GPO Wellington opens with a nod to Temuka and the Post Office –
InterContinental Wellington has announced the launch of GPO, its new restaurant that pays homage to the iconic General Post Office which once occupied the same site.
The luxury hotel’s latest dining addition tells an exciting, culinary story of travel, discovery and culture. The restaurant is set to open on April 21, with bookings open now.
Under the culinary leadership of acclaimed Executive Chef Carl Maunder, GPO offers a contemporary spin on classic cooking techniques, with a menu highlighting seasonal produce from New Zealand drawing influence from the rich cultures of Southern Europe, the Levant and the Mediterranean, served in a relaxed yet refined environment.
General Manager, Scott Hamilton says: “The new restaurant adds to InterContinental Wellington’s reputation as one of the city’s top destinations for both business and pleasure.
“It is exciting to introduce GPO as a strong culinary concept that will appeal to both locals and visitors, giving guests even more reasons to stay with us. It feels good to welcome this new dining experience to enhance our luxury line-up.”
GPO delivers diners a culinary ‘souvenir’ of intrepid travel, evoking memories of overseas holidays to faraway shores. Expect an array of dishes that explore rich spices, fresh herbs, and seasonal bounties, with smaller plates inspired by the renowned tapas and mezzes of the Mediterranean, as well as larger dishes including hand rolled pastas, pasture raised meats and locally grown organic produce.
GPO’s menu will highlight the best of seasonal seafood, including a signature ‘fruits of the sea’ platter with market oysters, diamond shell clams, mussels, prawns, and crayfish.
Chef Carl Maunder is passionate about building meaningful relationships with local suppliers. This helps him to showcase and celebrate wonderful produce and seafood, which are connected to the community and their stories.
Diners are in for a treat with daily bread from Shelly Bay Baker, dishes dressed with the finest local olive oil from Olea Estate, sustainable Haku kingfish from Ruakaka, and the much-loved clams from Cloudy Bay.
Adding to the unique dining experience, renowned New Zealand brand, Temuka Pottery has thoughtfully crafted bespoke crockery for the new restaurant.
Elevating GPO’s vibrant cuisine is a hand-picked wine collection curated by in-house sommeliers, showcasing both well-known and some more unfamiliar varieties that express the best in regionality. The collection features wines from the Aegean through to the Riviera, Andalusia and back home to Australasia.
For intimate dinners or lively celebrations, GPO promises an enriching dining experience with a relaxed yet refined atmosphere. From flavourful snacks to decadent platters, every dish showcases the restaurant’s commitment to quality, sustainability and community, making it a must-visit destination for foodies in Wellington and beyond.
GPO opens from Friday April 21, – Tue to Sat, 5pm – late.
Flourishing Food Truck future on the horizon –
At high school in Wellington, Jes Howes was struggling to thrive and fast losing self-esteem. By Year 13, Howes decided it was time to move on and find a different pathway. With the encouragement of her parents, who knew she had a passion for cooking, she researched options at Whitireia and WelTec | Te Pukenga and embraced a new future.
Jes quickly immersed himself in his new, hands-on, practical study in the Commercial Kitchens of the hospitality campus and qualified in bakery, cookery and hospitality management. This experience cemented her ideas about pursuing a career doing what she loved, cooking, and Jes wanted to start her own food truck business.
“I love cooking and baking and it was while I was doing the courses that I came up with my food truck idea,” says Jes.
“I had this vision of a cool truck serving burgers and chips to people out on a Saturday night on Courtney Place. It will be fun and I know everyone loves hot, fresh food when they have a big night out.”
To complement her hospitality qualifications and to help her set up a new business, Howes has returned to learning at Whitireia and WelTec | Te Pūkenga to gain the accounting and management knowledge she needs to get going with her plans.
Howes is now in the process of completing this qualification and recently spoke about her experiences to almost 700 students at the recent graduation ceremony held by Whitireia and WelTec | Te Pukenga.
“When I was at school I had low self-confidence and really did not know what I wanted to do,” says Jes.
“When I started at Whitireia and WelTec | Te Pūkenga I met such lovely people in my class and I realized there was a student support team, who helped me with my learning difficulties.”
Howes described the student support team as being a big encouragement to her, having helped her navigate through her studies and explaining her situation to her tutors.
Disability advisor at Whitireia and WelTec | Te Pūkenga, Rebecca Burns said Jes Howes is an inspiration and despite potential learning barriers, she has achieved both personal and academic success.
“The importance of seeking and receiving support is strongly evident and I know that Jes is a strong advocate for our support services which extends to both students and staff. We have been privileged to walk this journey alongside Jes,” said Burns.
