING OTHER PEOPLE, LIKE, THAT DON'T KNOW HOW TO FLOAT, HAVING THOSE AROUND THEM THAT CAN. WHAT WAS IT LIKE FLOATING WITH ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS ALL AT THE SAME TIME? THAT WAS PRETTY HARD, COS I, UM... I KEPT BUMPING INTO PEOPLE BY ACCIDENT. (LAUGHS) SO, WHY 90 SECONDS? WELL, THAT'S THE AVERAGE TIME IT TAKES TO RECOVER FROM COLD-WATER SHOCK OR PANIC. FLOATING FIRST CAN HEAVILY REDUCE THE RISK OF DROWNING ` IMPORTANT SURVIVAL SKILLS THAT SAVED THE LIFE OF 9-YEAR-OLD JOSEPH WARD, WHO GOT SWEPT AWAY IN A RIP. JOE WAS ABOUT TWO ARMS' LENGTHS AWAY FROM ME, CLOSE TO THE ROCKS, AND I WAS THINKING, 'THIS IS` THAT'S NOT GOOD. 'YOU SHOULD GET AWAY FROM THE ROCKS.' UM, SO I CALLED TO HIM ` 'JOE, COME OUT NOW! COME OUT. 'COME ON. WE HAVE TO` YOU HAVE TO COME BACK.' AND I REMEMBER VERY DISTINCTLY HIM SAYING TO ME, 'I CAN'T, DADDY. I CAN'T.' AND THAT... THAT WAS THE MOMENT I REALISED THAT THIS IS, UM... THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION, AND THE FEAR AND THE ADRENALINE STARTED TO BUILD IN ME. LUCKILY, JOSEPH HAD TWICE PARTICIPATED IN THE DROWNING PREVENTION SPLASH HOLIDAY PROGRAM, WHERE HE PRACTISED WATER SAFETY SKILLS LIKE FLOATING. WE FELT IT WAS NECESSARY FOR` ESPECIALLY FOR JOE TO LEARN SOME PREVENTATIVE SKILLS IN CASE HE GETS INTO TROUBLE, JUST AS A PRECAUTION. COS YOU NEVER THINK YOU'RE GONNA BE IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS. AND WHY IS FLOATING IMPORTANT? TO SAVE ENERGY. WHEN YOU'RE IN TROUBLE. THAT'S RIGHT. RIGHT. YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S ABOUT. I GOT DRAGGED OUT BY THE RIP. THAT'S RIGHT. AND THEN WHAT DID YOU DO? UM, I PANICKED. MM. AND THEN WHAT HAPPENED? UM, I STARTED FLOATING. DID YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE THAT HELPED? TREADING WATER. YEAH, THAT'S GOOD, ISN'T IT? DID YOU PUT YOUR ARM UP? YEAH. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? A SURFER CAME NEAR ME AND, UH, TOLD ME TO CLIMB ONTO THE SURFBOARD. VERY FORTUNATELY FOR US, THERE WERE ALREADY SOME SURFERS, UM, OUT IN` LIKE, ON EITHER SIDE OF THE RIP, AND SO THEY QUITE EASILY PICKED HIM UP AND CAME BACK TO SHORE. REMEMBER ` FLOAT, BREATHE, SIGNAL; SURVIVE. WE KNOW THAT OUR EDUCATION REALLY DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE, AND IT'S SO COOL TO HAVE THAT REAL-LIFE CASE STUDY AND THAT REAL-LIFE CONNECTION BETWEEN SOMEONE WHO WAS IN ONE OF OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND TO SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY USED THAT INFORMATION TO SAVE HIS OWN LIFE AND COME HOME SAFELY FROM ENJOYING THE WATER WITH HIS WHANAU, WHICH IS WHAT WE SHOULD ALL BE ABLE TO DO. (UPBEAT MUSIC) CAPTIONS BY JASON CONRAN, MAEVE KELLY AND OTO SEQUEIRA. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2024 WE'VE ALL WATCHED 'THE LORD OF THE RINGS' FILMS AND READ THE BOOKS. BUT WHAT ABOUT A MUSICAL VERSION? 