Colin reveals that the series is an “off-the-beaten-path food adventure” where he and Manu travel around New Zealand for a month in a caravan.
The Irish chef explains that Off The Grid was filmed “a few months ago” in between production for MKR Australia and MKR New Zealand, but has been a long time in the making.
Off The Grid is set to air early next year on Channel Seven before the fifteenth season of MKR premieres. (Colin says) he and Manu are hopeful the series will be picked up for a second season so they can continue travelling around the world together.
The show is produced by Screentime New Zealand (a Banijay company) in association with Seven.
According to @aarontvcentral’s podcast interview with Aaron Howison and Andrew Green from Seven, Off the Grid will be paired with the upcoming season of My Kitchen Rules.
According to TVNZ’s catch up website, there are seven episodes in the series.
Colin and Manu just can’t get enough of New Zealand, they love our produce, they love our country, and they love our people.
The boys want to embark on a wildly hilarious Kiwi Road Trip and get to know the people, the places and the produce and have as much fun as they can along the way.
They will travel the obvious and not so obvious, meeting colourful locals, sampling local food, discovery kiwi recipes and hearing the tales of the country that the people love.
TWO CHEFS, A SMALL CARAVAN, TRAVELLING AOTEAROA … WHAT COULD POSSIBILY GO WRONG
Episode 1 Wednesday 24 September 9:15 PM
Colin and Manu embark on their Kiwi Road Trip. Leaving Auckland they head to the Coromandel. Stopping at Kuaotunu for some spearfishing and cook their catch on the beach.
Two chefs and one small caravan, what could go wrong?
Head off grid for a New Zealand adventure with Colin and Manu
Two chefs traveling across Aotearoa in a small caravan, what could possibly go wrong? Tune in and find out when Off the Grid with Colin and Manu premieres 9.15pm Wednesday, 24 September on Seven and 7plus.
Celebrity chefs and MKR hosts Colin Fassnidge and Manu Feildel can’t get enough of New Zealand; they love the produce, the country and the people.
Ticking off a bucket list item, the pair embark on a once-in-a-lifetime culinary road trip in their small but trusty caravan, ‘Betty’.
In search of adventure and the ultimate Kiwi experience, the chefs get off the beaten track, meet colourful locals, sample incredible food, discover Kiwi recipes and hear tales of the country from the people who love it.
In the premiere episode, Colin and Manu leave Auckland and head to the Coromandel, with a stop at Kuaotunu for some spearfishing and beach cooking.
Join Colin, Manu and Betty for the trip of a lifetime. Then, catch a feelgood hour of health, happiness and hilarity when Shane Crawford and Mel Doyle return for a second season of TheHouse of Wellness.
Off the Grid with Colin and ManuPremieres 9.15pm Wednesday, 24 September on Seven and 7plus
Followed by the Season 2 premiere of The House of Wellness
Colin and Manu head to Tairua to catch a kingfish. Then it’s down to Rotorua for a traditional Maori feast and a relaxing spa. Next it’s Taupo for jet boating on the Huka Falls.
According to YourTV online guide, this episode is rated MA.
Episode 3 Wednesday 8 October
Colin and Manu are off to Porouni Lodge where they hunt for deer. Then it’s down to the South Island. From Nelson, they chopper over the Marlborough Sounds and cook on a beach.
Colin and Manu head down the West Coast. They’ll explore some caves, raft down a river, cook dinner by the road before heading to Hokitika to learn about and carve pounamu.
Episode 5 Wednesday 22 October
Colin and Manu continue down the West Coast to Hari Hari. They learn about the local butter and catch and cook whitebait. Next stop, Lake Hawea and end up at a Central Otago winery.
Colin and Manu are in Cromwell for a day of adrenalin packed activities. Then it’s off to Lake Tekapo where they chopper to fish, cook and head to world’s highest whiskey hut.
Colin and Manu are back in Auckland. They experience the traditional method of cooking a hangi and Manu gets a moko. Then it’s to Waiheke Island for their last meal in Aotearoa.
Season 2 premieres on TVNZ 1 on Sunday, June 7 at 7.30pm.
The Australian airdate is TBA.
UPDATE 1/6
TVNZ synopsis
Chefs Colin Fassnidge and Manu Feildel are back on the road, travelling the length of Aotearoa in a no rules food adventure. From diving for crayfish and hunting wild game to roadside cook ups and epic local feasts, the boys chase the best ingredients and experiences the country has to offer, meeting colourful locals and cooking up a storm wherever they land.
Travelling the length of Aotearoa in a no rules food adventure. From diving for crayfish and hunting wild game to roadside cook ups and epic local feasts, the boys chase the best ingredients and experiences the country has to offer.
Meeting colourful locals and cooking up a storm wherever they land.
Along the way, every stop becomes more than just a meal. It’s about connection, sharing stories, learning traditions, and celebrating the landscapes and communities that make each region unique.
From Highways, to Goat tracks, creek beds to campsites there is thousands of kms of country to explore and the boys goal is to immerse themselves in the stories of the foodie people and places along the way.
ONCE AGAIN …. TWO CHEFS , A SMALL CARAVAN, TRAVELLING AOTEAROA … WHAT COULD POSSIBILY GO WRONG
The interview with Colin and Manu in Sunday Age and The Sun-Herald today (paywall) also has a bit of info on Off the Grid.
In Off the Grid, the pair meet food producers and restaurateurs, eat famed pies, dive for paua (abalone), cook southern blue cod in a ship’s galley, and hunt wild boar.
“We had a bit of backlash last year when we were hunting deer,” says Fassnidge. “It’s not a sport. We hunted it for food. It’s also education. Lots of kids don’t even know where food comes from … Because we hunted a boar in this season, we were very aware that this could come back to bite us. So we made sure that the whole story was told – that these animals are pests and they have to be eradicated. And we actually cooked what we killed, so it wasn’t just done willy-nilly. It’s all done very respectfully.”
They’re about to embark on another road trip across New Zealand for season three of Off the Grid, with a fourth planned around Australia.
Off the Grid season two premieres on Tuesday, September 29, right after My Kitchen Rules.