Looming $160m excise tax hard to absorb says NZABC –
The year has just got more challenging for producers, hospitality businesses and consumers of beer, wines and spirits with the announcement that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is 6.7%.
“The 6.7% rise in the CPI is used as a benchmark to increase the excise tax on beer, wines and spirits. The excise tax was $1.24 billion in June 2022 and is forecast to be $1.4 billion the following year[1].
This will mean an extra $160 million in new taxes which are paid by producers and ultimately consumers. In this time of rapid inflation and a cost of living crisis, extra taxes are extremely hard to absorb,” says NZABC executive director Virginia Nicholls.
Excise is a duty imposed on locally produced and imported beer, wine and spirits products.
The annual excise tax adjustment is based on movements in the CPI (up to 31 March 2023) and starts on 1 July 2023.
“The continuing inflationary pressure, including rising ingredient and packaging costs, skill shortages, higher interest rates, and recent flooding and cyclones means that an increased excise tax will more than likely need to be passed onto consumers,” Mrs Nicholls said.
“It is not well known that the majority of beer, wine and spirits producers, hospitality providers and retailers are small and medium sized businesses”[2] [3]Mrs. Nicolls said.
“The wine, beer, spirits and beverages industry provided much needed jobs, including all important entry level opportunities in every small town, city center and suburb in between. This includes 1,865 businesses across small, medium and large businesses”[4]says Mrs. Nicolls.
The more than 10,000 directly employed in the industry[5] do a whole variety of jobs from orchard workers, involvement in winemaking/brewing/distilling, manufacture and packaging, scientists, accountants, marketing, transport and logistics, salespeople and retail. Indirectly 20,913 kiwis are also employed.
The industry also sustains a productive and innovative domestic market and a growing export market.
“Only half (50%) of all kiwis realize that in addition to GST, there is an excise tax on beer, wine and spirits”[6]Mrs. Nicolls said.
Notes: [1] NZ Customs Service Rīpoata ā-tau Annual Report (June) 2022, p 167. Year ending June 2022 actual customs and excise duty on alcohol $1.24 billion and year ending June 2023 unaudited forecast of $1.4 billion, accessed 20 April 2023. https:// www.customs.govt.nz/contentassets/01619abba6a748e98ce7282629484d0c/2022-annual-report-print.pdf
[2] NZ Winegrowers (NZW) categorizes wineries by size, with small wineries classified as those who sell less than 200,000 liters of wine each year. In 2022 this accounts for 88% of wineries. NZW Annual Report 2022.
[3] According to Ratebeer as at 2021 there were 199 breweries in NZ (NZIER February 2022)
[4] NZ Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) report February 2022
[5] Ibid
[6] Conducted by Curia Market Research, December 2022, with 1250 respondents across NZ
Restaurants ride shotgun & raise $370k for cyclone relief –
Hospitality businesses across the country hosted the nation’s biggest dinner party on Monday March 20, raising $370k in support of those impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle.
Masterminded by Al Brown and supported by the Restaurant Association, 157 businesses across the country took part, with 6,600 diners purchasing tickets.
Restaurants from Northland to Stewart Island cooked up a two course menu with proceeds going directly to those impacted by the cyclone.
Thirty-five per cent of the proceeds will also go directly to hospitality communities impacted by the recent weather events. The remaining 65 per cent of the funds will be split equally across the 5 X mayoral/relief funds in Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, Coromandel, Auckland and Northland
“I couldn’t be more stoked with how Cooking Up A Storm came together. It just started to snowball, driven solely by goodwill, compassion and charity. It made me realize that when adversity and pain appear out of nowhere, balancing that out and riding a shotgun will always be empathetic and generosity,” said Al Brown.
Restaurant Association CEO Marisa Bidois added “the stories both from our hospitality whanau and people in the affected areas have been devastating. Hospitality is what we do best so being able to support those who have been impacted by hosting people in our venues is the perfect way for us to give back.”
“We’re so proud of the way our communities came together and look forward to handing the funds over to those who desperately need them.”
Hospitality businesses that wish to apply for the fund can do so by completing an online form here https://www.restaurantnz.co.nz/hospitality-cyclone-grants-application/
Chefs to represent NZ –
Expressions of Interest are open for chefs keen to represent New Zealand at the Worldchefs Pacific Rim semi-finals in Christchurch from July 4 – 6, 2023.
The Semi-final winners progress to represent the Pacific Rim region at the Worldchefs final to be held in Singapore from October 22 – 25th 2024.
All entrants must be members of NZ Chefs on or before May 30, 2023 and if successful, maintain membership for the duration of the competition programme.
