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Te Arikinui Pullman Auckland Airport executive chef of Te Kaahu restaurant Nancye Pirini has been named in Cuisine Magazine’s Top 50 Women in Food & Drink Aotearoa.
The recognition, released to coincide with International Women’s Day, highlights women making a significant contribution to New Zealand’s food and beverage sector.
Nancye attended the Cuisine awards luncheon on Monday, March 9 at Soul Bar & Bistro in Auckland to mark the announcement.
“I am very humbled to be included in Cuisine Magazine’s Top 50 Women in Food & Drink Aotearoa, and I hope my journey encourages more wāhine from our Māori and Pacific communities to come into the hospitality industry and thrive,” Nancye says.
Te Arikinui Pullman Auckland Airport precinct general manager Paul Columbus says the recognition reflects Nancye’s contribution to the culinary sector.
“Chef Pirini is a true inspiration and this recognition by Cuisine Magazine is richly deserved,” Paul says.
“Her commitment to celebrating Māori and Pacific culture through food makes Te Kaahu one of the most distinctive dining experiences in the country, and we are proud to see her acknowledged among the sector’s leading women.”
Te Kaahu restaurant showcases dishes inspired by the land, sea and sky, with Nancye drawing on her whakapapa and cultural influences to shape the menu.
Nancye previously worked under chef Peter Gordon at SkyCity’s Dine by Peter Gordon, helping establish the foundations of her culinary career.
In 2025, she served as chair of Accor Pacific’s Women in Food initiative and has also judged the Australasian Tapas Competition and Culinary Chronicles: Madam Shef’s Millets Magic.