'LORD OF THE RINGS THE MUSICAL' IS OPENING IN CHICAGO AND HAS PLANS TO COME TO NEW ZEALAND. LOGAN CHURCH TOOK A BREAK FROM AMERICAN POLITICS FOR A JOURNEY BACK TO MIDDLE EARTH. (ETHEREAL MUSIC PLAYS) COME ON, MR FRODO. I CAN'T CARRY IT FOR YOU. BUT I CAN CARRY YOU! ('THE LORD OF THE RINGS THEME' PLAYS) THESE FILMS BRINGING TOLKIEN'S EPIC TALE TO LIFE. BUT NOW, IN CHICAGO, THE STORY HAS BEEN TAKEN FROM THE PAGE AND PUT ONTO A STAGE. SO HOW DO YOU TAKE SOMETHING LIKE LORD OF THE RINGS AND TURN IT INTO SOMETHING THAT WORKS IN A THEATRE? WELL, I THINK THAT'S THE GREAT CHALLENGE. AND THAT'S THE THING THAT MAKES THE APPEAL TO ME THAT, YOU KNOW, IN ESSENCE, IT FEELS LIKE AN IMPOSSIBLE THING TO DO. IT'S REALLY AUDACIOUS IN A LOT OF WAYS TO THINK OF, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ALL THREE BOOKS AND DO THEM IN ONE EVENING WITH A BUNCH OF SONGS. HOWEVER, THEY ARE DOING JUST THAT, FEATURING SOME FAMILIAR VOICES... MY... PRECIOUSSS. WHERE ARE THE NICE HOBBITS GOING, WE WONDERS! ...AS BILBO AND SAM EMBARK ON A LIVE QUEST TO DEFEAT SAURON. ('CONCERNING HOBBITS' PLAYS) OK, YOU DON'T GET SAM WITHOUT FRODO, YOU DON'T GET FRODO WITHOUT SAM, IT IS A PACKAGE DEAL. I... (SIGHS) BUT YES, HE IS THE BEST CHARACTER. (LAUGHS) DON'T TELL SPENCER I SAID THAT. I THINK FRODO AND SAM ARE EQUALLY AS BRILLIANT. THAT IS MY POLITICAL ANSWER. WHILE THEATRE PROVIDES SOME UNIQUE CHALLENGES, FROM CREATING AND MAINTAINING COSTUMES DAY IN, DAY OUT... ('CONCERNING HOBBITS' CONTINUES) AND DURING THIS ` EIGHT TIMES A WEEK. IT'S NOT QUITE LIKE FILM WHERE YOU CAN JUST GET THE LITTLE BITS OF EYES. IT NEEDS TO BE A MUCH MORE PHYSICAL SORT OF TRANSFORMATION, WHICH MAKES IT A LITTLE BIT HARDER. THERE'S ALSO OPPORTUNITIES TO TRY NEW THINGS. THIS IS ONE OF THE BLACK RIDERS. SO THE BLACK RIDERS HAVE A COSTUME. THIS IS ATTACHED TO THE COSTUME AT THE SHOULDER AND ENABLES US TO DO SOME PUPPETRY. WE CAN OPEN THE MOUTH VERY BIG FOR THE BIG SCREAM. WE'VE GOT SNAPPING TEETH. AND ALSO ` WE CAN MOVE THE EARS. ORIGINAL MUSIC, TOO. IT'S VERY UNIQUE. IN THIS VERSION OF THE SHOW, IT'S THE ACTORS WHO ACTUALLY PLAY THE INSTRUMENTS. THERE IS NO ADDITIONAL ORCHESTRA SOMEWHERE ELSE. EVERYTHING THAT YOU HEAR HAPPENS IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE. ('THE RIDERS OF ROHAN' PLAYS) AND WHILE THERE AREN'T 10,000 URUK-HAI ATTACKING HELM'S DEEP... ('A KNIFE IN THE DARK' PLAYS) THERE IS HOLLYWOOD FIGHT COORDINATOR, RACHEL LEIGH FLETCHER. WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AN EPIC LIKE THE LORD OF THE RINGS, TRYING TO BRING THAT EXCITEMENT TO STAGE, BUT MAKE MASS BATTLES WITH ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE ORCS. ('FLIGHT TO THE FORD' PLAYS) SO, THERE'S ONLY ONE THING I WANT TO DO, OF COURSE. OF COURSE. YOU HAVE TO PLAY WITH ANDURIL. OK. OK, SO YOU'LL PULL IT OUT. YEP, BEAUTIFUL. YES! AND THEN YOU'LL PUT YOUR TOP` YOUR DOMINANT HAND ON THE TOP OF