LOCAL VALUE – Hungarian Businesses in Auckland: Szilvia’s Little Kitchen: Szilvia Nagyné Nagy and Lajos Nagy

Szilvia's Little Kitchen

How did it all start?

We came to New Zealand in 2014, and almost immediately we felt, “Wow, there’s no proper sausage here.” So that’s where it all began. In fact, within the second month, we started making sausages — initially just for friends, of course. My husband also made a smoker, and later I added cheeses to it, which we brought to the Hungarian club for tastings. At that time, we weren’t selling yet. If someone needed something, they would ask, and we made it to order. Then we started thinking that maybe we could turn this into something more.

In Hungary, I worked in local government and have a law degree, but here I couldn’t really use that. I worked in public administration for 25 years — that was enough — and I felt it was time for a change. I started baking: making Túró Rudi and cheese rolls, and I began selling them at the Hungarian club. Back then, the club met monthly, which made it a bit easier, and gradually I realized this was what I wanted to do. I thought, if I’m going to do this, I should do it properly, so I enrolled in a course and decided to become a pastry chef.

However, here there isn’t a separate pastry school — only chef training. After four years of general training, you could specialize either in cooking or patisserie. By the time I reached that point, I had grown so fond of cooking that I completed my fifth year continuing in the chef track. In the sixth year, with a scholarship, I earned a hotel management qualification.

How has your culinary career developed over the years, and what challenges and successes have you experienced at different workplaces, markets, and in catering?

I’ve worked in many places, gaining a lot of experience. I’ve been part of large events, including at Spark Arena. I worked for a catering company for a few months, preparing healthy meals for a GYM challenge four days a week. I was head chef for one and a half years at a Mount Eden church, preparing breakfast, lunch, and dinner for several hundred people every Sunday. I also cooked for large-scale events, such as multi-day conferences with thousands of attendees.

Meanwhile, we were producing smoked cheeses and sausages in larger quantities — all before COVID. During COVID, of course, all of this stopped, but fortunately, my online webshop was already running, so customers could still order. At one point, I even created a weekly Hungarian menu, one day a week. This worked really well during COVID because many people ordered, and I could deliver food contactlessly. Then we started attending small and large markets. Honestly, it all happened almost simultaneously — we never did things in small steps. At first, we sought out markets ourselves, but eventually, people started inviting us to join, and that’s when I realized this could really become something. Imagine, on some days, we received three to four inquiries — it was incredible and a great feeling.

Sometimes we went to markets outside Auckland, but we usually focused on nearby ones because those customers understood us better. Over time, I started concentrating on smaller craft markets, especially those that didn’t have food vendors, so I was the only food seller. That was sometimes an advantage, sometimes not, because people often went to those markets for other reasons, not specifically to buy food.

Additionally, for one and a half years, I prepared school lunches for various schools four days a week. Orders were placed by 9 am, and I delivered at noon. It was always a rush, but I loved doing it. I also do catering for weddings, engagements, birthdays, and other parties, as well as serving at events for the Hungarian Embassy. Lately, this has taken a back seat because I’ve been focusing on opening my store.

When did you open your store?

Last New Year’s Eve, I made a resolution: this year, I would open a restaurant, café, or something similar — if not, I’d let it go. After several plans and attempts, I finally opened my small shop on my mother’s birthday, September 16. I’ll never forget that date. The restaurant opening didn’t work out, so I started small, but I didn’t give up. We live in Pakuranga, just a few minutes from the shop. My food-licensed kitchen is at home, where I prepare all the products, including school orders.

There was too much work, too many orders, and I knew I needed to move in a different direction. Since the restaurant didn’t work out, I stopped preparing school lunches for now, though the option remains if needed. Customers at markets often asked where they could buy our products locally, and at the time, picking up webshop orders was only possible at home, which was inconvenient. Now, with the store open, everything is much simpler. I prepare fresh Hungarian pastries at home and sell them in the shop.

What products can customers find in your store?

Initially, we had too many products, so we had to reduce the selection, but it’s still wide. The shelves are filled with Hungarian products: Erős Pista, Negró, pretzels, poppy seeds, many Univer products, mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, red paprika, Vecsés sauerkraut, and pasta. I also have plans for expanding the Hungarian product range in the future.

The fridge contains meats and cheeses. The meat products are made according to our own recipes and are gluten-, dairy-, and preservative-free. We’re from Mezőtúr, so the meat brand name comes from there: Mezőtúri, or simply Túri. We use my husband’s family recipes for sausages, which they’ve been making for decades. The salami was developed to taste similar to Pick salami, with the difference that we smoke it. You can buy smoked sausages and salami, BBQ sausages, blood and liver sausages, bacon, and many other meat products. Our BBQ sausages won a bronze medal at last year’s NZ Artisan Awards.

We also offer a variety of smoked cheeses: Edam, Cheddar, Parmesan, Blue Vein, Feta, Brie, Camembert, cream cheese, and dairy-free versions. Our cheeses also won a bronze medal last year. The pastry section has a large selection to order: 2RO bars like Túró Rudi, Isler, chestnut purée, cakes, and other pastries. Savory treats are available too, like pogácsa, cheese rolls, and cheese sticks.

What are your plans for the future?

I want my store to continue growing and reach more people. In the near future, I plan to introduce new products: Hungarian-style sandwiches, such as Piros Arany and schnitzel sandwiches, and mocktails with ice cream, syrup, and fruit. This will expand the range and attract more customers. Another important goal is to strengthen the catering service, as I already participate in many weddings and events. I also want to further develop my webshop. If an opportunity arises, I might try opening a restaurant again. Overall, I want Hungarian flavors to become more widely available and my work to reach more people.