Scheduled bumper agenda for Fine Food New Zealand –
The country’s premiere event for the hospitality, food retail and food service industries is making a record return in June 2023.
Fine Food New Zealand has attracted more than 250 exhibitors, converging at the Auckland Showgrounds to share the latest flavours, trends, equipment, ingredients and beverages, contributing to quintessentially Kiwi experiences across the country.
A packed agenda includes training and education, demonstrations, the NZ Chefs Championships and Global Chefs Challenge, the introduction of the Restaurant Association’s ‘Hospo Hui’, and much more. The strictly trade-only event takes place from June 25-27.
“We’re thrilled to have the biggest event ever planned for 2023,” enthuses Deb Haimes, Fine Food New Zealand Event Manager. “With a combination of international and local exhibitors covering everything from paddock to plate, there’s a huge variety for every delegate. This makes Fine Food New Zealand an ideal opportunity to expand your knowledge, make valuable connections, and find new suppliers.”
For those keen to advance their skills or check out advanced culinary techniques, the Seminar Series offers a range of thought-provoking topics, including health and wellness tips for staff, how to get products into major supermarkets, and – perhaps crucially – how to attract and retain domestic and international talent for your business.
Another seminar well worth attending for everyone producing food and beverages addresses updates to the Food Act, which makes allergen labeling easier to understand.
A hot ticket is the second day of the exhibition’s Hospo Hui, hosted by the Restaurant Association. This event brings together the best local and international leaders in food and hospitality, showcasing the industry and sharing ideas, tools and stories that educate and inspire. Hospo Hui joins Fine Food New Zealand for the first time, taking advantage of an obvious synergy and helping delegates make the most of their time.
Hospo Hui offers unique insight into ideas and trends shaping the hospitality industry through speaker and panel discussions. It’s also a rare opportunity to catch the industry’s finest in one place as a unique forum for discussion and innovation. Restaurant Association CEO Marisa Bidois describes Fine Food New Zealand – and Hospo Hui – as a ‘must-attend event for anyone in our industry’. “That extends to anyone in the trade with a passion for food, drink and innovation, whether you work for a brand, restaurant, cafe, bar, retailer, supplier, manufacturer, or hotel.”
Keep up with international food and beverage trends through featured exhibits such as Taste of the World, which brings together exhibitors from across the globe. Artisan Alley has established itself as a popular regular show, showcase handmade, small batch and traditional goods in demand by discerning patrons.
And it’s a bumper show for beverages, with The Best Cellar dedicated to wine, beer, spirits and craft drinks joined by Liquid Alliance which offers the best from Tasman Liquor & Allied Liquor’s suppliers. Be sure to check out the Kapiti Collective to discover the culinary wonderland on the coast. Get up to speed on the growing trend towards vegetarian and vegan choices over at Plant Base.
As the country’s biggest event of its kind, Fine Food New Zealand is a popular platform for launching new products, and this year is no different. The New Product Showcase is a noted drawcard and recognizes real innovation across multiple sectors, including food, beverage, packaging, equipment and more.
Not only can you see new products and innovations for yourself, but there is business to be done. Trade deals have long been part and parcel of Fine Food New Zealand. This year is no exception, as existing and new suppliers look to expand their markets and provide quality goods and services that keep hospitality running smoothly. Making deals just got more rewarding in 2023, with a $1,000 travel voucher being drawn daily for those making a minimum of 3 orders onsite.
Haimes says the return of international exhibitors and a palpable sense of excitement are indicators that while challenges remain, trade is returning to normal. “There are encouraging signs, including substantial interest from our exhibitors and delegates signing up at a brisk pace. And our partners have once again come on board with tremendous support, all contributing to making the 2023 event the best yet.”
Fine Food New Zealand is supported by partners including Tasman Liquor, Service Foods, Anchor Food Professionals, Gilmours Wholesale Food & Beverage, NZ Chefs Association, Bidfood, The Restaurant Association of New Zealand, FMCG Business, Hospitality Business, Baking New Zealand and Restaurant and Café. The event takes place at the Auckland Showgrounds from June 25-27. Attendance is free for trade delegates who register online. For more information or to register, visit https://www.finefoodnz.co.nz/.
West Auckland Trust plans $40m investment with 10 new hospitality venues –
A $40 million plus investment over the next five years to expand the hospitality and retail infrastructure of one of NZ’s largest population centers is set to help address future demand from increased housing density and regeneration around transport hubs.
West Auckland has a population of 311,000+ spread over a 578 km2 area and is expected to grow by tens of thousands of residents over the coming years.
The Trusts, which has a community mandate to operate liquor licenses in the region, is aiming to grow annual revenues by 23% to $160 million within five years.
According to a new five-year strategic plan released today, as part of the largest capital expenditure in The Trusts’ 50-year history, the organization aims to open up to ten new hospitality venues and retail stores during the period.