The semi-finals category challenges are:
• Global Chefs
• Young Chef – must be born on or after 1st January 1999
• Pastry Chefs
• Vegan Chefs
Along with the opportunity to represent New Zealand on the international stage, the chosen candidate in each category will also receive the following prize package:
• Mentoring from a former NZ Culinary Team member
• $500 account credit from Bidfood NZ to assist with the cost of ingredients for the practice
• Flights and accommodation to Christchurch for the Pacific Rim semi-finals
• Profile of themselves and place of work in industry publications
To be eligible for selection as the New Zealand candidate entrants must be a full member of NZ Chefs and be a NZ citizen or permanent resident. They must also provide the following:
• Completed application form with two referees and competition history
• Head and shoulders photo in chefs uniform
• Up-to-date professional CV
• A written menu featuring the dishes required for the chosen category, with a description outlining design choices and philosophy (200 words max).
For more information on this event visit https://worldchefs.org/globalchefschallenge/
and
https://worldchefs.hosco.com/en/association/new-zealand
Montana Group appoints Mark Wylie as new CEO –
Montana Group has announced the appointment of Mark Wylie as its Chief Executive Officer, effective from 23 February 2023.
The new position was established to lead the company into its next phase of growth and development as the Montana Group looks to meet the growing needs of its customers and stakeholders.
Announcing the move, directors and shareholders, Dallas Fisher and Troy Reid said they are thrilled with the appointment and are confident that Mark’s leadership and vision will help Montana Group to achieve its strategic goals and lead them into the next chapter of its growth and success.
“We believe that this is the next step in the evolution of our company and will enable us to continue to grow and succeed in a rapidly changing environment, and Mark’s experience and vision make him the perfect candidate to lead our company into the future” says Dallas Fisher, Director of the Montana Group.
“Having someone of his caliber leading the team, along with the timing of this move, has set a perfect platform for all of the Montana Group to work together to take our success to the next level. Very exciting times ahead.”
Mark has been General Manager, Montana Food and Events for the last 10 months and brings thirty-five years industry experience to the role. He has a proven track record in hospitality operations and management with a varied and interesting career working in reputable kitchens across New Zealand and internationally. On return to NZ, he has been part of SKYCITY Auckland, Hip Group, and Southern Hospitality in an array of sales, operations, and leadership roles.
”I’m honored and excited to take on the role of CEO for Montana Group,” explains Mark.
“This is an incredible opportunity to work with such a diverse and talented team to continue building on the group’s success and momentum. I truly believe that the Montana Group is an employer of choice with development pathways and opportunities for growth.
“We are known as innovators in the market, with a focus on collaboration and partnerships that have led us to where we are today. I’m personally very excited for the future and the opportunities this will present for our staff and customers.”
Mark will also act as Executive Director, and alongside Dallas and Troy will form part of a six person board with three final board members currently being recruited.
About Montana Group:
Montana Group (MG) is a specialist food and events management business, operating several brands in the upper North Island with a range of food, service, and event operations.
With 10 brands and more than 30 kitchens across two cities, the Group is now recognized as the largest, privately-owned caterer in New Zealand, employing close to 1,000 people across Auckland and Waikato.
Traveling to Hawke’s Bay
Advice From : Hawke’s Bay Tourism – Hawke’s Bay – New Zealand
Q. Can I travel to the Hawke’s Bay region?
Parts of Hastings District and Central Hawke’s Bay, and some operators in Napier, remain operational for business, but we encourage all potential travelers, including those keen to check on family and friends, to book ahead and/or contact accommodation providers and experience operators to confirm current operating conditions.
Hawke’s Bay Airport is fully operational, however restrictions and road closures apply. Please check Waka Kotahi for the most up-to-date information on the roading network. Air New Zealand has introduced a temporary service between Gisborne and Napier airports.
Hawke’s Bay’s Visitor Economy is the third largest contributor to regional GDP, and is estimated to represent 9-10% of the total employment in the region. It will, therefore, play an important role in the recovery, bringing money into the economy, and supporting jobs and businesses, including both Hastings and Napier CBDs.
We look forward to welcoming visitors back to the entirety of our region – from Wairoa in the north to Pōrangahau in the south – when the time is right.
Q. Is it safe to visit the Hawke’s Bay region?
Civil Defense has declared an emergency in Wairoa, Napier, Hastings and Central Hawke’s Bay, and some areas in these districts remain without power or reliable communications.
Some roads in and around the region remain closed, while others are designated for essential/critical workers only. Please check Waka Kotahi for further information and follow instructions, including when essential travel-only applies. Areas impacted by flooding may be contaminated by silt, which contains contaminants that could be harmful.
