cheap hotels in vegas Archives - Page 3 of 4

Lewis Road claims top award at New York specialty food show –

Lewis Road Creamery’s 10 Star Certified Salted Butter has gained international recognition and named the 2023 sofi^TM Product of the Year, at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City.

The award is presented to a single product annually at The Specialty Food Association’s (SFA) sofi^TM Awards. Bestowed since 1972 they are a top honor in the $194 billion specialty food industry.

“Judging was performed by a panel of 400 food experts, and for a product that originated on our farms in Waikato to win the major award at a show in NYC is a huge accomplishment. We’re extremely proud,” says Jason Clemens, Lewis Road Creamery’s General Manager.

The 2023 sofi^TM Awards recognized a Gold Winner in each of 53 specialty food and beverage product categories. Products were judged on taste—including flavour, appearance, texture, and aroma—ingredient quality, and innovation at the prestigious Rutgers Food Innovation Center. Nearly 2,000 products from domestic and international makers were entered into the 2023 competition.

“It might seem like there’s not much you can do with just one ingredient and a sprinkle of salt – but when you put the time into nurturing the soil, grass and animals it really shines through in the end product, and we’re absolutely delighted that the difference in our butter has been recognized in a blind tasting at this level,” says Lynette Maan, from Lewis Road Creamery.

The grass-fed, traditionally churned butter is made from cream exclusively off Lewis Road’s parent Southern Pastures’ own farms, which meets stringent and independently-audited 10 Star Certified Values that cover grass-fed, free-range, animal welfare, environmental sustainability and climate change mitigation criteria.

The Lewis Road Butter was blind-tasted against other category winners for the 2023 sofi^TM Product of the Year Award, which was selected by buyers via anonymous tastings, and announced at the Summer Fancy Food Show on June 27 in New York City. The Summer Fancy Food Show is the largest B2B-only specialty food industry event in North America.

“The Sofia^TM The awards recognize the best, most innovative products in the Specialty Food Industry and the creative, passionate people who make them,” said SFA President Bill Lynch. “Winning a sofa^TM The award can open doors to new markets and expand business opportunities for the winners, which is central to the SFA’s work on behalf of its member makers and manufacturers.”

Winning a sofi^TM The award creates added exposure for products with food buyers from top names in supermarkets, specialty retailers, food services, distributors, and the media.

Angel Food seeks crowdfunding for expansion plans –

Angel Food, believed to be New Zealand’s #1 plant-based food brand, has announced its latest crowd funding raise, which will launch PledgeMe on Monday June 19.

Angel Food is looking to raise a minimum of $200,000 (for a 4.17% share of the company) with a maximum raise of $500,000 (for a 9.8% share of the company). The minimum investment is $331.00 (for 10 shares at $33.10 per share). The share offer will close on July 3 (or when fully subscribed, if earlier).

The capital raised will be used for investment in marketing, innovation (including the continued improvement of existing products and new product development), and talent resources (including the procurement of an experienced GM), while also helping the brand prepare for its launch into Australia in 2024.

Angel Food is Aotearoa’s largest and most experienced plant-based cheese company, going strong for 17 years. Founder and CEO of Angel Food, Alice Shopland (an entrepreneurial vegan activist), and her team have been championing the benefits of embracing plant-based foods long before plant-based and vegan diets were mainstream.

The company’s says the brand and products resonate with ‘flexitarians’, a newer and much larger market, who are discovering that Angel Food’s products make plant-based eating easy.

Angel Food’s core product focus is dairy-free cheese alternatives, with a production of more than 130 tonnes of cheese per year. Angel Food decided to focus its product range on dairy-free cheese given that it’s a key ingredient in a wide variety of recipes and meals, and they launched their first plant-based cheese commercially made in Aotearoa in 2015.

Angel Food has distribution across an estimated 1000+ food service outlets across New Zealand, including all grocery chains plus cafes, restaurants, and quick-service restaurants.

Angel Food is looking to export its products, starting with Australia, and hopes to become the leading plant-based food brand in Australia within the next few years. Angel Food anticipates that its Australian launch will require $1m NZD investment, and this raise will be the first stage of a stepped approach to ensure that they can maximize value for their shareholders at each stage of investment.

The company has a current valuation of $4.6m NZD.* Angel Food’s crowdfunding rounds in 2015 and 2019 have enabled the company to grow fast and establish its leadership position within the plant-based foods sector while the category was in its infancy. To be consistently profitable, Angel Food is aiming for its revenue to exceed $5m NZD, which they believe they will achieve.

