After 20 years in the pie business, Bosun Paki (Ngāti Maniapoto) has taken a year off to reclaim his reo.
The owner of East Tāmaki wholesale bakery Luv A Pie is now studying at Te Wānanga Takiura o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori, where he is fully immersed in te reo Māori.
“It was the time to do it. [Not] being able to speak te reo Māori is a big thing,” Paki says.
“It changes your life. You can’t put your finger on what it does, but it just does something internally.”
Paki has run Luv A Pie since 2006. The business employs 22 kaimahi and produces more than 50,000 wholesale pies each week, including mince and cheese and steak and cheese, which are distributed to stores nationwide.
“I’ve had Luv A Pie for about 20 years, so coming up in January. It’s been a long journey.”
Despite stepping away from the business for a year, Paki says both the business and his reo have thrived.
“Because it’s not just learning the reo, it’s how you change as well as a person.”
“I’m pretty fortunate that I can do that, so the business can run itself.”
Kei te hiakai te marea ki te reo Māori
Ministry of Education data shows the demand for te reo Māori education is growing.
Reports show the number of people studying at least one te reo Māori course rose significantly in the last decade, with more than 36,000 tauira taking part in formal learning in 2025. More than 30,000 were aged 25 or older.
Wānanga have also seen strong growth in te reo Māori study, with participation growing by more than 60% over the same period.
Paki also acknowledges Dr Tāwhirimātea (Tāwhiri) and Dr Kaa Williams, founders and long-standing leaders of Te Wānanga Takiura, as pillars of not only his reo journey, but the journeys of many other tauira.
“Pāpā and Nan are good people. They’re changing my lives there.”
Te pae tawhiti o Luv A Pie
This journey has also shaped his view on the future of his pakihi.
“I’ve got a few Māori rangatahi working for me, so I’m trying to train them up to be bakers.”
Paki encourages others considering learning te reo Māori not to wait.
“Don’t put it off for another year. Just enrol. Go learn te reo Maori as soon as you can, because it absolutely changes your life.”
He tokoiti noa ngā Māori i te ahumahi pae
The recent NZ Pie Awards attracted more than 500 entries, but Paki says there were few Māori finalists, Māori flavours or Māori bakery owners.
Paki has judged at the NZ Pie Awards and says creating an award-winning pie comes down to the details.
“It’s just appearance first and you look for - baking and pastry, is there enough flake on the top,” he says.
“Pastry and actually having meat in the pie, you know, not having gravy.”
Beyond business, Paki’s goal is to take what he has learned back home and contribute at his marae.
“The last time when I went back there, a lot of the younger generation are filling the shoes now too, so it’s sort of missed generation, which is cool.”