However, parts of Hawke’s Bay remain safe and operational for business. We encourage potential travelers, including those keen to check in on family and friends, to book ahead and/or contact your accommodation providers and experience operators to confirm current operating conditions before departing for Hawke’s Bay.
Q. How can I get to Hawke’s Bay?
Hawke’s Bay Airport is fully operational and Air New Zealand is flying to Hawke’s Bay from Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch daily.
A number of roads in and around the region remain closed, including both State Highway 2, between Napier and Gisborne, and State Highway 5, between Napier and Taupo. For full roading updates, please visit Waka Kotahi.
Please be aware that some roads are for essential/critical travel and workers only. Please ensure you take your time and allow for variations.
Q. When should I plan to visit Hawke’s Bay?
Parts of the region are open for business now, so if you do have a reservation or have plans to visit, please check with your accommodation providers and experience operators. The operators who can safely open will value your support.
While Civil Defense has declared an emergency in place for the full region, the situation on the ground is changing rapidly, so please return here for updates.
If you would prefer to postpone your visit to Hawke’s Bay, mid-late Autumn is beautiful, and June is a fantastic time to visit with Winter FAWC! Food and Wine Classic running throughout the month.
Q. How many tourism operators have been impacted by the flooding?
Hawke’s Bay Tourism is conducting a detailed audit of operators, with an emphasis on who is operating as normal.
Many businesses are getting back to business, with more coming online every day. We recommend you reach out directly to your accommodation and experience providers for updates.
Q. Is accommodation available or is it being used for emergency accommodation?
Parts of the region, including accommodation providers, are now open to visitors.
However, there is an increased demand for accommodation in Hawke’s Bay at the moment so we recommend visitors book ahead, ensuring operators can be prepared for your arrival.
Please be aware, some accommodation providers may be prioritizing displaced residents and/or essential workers.
Q. I have booked a holiday in Hawke’s Bay in the next few weeks. Should I cancel?
Parts of Hawke’s Bay remain open for business, but we encourage potential travelers, including those keen to check in on family and friends, to book ahead and/or confirm with accommodation providers and experience operators. Businesses who can operate safely will value your support.
For those visitors who made arrangements not to visit, we look forward to welcoming you when the time is right. Your support will play an important part in Hawke’s Bay’s recovery, bringing money into the economy, supporting jobs and businesses.
Q. I want to cancel my trip – will I get my money back?
We recommend you check with your travel agent or review the cancellation policies of each individual provider. We encourage you to check insurance policies as well.
Q. What is happening with Cruise?
Napier Port in agreement with Napier City Council advised that cruise ship calls would not call into Napier for the week ending Sunday 26th February 2023. The decision will be reviewed on an ongoing basis with other stakeholders.
Q. What is Tourism doing to support the response and recovery?
Many businesses that play key roles within the Hawke’s Bay Visitor Economy are working hard to support fellow businesses hardest hit and those helping with the immediate response.
Hospitality businesses are delivering meals to affected communities and volunteers, while others are contributing both financially and with time and energy to the clean-up. Industry peers in other regions, including Wairarapa and Auckland, have created fundraising opportunities to contribute financially to the region’s recovery.
Q. What support do Hawke’s Bay Visitor Economy businesses need right now?
After three years of dealing with the ups and downs of the Covid pandemic, the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle, during what ought to be one of our busiest months, will be significant.
Businesses that cannot trade or have had business severely affected by Cyclone Gabrielle and/or the subsequent impacts, may need financial support to get through. Hawke’s Bay Tourism is working to advocate on their behalf
The post Traveling to Hawke’s Bay appeared first on .
Cordis Auckland joins EarthCheck Master class –
The saying ‘many hands make light work’ couldn’t be more relevant for Cordis Auckland on its sustainability journey, as they recently received EarthCheck Master status, one of just 15 hotels globally to do so.
The Managing Director of Cordis Auckland, Franz Mascarenhas said the hotel has been on a continuous journey to become more sustainable. It’s all about consistency and the small actions from the team in the hotel daily, from recycling to effective waste management to water usage.
“Fifteen years ago we made a commitment to be a sustainable business and we have been working in incremental steps to achieve this. This accolade is a testament to that, showing that small, consistent steps can make the biggest changes in the long term.
“This is the way forward for business, and we want to lead the way in the hospitality industry. Change however cannot be done in isolation, it’s a global effort to ensure the world we live in is sustainable for future generations.”