*Founder and CEO of Angel Food, Alice Shopland, said: “We’re excited to offer potential investors the opportunity to support our purpose-led brand. Despite a few tough years, we’re still #1 in retail and remain New Zealand’s leading plant food brand. Our investors will help us to continue our positive trajectory, while giving us the resources we need to grow and evolve the business to deliver the greatest impact. Now more than ever, we remain committed to our mission of making it easier for more people to choose plant-based meals more often. Where other plant-based categories – like milks, yogurt, and ice cream are mature and crowded, plant-based cheese is still in its infancy – there is still lots of room for growth. We have great distribution in Aotearoa, and we want to share our range of delicious plant-based products with the world, starting with Australia.”

MAYO CHEESE SAUCE RECIPE FROM ANGEL FOOD

Ingredients:
½ C vegan mayo
½ C plant-based milk
½ C Angel Food plant-based cheddar, grated
Salt to taste

Methods:

Melt all together the ingredients. You can blend it with a stick blender or in a food processor for a super-smooth result.
Taste for seasoning and add salt as desired.
Serve hot.

Arnott’s open world class facility in Avondale –

The Arnott’s Group (TAG) has resumed manufacturing in New Zealand, bringing a welcome boost to the local economy and exciting additions to its iconic snacking and cracker range.

Officially opened today, TAG’s new multi-million-dollar, 4000sqm manufacturing facility in Avondale, Auckland, has been designed as an innovation hub for Arnott’s sweet and savory biscuits across the ANZ region and to accommodate further growth and expansion of the 180 degree cracker brand, acquired by the business in May 2021.

Arnott’s Group CEO, George Zoghbi said the new facility signals TAG’s commitment to ongoing investment in New Zealand, enhancing localized supply chains and strengthening manufacturing, technology, capability and skills.

“The Avondale facility has been designed to unlock world-class innovation and flexibility for the broader Arnott’s network and will allow us to increase our locally made Arnott’s range,” Zoghbi said.

“The integration of 180 degrees in 2021 and the subsequent construction of Avondale, have meant greater speed and agility within the New Zealand arm of our 157-year-old business, that will allow us to unlock new products and reach new consumers.”

“It will also further strengthen the century long affection we know Kiwis have had for the Arnott’s brand, which recently saw us recognized as NZ’s most trusted biscuit brand in the 2023 Readers Digest Annual Trusted Brand Awards.”

Mike Cullerne, TAG’s Country Director NZ, said the opening of the Avondale facility reaffirms TAG’s commitment to the local NZ economy, industry and community, as part of the business’ ‘local support’ ethos.

“Today’s announcement is a welcome boost for local suppliers who are responsible for everything from ingredients to logistics and will also allow us to strengthen relationships with our retail partners around the country and continue supporting local food relief charities.”

“Our fast and flexible facility in Avondale will support further expansion of the premium 180 degrees brand both domestically and in Australia and allow us to develop new Arnott’s biscuits for New Zealand customers to enjoy. Last year alone, New Zealanders consumed over 30 million 180 degrees crackers – an astonishing level of support for this locally made brand.”

The inaugural Arnott’s products baked at the Avondale facility are Arnott’s Shortbread Bites, a new range of premium biscuits made with fruit from Barkers of Geraldine. The melt-in-your-mouth shortbread range (available July 2023) are batch baked, with pure NZ butter and quintessentially NZ flavours. There are three varieties:

Black Doris Plums made with Black Doris plum puree plus decadent dark chocolate chips.
Feijoa made with sweet feijoa puree plus poppy seeds.
Mixed Berries made with boysenberry & blackcurrant puree plus decadent white chocolate chips.

Winning Kiwi BBQ expertise heading to American Royal World Series –

For Ken Van Mackelbergh, barbecue is out of season; it’s a community, a culture, a lifestyle, and, most importantly, it’s about family and friends. It is about celebrations and creating memories, about building old friendships, and making new ones.

This has been Ken’s ethos for as long as he can remember. With over 20 years’ experience as a qualified Chef, Ken is affectionately known as ‘BBQ BOI’, a name quickly adopted for the competitive BBQ team he is part of with Nick Borland and Jamie Urwin.