IT. LIKE THAT? UH-HUH. AND THEN YOUR BOTTOM HAND GOES ON THIS. IT'S CALLED THE POMMEL. AND THEN IF YOU THINK ABOUT PUSHING THE ENERGY DOWN, AND THEN PULLING THE ENERGY UP FROM THE POMMEL. YEAH. DO YOU FEEL HOW YOU CAN ALMOST GET FLICKING ACTION? OH YES, VERY QUICKLY. THEY KNOW PEOPLE LOVE LORD OF THE RINGS, AND CAN'T AFFORD TO STUFF IT UP. OUR FANS ARE VERY FORGIVING. BUT THEY'RE ALSO THEY'RE VERY... THEY HAVE A LOT OF OWNERSHIP. WE'RE READY FOR THE EXPECTATIONS. I THINK OUR CAST REALLY ENCOMPASSES THE HEART OF LORD OF THE RINGS. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO TRAVEL TO CHICAGO, WELL, YOU'RE IN LUCK. IT'S COMING TO AUCKLAND IN NOVEMBER. AS A LIFELONG LORD OF THE RINGS FAN AND FORMER AMATEUR THESPIAN FROM PALMERSTON NORTH, ARE THERE ANY EMPTY SPOTS HEADING INTO OPENING NIGHT OR... I MEAN, NEVER SAY NEVER. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT'S` ORC UNDERSTUDY? ORC UNDERSTUDY, YEAH. I MEAN, WE'VE GOT QUITE A SMALL NUMBER OF NORCS` ORCS, WHEN YOU THINK THAT YOU HAVE TO CREATE AN ENTIRE ARMY. SO, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS HAPPY TO HAVE ANOTHER ONE HANGING OUT AT THE BACK. (CHUCKLES) I'M RESIGNING. THE START OF A NEW JOURNEY THROUGH MIDDLE-EARTH. ('CONCERNING HOBBITS' FADES OUT) E WHAI AKE NEI. COMING UP ON SEVEN SHARP, IT'S THE BIGGEST NIGHT IN THE PORK PRODUCTS INDUSTRY, AND FIND OUT WHO'S MAKIN' THE BEST BACON. PLUS... I WANNA BE HONEST HERE. I DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT THE HAIRCUTS, BUT THE CONVERSATIONS THAT I HAVE. THE BARBER WHO'S TAKING CARE OF THE HEAD ` AND WHAT GOES ON TOP. WE'LL SEE YOU IN A MOMENT WITH THAT. VOICEOVER: Hello person not watching this ad? Yup, you on your mobile. Hey, did you know you could be ignoring this TV ad for less? How much less? 50% less. Get the skinny! SONG: # Happy happy happy aaaah! # NAU MAI, HOKI MAI ` WELCOME BACK. LOVELY TO HAVE YOU WITH US. KALEB WIKI (24) IS RUNNING TWO BUSINESSES FROM A TINY GARAGE IN CHRISTCHURCH. ONE IS A BARBER CHAIR; THE OTHER IS A HAT-MAKING VENTURE ` FUR FELT HATS MADE THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY, WITH STEAM AND EVEN FLAMES. JENDY HARPER PAID A VISIT. (MELLOW MUSIC) KALEB WIKI SHOULD SELL TICKETS TO THIS ` THE FULL FLAME GRILL EXPERIENCE. THAT JUST BURNS ALL OF THAT OFF, BUT IT ALSO CONDITIONS THE FELT TOO. OUR TIME WITH THIS 24-YEAR-OLD ENTREPRENEUR WAS A TRULY FASCINATING BEHIND-THE-SCENES, UNDER-THE-LID LOOK AT HAT-MAKING 101. HERE IT IS. NUMBER ONE. THAT'S THE FIRST HAT I EVER MADE. THERE WAS NO CLASS FOR KALEB TO TAKE. THIS IS THE LAST HAT I MADE FOR MYSELF. THE LATEST HAT. I THINK THE QUALITY DIFFERENCE IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. HE'S A SELF-TAUGHT HIGH-END HATTER MAKING TO ORDER WHO'S HOBBLED TOGETHER ALL THE GEAR HE NEEDS... THIS IS FROM KOREA. SOUTH KOREA. THIS IS FROM ITALY. THAT'S FROM TRADEME. (BOTH LAUGH) ...WORKING UNDER