The multimillion-dollar investment is also believed to be one of the largest for the sector in recent years and is seen as a sign of returning confidence in the industry – following the impact of the pandemic.
The planned venues will range in size from 50 to 500m2 and are expected to introduce innovative new restaurant and bar concepts and provide additional sites to match the projected population growth in suburbs throughout the region.
Allan Pollard, CEO of The Trusts, says West Auckland has seen significant population growth in recent years and a new contemporary hospitality model will be launched as a result of feedback from the local community.
He says one in every seven new residents moving to the area is either new to New Zealand or new to Auckland.
“Within the next three decades, the North Western suburbs of Auckland are expected to see an additional 100,000 people move to the area, equivalent to the population of Dunedin, and there is an urgent need to initiate a significant development program to introduce hospitality and retail infrastructure that is targeted to the evolving demographics of the area.
“What we know about the arrival of new residents to the region is that they have different experiences and expectations of hospitality models than what has been available in the West to date.
“To accommodate this emerging segment of the market, we are looking at a number of offerings ranging from boutiques, pop-up bars and restaurant-led gastro pubs within walking distance of public transport hubs and major apartment complexes through to large scale venues which can accommodate up to 300 people.
“We also hope that this move will benefit New Zealand’s craft beer industry as we bring in new concepts such as the creation of a new Garage Project bar inside one of our retail outlets,” he said.
Pollard says they intend to increase the number of its retail and hospitality venues and also upgrade each of its existing outlets by 2028. They also plan to increase the number of patrons they can accommodate at their venues by a third.
He says the investment will also be a boost for local employment with The Trusts, already the second largest employer in West Auckland, looking to grow its staff numbers by 10% to around 400.
Pollard says the projected increase in revenue will also allow the social enterprise to target the return of $5 million to local community groups each year, through its charity support programmes.
Tourism & hospitality Expo roadshow starts May 11 –
Next week, from 11 – 13 May in Christchurch, Go with Tourism will kickstart New Zealand’s only free, dedicated careers expo for the tourism and hospitality industry, hoping to inspire a new generation of tourism and hospitality workers.
The expo, in partnership with New Zealand Careers Expo, will then move on to six more cities around the country: Palmerston North, Napier, Hamilton, Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin.
With industry professionals, employers and educators on site, students and job seekers will discover a wide range of opportunities available, such as work experience, mentorships, job vacancies and tertiary studies.
As well as showing career pathways, the main objective of the expo is to change negative perceptions about tourism and hospitality work. Go with Tourism Program Director, Heidi Gillingham, says that the 2023 expo season will be the most important yet for achieving this.
“Covid hit our industry hard. 90,000 employees were displaced, job security was in doubt, and we’ve experienced a massive skills shortage since. With international travel back to normal in New Zealand – and heading towards pre-Covid numbers again – it’s crucial to attract talent back into our industry to meet visitor demand.
“Additionally, due to the opportunity to engage with younger learners, we hope to see an increase in students choosing Tourism at the NCEA level in the future, as a result. We want to help parents and students understand why the industry is so important to New Zealand – from building our economy to championing our culture.”
In 2022, the Go with Tourism Expo saw 28,667 people walk through the doors and Gillingham believes 2023 will be a busier year. “This year will be our first expo season not limited by pandemic restrictions, so we hope to welcome more visitors than ever before to discover the wide range of career and study opportunities available in tourism and hospitality.”
To find out more information on the Go with Tourism Expo, go to: gowithtourism.co.nz/expo
- 11 – 13 May, Christchurch Arena, Christchurch
- 18 May, Central Energy Trust Arena, Palmerston North
- 23 May, Pettigrew Green Arena, Napier
- June 11-12, Claudelands Showgrounds, Hamilton
- 15-17 June, The Cloud, Auckland
- June 23-24, TSB Arena, Wellington
- 28 June, Dunedin Town Hall, Dunedin
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.
$1.00 meals this weekend in Christchurch & Wellington –
A selection of popular food hotspots in Wellington and Christchurch have joined forces with DoorDash to provide a menu of items for just $1.00 each – this weekend only.
“We’re excited to launch $1 meals this weekend and urge Kiwis to get behind their favorite hospitality outlets,” says Rebecca Burrows, DoorDash General Manager New Zealand, Australia and Canada.
“We’ve got some amazing local eateries behind us and together we’re hoping to get their delicious food out to more Kiwis this weekend for only $1.”
From Friday 14thth to Sunday April 16, there will be a rotating roster of restaurants and $1 meals available, offering something new each day for fans to get their teeth stuck into. Some of the mouth-watering highlights in Wellington include legendary:
- Reburger and their Smashed Prince burger
- Hutt Rubs with pulled pork loaded with fries
- Gerry’s Charcoal Chicken and the infamous chicken and chips
- Mama Brown’s infamous southern fried chicken burger
- Lord of the Fries and their sampler munch box
- Abrakebaba and their classic go-to, meat on chips
Popular Wellington diner Mama Brown chose to join the promotion to encourage Kiwis to support locals this weekend and to help them celebrate a massive milestone for the restaurant.