This year a partnership has been developed between BBQ BOI and kiwi-owned business, The Kiwi Outdoor, who manufactures what they believe to be one of the most outstanding BBQs ever built in New Zealand.

Ken, along with the rest of the BBQ BOI team and a Kiwi Outdoor Oven kit, will be heading to Kansas at the end of September to compete against some of the best BBQ teams in the world.

The Kiwi Outdoor Oven journey began at Pauanui Beach back in 2012, when two kiwi blocks decided they wanted a ‘fast heat up, top quality pizza/cooking oven and outdoor fire’. At the time there were various options on the market, but none that did it all, they wanted a product that was NZ-made and large in size (with the idea of commercial use in mind).

Quickly, the duo created prototypes and the testing stage began. The company officially launched in 2013 where the ovens were initially promoted by a wood-fired pizza caravan set up in Pauanui beach. Word of mouth quickly spread about this mouth-watering wood-fired taste. In 2018, Brendan and Naomi Arnet purchased the business to take it on the next level of its journey – becoming the best.

Kiwi outdoor oven/fire on the market

“Known as the ‘entertainer’s dream’ – the ovens produce cooking results that previously one could only dream about and outdoor heating that is described as phenomenal.

“The oven is capable of cooking banquets for large groups, or just have the pizzas ready at the same time for the entire family. Enjoy roasts that fall off the bone, beautiful natural smoky BBQ flavours, and an oven that cooks it all.

“Slow cooking is a dream because of the oven’s conductive heating and insulation, meaning you can spend your time mingling with guests, instead of being stuck in the kitchen or behind the BBQ.

When the Arnets purchased the business, they were obviously impressed with the food cooked in the ovens, but also joked about how great it would be if they could be part of a competition to prove it. The Kiwi Outdoor oven featured on ‘My Kitchen Rules’ back in 2014, but the duo had their sights set on something bigger.

After joining forces with team BBQ BOI, they began testing the Kiwi Outdoor Oven in the 2023 NZBA competition season, kicking off with back-to-back Grand Championships in Kumeu and more recently, Grand Championship at Smoke on the Coast, the biggest competition of the year so far, putting the BOI BBQ team at the top of the National Leader board. The field at such competitions is highly competitive, and their wins have earned them a coveted spot at The American Royal World Series of Barbecue.

This is the world’s largest BBQ competition and has over 500 teams competing. Ken, along with the rest of the BBQ BOI team and a Kiwi Outdoor Oven kit, will be heading to Kansas at the end of September to compete against some of the best BBQ teams in the world.

voco Auckland City treads lightly with sustainability trifecta –

the voco brand made its New Zealand debut with the opening of voco Auckland City Centre, and this May the hotel is celebrating its first year of sky-high stays, accolades and sustainable milestones centered on its ‘tread light’ philosophy.

Last week, the dual-branded tower development voco Auckland City Center that also includes the Holiday Inn Express City Center was awarded a trifecta of Master Builders Commercial Project awards and were crowned winners of the Commercial Project Award Over $25m, Built Tourism and Leisure Project Category, and the Master Builders Supreme Award for 2023.

Pro-invest Hotels, Area General Manager, New Zealand, Fraser McKenzie.

In just 12 months, voco Auckland City Center has cemented its reputation as one of the city’s most popular and glamorous rooftop destinations with Bar Albert, NZ’s highest hotel rooftop bar at level 38, serving over 8,500 cocktails.

On Friday night (26 May), voco Auckland City Center hosted a first birthday soiree at Bar Albert which was attended by over 80 special guests including hotel partners, suppliers, and media. Signature Bar Albert cocktails, Champagne and canapes flowed while music entertainment duo, Jasper and Jane Hawkins brought the vibes to the party.

Pro-invest Hotels, Area General Manager, New Zealand, Fraser McKenzie, said “voco’s first year in New Zealand has been a bright journey and we’re proud to have delivered signature voco moments to over 50,000 guests.

“We’re proud of the hotel’s contribution to the city’s tourism and hospitality economy, particularly with Bar Albert giving both in-house guests and Aucklanders an exciting social experience and a taste of the ‘voco life’ high above the city.”