HIS OWN LABEL, DOFF & DON, AS WORN BY TIKI TAANE AND STAN WALKER. MY ORIGINAL BRAND WAS CALLED 'THE HAT TIP'. SO IT WAS TO TIP YOUR HAT. AND THEN A CLIENT OF MINE WHO'S AN OLD ENGLISH TEACHER WAS LIKE, 'OH, IT'S LIKE YOU'RE DOFFING AND YOU'RE DONNING.' I WAS LIKE, 'WHAT?' HE'S LIKE, 'YOU TAKE OFF AND YOU PUT ON.' AND I WAS LIKE, 'SO YOU DOFF AND YOU DON?' HE WAS LIKE, 'YEAH.' I WAS LIKE, 'BRO... I'M TAKING IT!' KALEB'S THE KIWI KID WHO ALWAYS HAD SOMETHING ON HIS HEAD. CAPS, BEANIES... SOMETHING ON MY HEAD AND THE SNEAKERS ON MY FEET. ANYTHING IN BETWEEN THAT I DIDN'T CARE ABOUT. MORE RECENTLY, KALEB WAS INSPIRED BY MUSICIAN JOHN MAYER AND HIS LOVE OF HATS. COS I WAS` I LIKED HIS HATS. I WANTED HIS HATS. FOUND THE GUY WHO MADE IT. COULDN'T AFFORD THEM, SO I FIGURED IT OUT MYSELF. LEARNING AS HE GOES, HE IMPORTS THESE FUR FELT CAPELINES, WORTH HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS EACH, FROM PORTUGAL. MOSTLY COMPRESSED RABBIT OR BEAVER FUR ` THAT'S TOP OF THE RANGE ` FIRST, THE FELT IS SOFTENED... THE HAT IS COOKIN'. IT'S COOKIN', ALL RIGHT. OK. ...THEN STRETCHED OVER A WOODEN BLOCK. (UPBEAT GUITAR MUSIC) IT'S PHYSICAL. SOMETIMES I'M BREAKIN' SOME CRAZY SWEATS. AFTER CURING FOR 24 HOURS, THE HATS ARE POUNCED.... POUNCING JUST MAKES THE WHOLE FELT SMOOTHER. ...THE BRIM IS TRIMMED.... JUST LIKE THAT. ...THEN THE HAT IS HAND-PRESSED INTO SHAPE. WHAT DO I WANT? (DRAMATIC WESTERN STING) IN 2024, THE SHAPE DU JOUR IS WESTERN. I WAS WATCHING 'YELLOWSTONE', AND THEY WERE ALL WEARING, LIKE, ALL THESE` YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY KNOWS YELLOWSTONE ` ALL THESE REALLY COOL COWBOY HATS. AND I WAS I WAS SITTING DOWN ON MY COUCH; I WAS LIKE, 'MAN, I REALLY WANT A COWBOY HAT NOW.' SO, YEAH, THESE ARE ALL... ALL WESTERN HATS. (LAID-BACK MUSIC) AND IN THE COURSE OF ALL THIS CREATIVITY, THERE'S HAIR TO CUT; KALEB'S ALSO A BARBER ` ANOTHER FEATHER IN THE CAP. LIKE, I ACTUALLY... I'M GONNA BE HONEST HERE ` I ACTUALLY DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT THE HAIRCUTS, BUT THE CONVERSATIONS THAT I HAVE... BUT HE REALLY CARES ABOUT YOURS, DYLAN. I REALLY CARE ABOUT YOUR HAIRCUT, DYLAN. A LOT OF THE TIME YOU GET INTO THE INDUSTRY BECAUSE YOU WANNA DO COOL HAIRCUTS. (RAZOR BUZZES) AND, UM, YOU KIND OF GET TO A POINT WHERE IT'S LIKE... A HAIRCUT'S JUST A HAIRCUT NOW, AND YOU JUST GET TO HAVE COOL CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE. KALEB IS HERE FOR THE KORERO ` THE CHAT, THE BANTER; THE BIG STUFF TOO. MY WHOLE GOAL WAS TO ACTUALLY WORK IN MEN'S MENTAL HEALTH. ME THINKING, LIKE` YOU KNOW, IN, LIKE, A GOVERNMENT SIDE OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THAT LOOKED LIKE... (RAZOR BUZZES) ...AND THEN I ENDED UP BEING A BARBER. BEING A BARBER. STILL THINKING, 'I WANT TO WORK IN MEN'S MENTAL HEALTH.' AND THEN, LIKE, AS THE TIME WENT ON AND MY CLIENTS ` WHO THEN ARE NOW FRIENDS ` START OPENING UP, AND I'M LIKE, 'YO, THIS IS LITERALLY WHAT I'VE ASKED FOR.' YOU KNOW? YOU SIT HERE, YOU TALK, MAN ` ALL GOOD. YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS? ALL GOODS. YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT RUGBY? DON'T TALK TO ME ABOUT RUGBY. I DON'T CARE ABOUT RUGBY. WITH HIS HATTER HAT ON, KALEB IS HEADING STATESIDE TO COWBOY COUNTRY TO SHOW HIS WARES AT A FASHION EVENT. DYLAN ` AKA ROKKO ISLAND, REGGAE ARTIST ` IS GOING WITH HIM. TURNS OUT HE'S STRUCK A RECORD DEAL OVER THERE. WE'RE GOING INTERNATIONAL. (LAUGHS) YOU'RE GOING GLOBAL? TWO KIWI BOYS FROM CHRISTCHURCH. WOW. THAT'S JUST TOO MUCH TALENT IN ONE TINY GARAGE. BIG DREAMS. BIG DREAMS. YEP. AND CALEB'S CUSTOMER MADE HATS RANGE IN PRICE FROM $800 TO 2 1/2 THOUSAND DOLLARS. WHEN YOU SEE HOW MUCH WORK HE PUTS INTO THEM YOU CAN SEE WHY. KALEB'S CUSTOM-MADE HATS RANGE IN PRICE FROM $800 TO $2500. PARIS MIGHT HAVE THE GLITZ AND GLAMOUR OF THE OLYMPIC OPENING CEREMONY ON SATURDAY, BUT THERE'S NO SHORTAGE OF HIGH-BUDGET AWARD CEREMONIES RIGHT HERE IN NEW ZEALAND. THAT'S RIGHT. LAST NIGHT, THE 2024 BACON AND HAM AWARDS ANNOUNCED THEIR NATIONAL CHAMPION. BUT DOES ONE JUDGE BACON AND HAM? BEN HURLEY FINDS OUT. HERE THEY ARE ` THE BEST OF THE BEST. IF YOU'VE GOT LOCAL, ETHICALLY RAISED PORK, THEY'VE GOT THE CURE. OVER 50 BUTCHERS FROM AROUND NEW ZEALAND TAKE OFF THEIR APRONS AND PUT ON THEIR GLAD RAGS FOR A NIGHT. LAST NIGHT, A SUPREME WINNER WAS CROWNED. BUT BEFORE WE FIND OUT WHO THAT IS ` HOW WERE THEY FOUND? SO WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR? BECAUSE TO ME, THIS ALL LOOKS LIKE NICE BACON. IT ALL LOOKS LIKE BACON? YEP. YEAH, OK. WHAT WE'VE GOT HERE IS A DIFFERENT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT ARRAYS OF BACON. WE'VE GOT A MIDDLE EYE HERE, OK? WHICH COMES FROM THE LOIN. AND IN THE MIDDLE HERE WE'VE GOT THE STREAKY BACON, WHICH GIVES YOU THAT NICE CRISPY BACON WHICH COMES FROM THE BELLY. AND THIS ONE HERE IS A MIDDLE BACON WHICH INCLUDES THE BELLY IN IT. SO THINGS THAT I WILL LOOK FOR IN CONSIDERATION ` FIRST OF ALL IT'S APPEARANCE. DOES IT HAVE THAT FRESH LOOK TO IT? DOES IT HAVE THE RIGHT COLOUR... MM-HM. MOISTURE CONTENT. IT'S GOTTA HAVE THE AROMA OF A` OH, A SMELL TEST? YEAH, YOU DO SMELL IT. LIKE THIS. (SNIFFS) AND YOU WILL GET THE SMELL OF, SOMETIMES, OF THE SMOKE. YOU DON'T WANT AN OVERBEARING SMELL OF SMOKE. OK. THAT ONE WASN'T OVERLY SMOKY. THAT'S DEFINITELY SMOKY, THAT ONE. BUT THEN IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE CHOPPING BOARD I WAS SMELLING. MAYBE. (CHUCKLES) OK, SO, I KIND OF GET IT. BUT AS ALWAYS, THE PROOF IS IN THE TASTING, SURELY. FOR ME, IT'S ALWAYS THE HARMONY OF THE ACTUAL FLAVOUR OF... THE SALT, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT OF THAT SUGAR FROM THE CURING, AND THE SLIGHT ACIDITY AT THE END. I ALWAYS LOOK AT IT BECAUSE THE CURING PROCESS GIVES