“The $1 deal aligns with our 10-year anniversary, so what better way to celebrate and share the good vibes than treating people to our best-selling Southern Fried Chicken Burger for just one dollar?” says Queenie Lai, Mama Brown General Manager.
Further down the country, Christchurch’s $1 deals include:
- $2 Dumpling Rice’s famous lunch box
- Burger Station’s chicken burgers
- Lazeez and their fan favorite grilled chicken souvlaki
- Pot Sticker Dumpling Bar and their dozen matter dumplings
- Empire Chicken’s scrumptious tender box
Plus, many more options up for grabs exclusively on the DoorDash app.
New and existing DoorDash customers who order via the app from participating eateries between 2-5pm on Friday 14th to Sunday 16th April can claim $1 menu items.
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/
Food experts meet to judge New Zealand’s finest produce –
Michelin-star chef Pim Techamuanvivit is joining internationally renowned New Zealand chef Peter Gordon and 25 local food experts to judge the Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards in Auckland this week.
More than 290 locally harvested, grown and made food and drink products will be assessed on Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 February at Gordon’s restaurant, Homeland, known as The Food Embassy for Aotearoa and the Pacific Islands.
Born and raised in Bangkok, Pim (pictured above right), took a circuitous route through the world of food from blogging (her blog Chez Pim attracted more than 250,000 views a month), to make award winning jams.
In 2014 Pim opened her first restaurant, Kin Khao in San Francisco, receiving a Michelin star in 2015.
A few years later she opened Nari, her second San Francisco restaurant.
Nari quickly made it onto many Best Restaurant lists including those by the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle and Esquire Magazine. In 2018, she took over Nahm at the Como Metropolitan in Bangkok as the executive chef. Nahm has retained a Michelin star every year since.
With her Kiwi partner, she also enjoys spending time in Auckland and the organizers of the Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards are delighted she’s joining the judging panel to sniff, taste and assess food from Aotearoa this year.
Cumin Spiced Wild Tahr Pies, Wild Venison Bressola, fresh crayfish, Jalapeno Kombucha and Organwurst Sausages, locally made ice cream, cheese, drinks and gluten-free products are among the New Zealand foods being judged.
Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards Gold, Silver and Bronze medal winners will be announced on Tuesday 21 March 2023 with category champions and special award winners announced at the Champions Party 2023 on Tuesday 18 April at the Glasshouse in Morningside, Auckland.
Grand Chateau Tongariro Hotel announces permanent closure –
The Grand Chateau Tongariro will close permanently from Sunday February 5.
The Chateau, located in the Tongariro National Park, has been in consultation with the Department of Conservation (DOC) regarding the renewal of its 30-year lease, which expired in April 2020.
As part of the hotel’s due diligence in preparing to renew the lease, it had specialists conduct site and seismic assessments as part of plans to renovate the building and surrounding infrastructure.
The most recent seismic assessment, however, found that underground shifts over time meant some of the hotel infrastructure no longer met current safety standards.
“This decision has also been influenced by other factors including the significant cost of ensuring long-term site safety from seismic risk, Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (RAL) falling into voluntary administration and related uncertainty over the future of the ski resort upon which the Chateau Tongariro The hotel depends, and off the back of recent poor snow season conditions and pandemic restrictions,” a spokesperson said.
Senior vice president commercial of the Chateau Tongariro Hotel’s parent company, Kevin Peeris, said it’s a “very sad day for our hotel family”.
“Surrounded by the Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro, and its history in Aotearoa New Zealand, it is disappointing for our hotel community that the Chateau Tongariro Hotel chapter will come to an end in February, despite initial plans to invest in its long-term future ,” Peeris said.
He said although the hotel had been given the possibility of an extension to “undertake rectification works” it would’ve been too expensive.
To ensure the safety of those at the hotel, including its 36 staff, the decision has been made to close it.
Peeris said it was disappointing and sad that the iconic hotel would have to shut its doors “despite initial plans to invest in its long-term future”.
“The hotel has been given 25 years with the possibility of an extension of another 10 years to undertake rectification works, however the costs involved in these works, combined with other external factors such as the voluntary administration of Ruapehu Alpine Lifts and the poor snow season , and rebounding tourist numbers from the pandemic means continuing operations is not financially viable.”
Discussions are underway with DOC regarding the handover of the property.
The hotel said it was supporting directly affected staff.
Owners of the Chateau Tongariro Hotel and its sister hotel, Wairakei Resort Taupō, have confirmed they will continue investing in New Zealand, and the Wairakei Resort Taupō and its staff are not impacted by the closure.