Christchurch fish and chips, our Kaupapa, and community commitment.

First up, to fully understand our kaupapa, we need to provide a brief summary of everything you need to know about the history of food in Christchurch. The history of food in Christchurch, is closely tied to the city's development itself, and the diverse cultures that have settled here. Māori were the first to settle in Christchurch  and had a diet primarily based on seafood, birds, and plants, such as fern root and kūmara (sweet potato)- see where we are going with this?

In the 1800s, when British settlers arrived, they brought with them new food items. The city's thriving port and agricultural industries also helped to establish a strong local food culture, with fresh produce and seafood readily available. As the city grew and became more diverse, the food scene in Christchurch also evolved to reflect the various cultures that have settled here. In recent years, the city has also focused on sustainability and local food production, which we will get to soon. Many restaurants are now sourcing kai and ingredients from our local farms and producers, and there has been a growing emphasis on organic, seasonal, and sustainable food options, which we love at Fush! 

Let’s get down to it- the history of fish and chips in Ōtautahi! The dish was introduced to the area by British immigrants in the late 19th century, and quickly became popular among both the immigrant and the local population. During the 20th century, many Italian immigrants also arrived in Christchurch, they brought their own style of fish and chips, and some of them opened their own fish and chip shops, adding more diversity to the traditional fish and chips.

Fish and chip shops soon started popping up all over the city, and the dish remains a staple  in Ōtautahi and all over Aotearoa, with some people in operation for decades. 

Now it’s our turn. With such an extensive rich history of fish and chips in Christchurch, we’ve started to carefully select locations that FUSH can carry out its kaupapa, which is all about serving our people, and delivering our delicious kai. We are proudly whānau owned which is why we chose to have our locations in both Prebbleton and Wigram- to provide quality kai to the growing communities with their whānau. 

Everything we do at Fush is focussed on creating the best experiences we can for our manuhiri and our community. We know fresh fish is essential for fish and chips- the freshness of the fish is important because it affects the texture and flavor of the dish. We ensure to source the freshest and best quality fish in Christchurch, and every single piece of ika (fish) we serve, is caught using sustainable fishing practices, either caught on long line fishing boats or in some cases, even caught in pots!

In New Zealand, the packaging used for takeaways is often made of materials that are not easily recyclable such as plastic. This can lead to a significant amount of waste which we want to try to combat. Some local councils in New Zealand have implemented recycling programmes for this type of packaging, but it is not yet a widespread solution, nor is it always utilised, and biodegradable packaging materials is not yet a common practice.

Never fear, we believe taste is equally as important as kaitiakitanga, which for us is all about the future. All of our takeaway packaging and kai is sourced from suppliers who value kaitiakitanga as much as we do. We made sure our packaging is biodegradable and recyclable, meaning you can throw your takeaway packaging straight in the green bin and it will break down naturally within 8 weeks! 

Come down and visit us at FUSH at our 2 fish and chip locations in Wigram and Prebbleton. 

Ps. don’t forget to keep an eye out for our food truck, The FUSH Waka!