Unique chicken burger claims two festival titles
15 May 2026
The votes have been counted, with a tasty chicken brioche burger crafted by Mount Maunganui café Somethin’ Somethin’ claiming both the top titles in this year’s Plates of Plenty Challenge.
It’s the first time, since the competition started five years ago, that one entry has claimed both the Judge’s Choice and People’s Choice awards.
The Somethin’ Clucky dish earned more than a fifth of all the diner votes cast for 20 special dishes that were offered by eateries across the Bay of Plenty between 1 April and 3 May, as part of this year’s Flavours of Plenty Festival.
“We’re pretty blown away!” Somethin’ Somethin’ owner Nathan Turley says. “We had an idea we were in the running for the People’s Choice because we saw the leaderboard [during the Challenge]. But yeah, Judge’s Choice was a real pleasant surprise - that’s the one we wanted! The double’s never been done before, so it’s pretty special.”
However, it’s not the first time the Heath Street café has claimed a win in the Plates of Plenty Challenge. Their entry in last year’s competition, a beer-battered fish sandwich creation, earned the 2025 People’s Choice Award. Nathan also won the coveted People’s Choice title at last year’s Battle of the Snack festival event.
This year, his team utilised five of the eight boxed ingredients supplied to every Plates of Plenty Challenge entrant. Somethin’ Somethin’s crumbed chicken, chorizo and curd patty, served with bacon, egg, chilli onion jam, and hot maple and kawakawa spinach mayonnaise, all between a brioche bun, clearly packed a tasty punch.
“Wow, what a dish!” said one of the Challenge judges. “I initially thought ‘it’s just a hamburger’, but it turned out to be a fantastic experience. The flavours were vibrant and worked beautifully together. This should be a permanent item on the menu… a clear winner.”
Meanwhile, a beer-braised pork cheek dish entered by the Talisman Hotel Garden Bar and Bistro earned the second-highest number of votes in both the judge’s and people’s choice categories, prompting festival organisers Tourism Bay of Plenty to create a special distinction award to present to the team at the Katikati eatery.
The judges praised the Hot’N’Cheeky dish’s “masterful balance of flavours and expertly integrated ingredients, which showcased the full potential of the mystery box”. The Talisman team was also commended for their exceptional service.
Tourism Bay of Plenty head of destination marketing, Loretta Crawford, says the annual food festival and dish challenge are specifically designed to celebrate and showcase the coastal region’s food and beverage producers and its hospitality sector’s culinary talent.
“The Plates of Plenty Challenge inspires local chefs to get creative, using ingredients and suppliers they may never have worked with before, to produce bespoke dishes during our autumn festival.
“Diners appreciate the opportunity to try something new, and this contest fosters vital collaborations and connections between suppliers and local eateries, all supported by our Challenge sponsor Southern Hospitality.”
Diners who voted for the People’s Choice Award entered a draw to win one of three $100 vouchers to spend at a participating eatery of their choice.
All Plates of Plenty Challenge entries and box ingredients can be viewed here: https://flavoursofplentyfestival.com/plates-of-plenty-challenge-2026/.