“A stay at voco is all about refreshingly different accommodation and our sustainability hallmarks have been designed for us to tread lightly on the environment. We have worked hard to achieve Level 3/Level 4 Green Engage certification thanks to initiatives such as bedding made with 100% recyclable materials (equating to over 150 plastic bottles per room recycled), aerated shower heads that reduce water usage and energy consumption for heating water, and large, refillable Antipodes amenities in the bathroom that reduces plastic waste by up to 80% compared to miniatures, and a HVAC system to improve air quality and heat recovery.

“Our team’s fun, unstuffy service style has meant that we’ve charmed many new loyal guests to the voco brand, and it’s been fantastic to give IHG Hotels & Resorts’ One Rewards business and leisure guests a new, upscale hotel to work, stay and play in Auckland’s city centre. Conferencing, meetings, and events have been performed strongly across our five versatile meeting rooms, vibrant restaurant, and rooftop bar. With stylish decor, state-of-the-art technology, and stunning views of the city, our unique spaces continue to inspire and impress guests.”

“We are so grateful to our partners, the hospitality and travel industry who have welcomed the hotel so warmly, and we are delighted to be celebrating the Master Builders Award wins alongside our 1^st anniversary with guests, clients, and industry partners this month,” concluded Fraser.

To celebrate, voco Auckland City Center has launched a special 1^st anniversary accommodation package which includes a bottle of Laurent Perrier Brut Champagne on arrival to toast the occasion, complimentary breakfast for two, and complimentary valet parking – a combined added value of $259 per day.

Training investment leads RANZ’ Budget wish list –

The Restaurant Association of New Zealand has produced its own budget wish list ahead of Thursday’s 2023 financial announcements from the Government.

“While the hospitality industry itself is leading the long-term work that will make our sector more resilient, we also know that ongoing skills shortages, increased costs of doing business and the ever-changing regulatory environment only add to the pressures we have experienced over the past three years.

“Increased investment in training to address the national skills shortage is one of our top priorities, so we would like to see investment in work-based training initiatives, to both fill the immediate skills gaps that we are facing and up the skills of New Zealanders at the same time,” said Marisa Bidois, CEO of the Restaurant Association.

“This means investing in hospitality apprenticeships and other on-the-job training schemes. This would help to alleviate the immediate pressures on our industry, and assist us to prepare for the future.

“Alongside the training we would like to see an increase in investment in supporting hospitality as an industry. The regulatory environment for our industry is constantly changing and with so many small businesses making up our industry, it’s more important than ever that the Government understands the impact of these changes on business owners.

For that reason, as tourist numbers finally start to reach (and even exceed) pre-pandemic levels, our hospitality businesses are being left without the staff numbers to remain open and meet the demands of the influx of holiday-makers.. Ensuring the regulatory environment is conducive to productivity and business growth while still prioritizing the well-being of employees and consumers remains a top priority.

“Promotion of New Zealand to the world as a place to work, as well as study and travel, is something that we are keen to see investment in. As tourist numbers finally start to reach (and even exceed) pre-pandemic levels, our hospitality businesses are being left without the staff numbers to remain open and meet the demands of the influx of holiday-makers.

“We are glad that infrastructure development is a priority for this budget. Ensuring that our businesses and communities are resilient in the face of future natural disasters is of the utmost importance.

“There are other areas that we would like to invest in for example community policing to keep our cities and communities, staff and businesses safe; or lowering GST (and removing it from food items altogether) which will benefit both the food services industry and the public at a time when the cost of living is skyrocketing.

“While we won’t know exactly which initiatives will be funded until the Budget is announced, we remain hopeful that the Government’s investment in skills, science and infrastructure is a good sign for our sector, through the priorities that we’ve identified in our 2023 election manifesto.”

Sarin Group unviels Thordon Quay apartment hotel –

New Zealand-owned family business Sarin Hotels has opened a 72-room apartment hotel on Thorndon Quay – the eponymously named Proximity Apartments, located near Sky Stadium and The Beehive.

The project has been four years in the making, with delays caused by Covid-19. The new 9-storey building is owned by Wellington property developer Craig Stewart and is his first hotel development.

As the third hotel operated by Sarin in the Wellington area, and its eighth throughout New Zealand, the 4.5-star Proximity Apartments join the Sarin-managed DoubleTree by Hilton Wellington and The Sebel Lower Hutt, which opens in May/June. The group also operates the Lower Hutt Events Centre.

Offering short, long and residential stay options, Proximity Apartments are priced in the $199-$299 per night range. The hotel features undercover parking, 24/7 guest services, full-service kitchenette and digital check-in.

