19/10/2026
🔥 WHAT YOU DON’T SEE BEHIND CJ’S HĀNGĪ 🔥
Most people see a tray of HĀNGĪ in the shop and think about what they’re having for lunch. But there’s a whole lot that happens before that tray reaches the shelf!
Our days usually start the day before, organising ingredients, ordering supplies and making sure everything is ready to go.
Then it’s a 4:30am start. The HĀNGĪ go into the cookers, the team gets organised, and we’re working towards getting fresh kai into stores across Wellington before midday.
But trust me, things don’t always go to plan! 😂
We’ve had the flame blow out on a cooker, adding another two hours to the cooking time and causing us to miss the lunch rush. We’ve had wedding catering delayed by car accidents, and we’ve even managed to cook catering HĀNGĪ a day early! 😅
When things go wrong, you’ve got to think fast, make decisions and find a solution.
And even when the deliveries are done, the work doesn’t stop. There’s marketing, planning the next day’s kai, keeping in touch with stores and making sure people know where to find us.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learnt is that when you’re busy doing the work in front of you, you can sometimes take your attention away from what keeps the business going in the future.
It’s a constant balancing act between running the day to day operation, growing the business and it wouldn't be possible without this awesome team! ❤️
So why do we do it?
Because one of the things I’m most proud of is that HĀNGĪ is now an option people can grab as part of their everyday life.
You don’t have to wait for a special occasion, a big gathering or a trip to the marae to enjoy a good HĀNGĪ. You can pop into your local store, grab one for lunch and make it part of your regular go to meals.
THAT was one of the reasons I started CJ’s HĀNGĪ in the first place. ❤️
There’s a lot of mahi behind every tray, and we’re proud to keep bringing fresh kai to our communities.
Ngā mihi nui to everyone who supports us, our amazing stockists and the team who help make it happen.
CJ’s HĀNGĪ 🤎