Since 1987, EarthCheck has been a world leading scientific benchmarking, certification and advisory group for travel and tourism. The world is scrutinizing with increasing urgency the way in which the hospitality industry monitors and reports on its sustainability performance, and credible measurement and reporting are essential in order to be accountable and demonstrate year-on-year improvement.
Using a science based approach, EarthCheck helps travel and tourism organizations to increase efficiencies, maximize guest experience and minimize their environmental footprint.
Most recently, Cordis Auckland launched its new Pinnacle Tower, bringing an extra 244 rooms to the hotel. With this comes increased resources, so the hotel wanted to ensure sustainability was front of mind in the planning phases.
A number of initiatives have been implemented, including high performance glazing, energy efficient LED lighting and controls, water metering, thermally environmentally efficient façade glazing, biking facilities, e-charging stations for electric vehicles, easy access to public transport and much more.
EarthCheck CEO and founder, Stewart Moore, congratulated the Cordis Auckland team on their long-term sustainability commitment over the past 15 years at an event held at the hotel on Thursday 16 February.
“Achieving EarthCheck Master Certification is not an easy task and it takes the commitment of the whole team to deliver improved operational results across the business. There are no shortcuts and there needs to be an ongoing commitment to both measurement and improved performance,” Mr Moore said.
“Cordis Auckland has persistently worked towards optimizing its energy performance, improving water usage, integrating responsible waste management systems and reducing its carbon footprint with science-based targets.”
Notable key achievements at Cordis Auckland include;
Cordis Auckland Beehive
Cordis Auckland has a beehive on level 7 of the hotel, to assist with pollination and support the rehabilitation of bees in urban areas. Auckland is an ideal environment for bees due to the climate, the number of parks close to the city and the number of bees in the city are starting to outnumber those in the rural areas of New Zealand.
The hive can produce 45kgs of honey, which is harvested once per year and the honey they produce is known as Pohutukawa Honey, which has a delicate flavor with a slightly salty tang and creamy texture. The harvested honey is used in the hotels food and beverage outlets.
One bee colony can pollinate 300 million flowers per day and if bees cease to exist, we would not be able to consume the foods we eat such as broccoli, asparagus, cucumber, watermelon, almonds and apples.
Soap Recycling
Cordis Auckland works with Beyond Skin Deep to recycle their hotel soaps in the rooms, as an estimated five million bars of unused soap in hotels is thrown away every day. Redistributing these soap bars to the community helps to promote hygiene and reduce the spread of disease, and all this soap collected is donated to the Rapid Relief Team for distribution around NZ and across the globe.
Cordis Auckland was the first hotel in New Zealand to partner with Beyond Skin Deep, and in 2018 and 2019 they collected 597.1kgs of used soap from the hotel’s guest rooms and suites, to be recycled. There was a pause on this initiative with Covid, however it is now being picked up in the second half of 2023.
With the launch of the new Pinnacle Tower, Cordis Auckland also removed single-use amenities where possible, including their toiletries, and swapped liquid re-usable pumps, reducing the plastic waste.
Sustainable Seafood
Cordis Auckland buys seafood that is caught sustainably from reputable companies, with approximately 80% of their seafood completely sustainable. The seafood they source and use in their food and beverage outlets is all managed under the Quota Management system by the Ministry of Primary Industries.
The Quota Management System was introduced in 1986, to conserve NZ major fishery stocks and to improve the economic efficiency of the seafood industry. In future the hotel has targets to make all their seafood only sustainable and fresh and have no endangered species on their menu, including tuna which is not currently available in the hotel.
Green Meetings by Cordis
Cordis Auckland’s new ‘Green Meetings by Cordis’ program offers sustainable meeting solutions to assist organizers in integrating environmental considerations and promoting positive social impact.
The new event considerations include green and environmentally friendly resources, including LED walls, electronic signage, compostable drinking straws, and healthy and delicious food and drink options prepared with fresh, locally sourced, seasonal and sustainable ingredients. There’s also the option for carbon neutral meetings, in collaboration with the South Pole. The carbon footprint of the event will be calculated and offset via a selected green project and organizers will be awarded a carbon-neutral certificate.
What’s next?
The hotel is looking at a water bottling machine on site as an alternative to plastic water bottles, in an effort to phase out single use plastics. Water bottling machines will sanitize the glass bottles, fill and seal them.
Cordis Auckland has also used ORCA in the past and are re-introducing this post-Covid. ORCA is an innovative food waste solution that mimics a natural digestion process. It uses mostly water, along with water and microbiology to turn your food waste into an environmentally safe liquid that goes down the drain. Once at the waste water treatment plant, the liquid can then be used to create renewable, sustainable energy.