Speaking about the launch, Udai Sarin, CEO of Sarin Hotels said, “Wellington offers so much to travelers. It’s not just the political capital, it’s becoming the country’s cultural capital as well.

“During one of my business trips, I realized this is one of the very few cities across the globe to have a great balance between work and play. These new apartments are affordably priced, and styled to meet the needs of business people, domestic and international tourists alike.”

Given the city’s ongoing room shortage, David Perks, General Manager, Tākina Commercial Development at Wellington City Council welcomes the new hotel.

“As Wellington has emerged from the pandemic the demand for commercial accommodation in the city has quickly picked up to what it was in 2019, with demand driven by an unusually varied business mix of leisure and business travelers.

“Tākina – Wellington’s new Convention and Exhibition Center – opens at the end of May. We expect to see 500,000 visits to the center, 60 percent from outside the Wellington region. Hoteliers are going to be busy every day of the year.”

Also commenting on hospitality’s post-pandemic recovery, Stephen Hamilton, Director of leading hotel, tourism and leisure consulting firm Horwath HTL New Zealand, also predicts the recovery in Wellington’s hotel occupancy will be reasonably strong.

“The average room rates in Wellington have particularly risen, and in the last six months were 25 percent higher than the same period before the first national lockdown three years ago. The imminent opening of Tākina will provide a further boost to hotel occupancy in the city, and probably room rates as well.”

Other Sarin family-operated hotels include the stylish new Observatory Hotel in Christchurch’s Arts Centre, which recently received a 5-star ranking, as well as Christchurch’s MUSE Art Hotel, Holiday Inn Queenstown Frankton Road, Ibis Invercargill by Accor, and another Proximity Apartments hotel in Manukau.

Finalists named in Southern Lakes Hospitality Awards –

The finalists have been announced at the Southern Lakes Hospitality awards and locals are being invited to vote for their favorite place to dine out.

The finalists represent excellent dining establishments in the region as voted by the hospitality industry, including Queenstown restaurant Jervois Steakhousenominated in four award categories, including outstanding restaurant.

Also up for outstanding restaurant is Ben Bayly’s Arrowtown restaurant Aosta, a small 50 seat restaurant that brings a taste of Northern Italy to the gold-rush village of Arrowtown. The restaurant is nominated in the category of outstanding restaurants, and best regional establishments.

Aosta and Jervois Steak House will be going up against Oro Restaurant and Sherwood Queenstown who are also nominated for the outstanding restaurant award.

Situated in newly opened The Carlin boutique hotel, Oro is a fine-dining restaurant with modern French, British and New Zealand influences. It’s chefs Yann Robert and Beata Balogh have both been recognized in the categories for best chef and best emerging chef respectively.

Yann Robert has esteemed competition from Sam Gruar of La Rumbla; Koji Kiminai of Tanoshi and Ben Norfolk of The Bunker all up to the outstanding chef accolade.

Great cafes are not lacking in the region with 11th Avenue by Frank’s, Bespoke Kitchen, Odd Saint, The Boat Shed Cafe & Bistro all finalists in the category of outstanding cafe.

Those looking for a place to get a great drink won’t be disappointed with the region’s assortment of top-notch drinking establishments recognized.

Bardeaux, Ferg’s Bar, Little Blackwood and Little Mez are all contenders for the title of best bar while Botswana Butchery, Eichardt’s Bar, Jervois Steak House Queenstown and The Bunker are all recognized in the category of best winery restaurant.

Anyone looking for the best quick and tasty place to grab a bite should check out Francesca’s Mobile Pizza, Margo’s Queenstown, Ramen Ramen by Tanoshi and Taco Medic who are all nominated for outstanding street food/casual dining.

Nineteen awards will be given to the best of the region’s hospitality industry. From crew members, to suppliers, to establishments – the best of the best will be celebrated for their contribution to creating a world-class hospitality scene in the Queenstown and Southern Lakes area.

CEO Marisa Bidois says, “Queenstown is now a destination dining experience offering exceptional experiences in some of the world’s most stunning settings.

“From quick and easy street eats, to luxury winery restaurant experiences, Queenstown has it all.

“With all categories keenly contested, this year’s winners truly exemplify what it means to be at the top of their respective categories.”

Voting closes on Sunday, 23 April 5.00pm and the winners will then be announced at the awards evening on Monday, May 7 at Walter Peak in Queenstown.