IT THAT, UM, COMPLEXITY AND ALSO, I GUESS, THE FLAVOUR OF THE PORK ITSELF. HOW CRISPY SHOULD BACON BE FOR YOU TO JUDGE IT? WELL, FOR ME, I GUESS WHEN I BITE IT, I WANT TO HAVE THAT TEXTURE, BUT YOU DON'T WANT IT TO DRY AS WELL, AT THE SAME TIME. YOU DON'T WANT THE SMOKE TO BE OVERPOWERING BECAUSE THAT ACTUALLY JUST DESTROYS THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE OF THE BACON. BUT A GOOD AMOUNT OF SMOKINESS IS ALWAYS GREAT WHEN YOU'RE EATING A BACON. ALL RIGHT. SHALL WE TRY SOME? YEAH, I THINK SO. THERE YOU GO. OK. MMM. OK. I'M GETTING... GETTING SALT HERE. MM-HM. LET'S TRY THE ONE WITH A BIT OF` HANG ON. WE NEED A PALATE CLEANSER. OH YES. NOW, WE'VE GOT THESE PALATE CLEANSERS HERE. LOOK AT THAT. (CHUCKLES) YEAH, THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. I WOULD GO WITH THE CUCUMBER BECAUSE THAT ALWAYS HELPS YOU` YEAH, YEAH. I'M GONNA` CLEAN YOUR PALATE. THIS CUCUMBER HERE. IT'S KINDA OFF, I THINK. CHEERS. OH. MM. MM. MM-HM. OH, REALLY SMOKY. MM-HM. DRIER. YEP. MM... OH, SO MUCH FLAVOUR. OK, LAST ONE. CHEERS. YEP. MM. GOOD, MOIST. NICE. MM-HM. OK. SO ONE OF THESE... IS THIS YEAR'S SUPREME WINNER. IS THAT RIGHT? CORRECT, YES. AND YOU NEED ME TO GUESS WHICH ONE IT IS. WELL, YES. YOU'RE THE THIRD JUDGE. SO YES, YOU HAVE A HARD JOB TO DO. (DRAMATIC MUSIC CRESCENDOS) JUDGING IS HARDER THAN IT LOOKS, AND I WANTED TO GET THIS RIGHT. IN THE MEANTIME, I THINK I'D FOUND A GOOD NEW FLAVOUR COMBINATION. I MIGHT BE STARTING SOMETHING HERE. (DRAMATIC MUSIC CONTINUES) IT'S REALLY GOOD. (CHUCKLES) IT'S REALLY, REALLY GOOD. ALL RIGHT, JUDGES, COME BACK IN. I'VE MADE MY DECISION. AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION ` AND PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT TOO MUCH TASTING, IF I'M HONEST ` I THOUGHT THE BEST ONE IN TERMS OF BALANCE, AND PRE COOKING AESTHETICS... WAS THIS ONE HERE. OH. I HATE TO BRING THE BAD NEWS... OH NO! BUT` (CHUCKLES) BUT THE WINNING ONE WOULD BE THE MIDDLE ONE. THE STREAKY ONE? YES. ALL RIGHT, WELL, NOW THERE'S JUST ONE LAST THING YOU GOTTA DO. YOU GOTTA TRY MY RECIPE. OH. YES. WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT EVEN THOUGH BEN GOT IT WRONG, THE SUPREME WINNER IS IN UPPER HUTT FOR THEIR STREAKY BACON. AND BEN HAS MADE US TRADE WITH A CHOCOLATE FINGER. I WAS DUBIOUS, BUT IT IS ACTUALLY AMAZING. WE'LL BE BACK IN JUST A MOMENT WITH YOUR PLACE TO BE. THE PLACE TO BE TOMORROW IS ASHBURTON. IT'S GOING TO BE AN ABSOLUTE CORKER, SO PICK UP A COFFEE AT TASTE CAFE, HEAD ACROSS THE ROAD TO THE DOMAIN AND ENJOY THE SUNSHINE. ON THE SHOW TOMORROW ` WHY A WALK AFTER DINNER COULD BE GREAT FOR YOUR HEALTH. THOSE WERE OUR PEOPLE TODAY; THAT WAS SEVEN SHARP TONIGHT. 'KIRSTIE AND PHIL'S LOVE IT OR LIST IT' IS UP NEXT. WE'LL SEE YOU TOMORROW. PO MARIE. CHEERIO. CAPTIONS BY JASON CONRAN, MAEVE KELLY AND OTO SEQUEIRA. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2024