Welcome to the El Jefe Blog — News From the Smokehouse
Hola — and welcome to the El Jefe blog.
Since 2020 we've been feeding Mount Maunganui the old fashioned way: smoked burgers hot off the grill, hand-tied chorizos from the butchery counter, and live-fire asados catered across the Bay of Plenty. Plenty happens around here that never makes it past the counter — so we're writing it down.
What you'll find here
- Milestones — new products, new gear (the smoker always wins), and the moments worth celebrating.
- Catering stories — behind the scenes from weddings, corporate events and backyard asados we've cooked at.
- BBQ know-how — what picanha actually is, how to treat a chorizo with respect, and why low and slow in the smoker beats rushing it every time.
- News — hours, specials, and anything else you should know before Tuesday rolls around.
The short version of our story
El Jefe means "The Boss" in Spanish. Nico, our founder, is a Uruguayan chef with over 15 years in kitchens who started crafting sausages in 2015 — small batches, 100% natural, no fillers, no preservatives. That obsession became a butchery, the butchery grew a grill, and the grill now feeds the Mount five days a week.
If you want the full story, read about us. If you're hungry, the menu is this way.
Nos vemos — see you at the counter.
— The El Jefe team