Chef advocates collectives for food security –
A new collective of iconic Kiwi chefs has come together under the Kiwi Harvest banner to tell the organization’s story and advocate for a more secure food Aotearoa.
Joining existing ambassador, Peter Gordon, are four new recruits: Michael Meredith, Brent Martin, Kylee Newton and Alfie Ingham.
Established in 2012, KiwiHarvest exists to address Aotearoa’s dual issues of food insecurity and food waste. By rescuing and redistributing surplus stock from its 280+ food donors, they’re able to get food into communities across its five national locations, delivering regularly to over 240 recipient charities. KiwiHarvest says, however, there is so much more that needs to be done and they are reliable on donations to enable them to meet this growing need.
The KiwiHarvest Collective aims to grow and nurture a community of like-minded people with a shared mission to raise awareness of and find solutions to these issues. The supergroup of culinary experts kicked things off with a volunteering session at KiwiHarvest’s Auckland warehouse at the end of March.
Peter Gordon joined KiwiHarvest as its very first ambassador in 2021. Internationally renowned chef, Peter has a repertoire of highly acclaimed restaurants under his belt, from Sugar Club, to Providores and Tapa Room, to his current focus, Homeland.
“Although we have plenty of kai in Aotearoa, many people are still going hungry. Helping KiwiHarvest show this was why I came onboard, but I realized that I needed support in spreading the message. I asked some of my favorite Auckland chefs and foodies to help me, and with our combined voices I believe we can reach a much wider audience and get food where it needs to be more easily,” explained Peter.
The first of the new recruits is the brain and talent behind Meredith’s and Mr. Morris, Michael Meredith.
“KiwiHarvest has done so much good in trying to improve the way we deal with such an ongoing problem, one that we face every day. My involvement in the collective is a stepping stone to contribute some new ideas and to collectively raise more awareness,” says Michael.
Second to join is Chief Executive Chef of the 5-star Park Hyatt Hotel, Brent Martin. He has played a pivotal role in the success of the hotel’s restaurants (including The Living Room, The Pantry and now, Onemata) and is excited to make real social change within our communities.
“It has always been at the top of mind to use my culinary connection, knowledge and passion to drive support for those who need it across Aotearoa – a cause that is way bigger than me. Food sustainability has become the forefront of what we, at the Park Hyatt, do on a daily basis. We even have set targets for food waste and food donations each year.”
“I want to feel connected to the community, and by collaborating with an organization like KiwiHarvest, I feel that I can make a real impact on people’s lives,” added Brent.
Cook, author and preserver, Kylee Newton is known for launching London-based preserving company, Newton&Pott which produced high quality jams, pickles, and chutneys with a focus on minimizing food waste.
“My good friend Peter (Gordon) first alerted me to the great work KiwiHarvest was doing in reducing food waste and how they distributed it among people in need. This is the main issue that surrounds my ethos in cooking; preserving food is at the heart of using up seasonal gluts, and giving food longevity so it doesn’t go to waste.”
“With increasing food costs, what better time to address this issue for the future of our community, and for the health of our planet. Awareness starts within the home and I will do all I can to spread this message – I see the KiwiHarvest Collective as a perfect platform to do so,” said Kylee.
And finally, UK-born Alfie Ingham has signed up, having worked in some of the best restaurants in NZ. He was part of the award-winning Hugo’s Bistro team, and prides himself in partnering with smaller local growers, farmers, hunters and fishermen, to highlight the hard work that goes into producing quality, sustainable food.
“I’ve always believed that good food should be accessible to everyone, and the more I learned about food waste and food insecurity, the more I wanted to help an organization do the right thing. I’m excited to meet the amazing people working hard behind the scenes and I’m hoping to make a real tangible change with food insecurity in New Zealand,” concludes Alfie.
Why now?
The lingering impacts of Covid-19, rising costs of living and natural disasters have meant more people than ever are doing it tough in Aotearoa – including those who wouldn’t stereotypically seek out food support.
KiwiHarvest Founder, Deborah Manning, pictured top right, said, “Our hope is that by teaming up with these culinary experts, we can raise more awareness about the issues right here in our backyard and offer practical solutions for people to take action.”
“Each of them brings enormous value to the table and the overall Kiwi Harvest mission. Together, we can amplify the important mahi being done by our partners, volunteers and other food rescue organizations to make sure every Kiwi has access to nutritional kai before it goes to waste,” Deborah concludes.
To launch the KiwiHarvest Collective, the team volunteered at KiwiHarvest’s East Tamaki warehouse, getting stuck into the hands-on work of sorting and packaging donated and surplus stock (including apples, carrots, feijoas, and other fresh produce), to be distributed to recipients all over the country.
Luxurious Hulbert House returns to Brooke Serene portfolio –
Brook Serene Boutique Hotels has announced the return of Hulbert House to its luxury hotel portfolio.
Brook Serene Boutique Hotels opened and managed the Qualmark-rated 5-star Enviro Gold luxury hotel from 2016 to 2020 and has resumed management of the property from 1 April this year.
Hulbert House is nestled in the heart of Queenstown and is a beautifully restored Victorian villa that offers six luxurious rooms, each uniquely designed with modern amenities and breathtaking views of Lake Wakatipu and the surrounding mountains.
The hotel’s commitment to sustainability is reflected in its Enviro Gold rating, which recognizes its efforts to reduce its environmental impact and promote eco-friendly practices.
“We are delighted to have Hulbert House return to our portfolio of boutique hotels,” says Bruce Garrett, Managing Director of Brook Serene Boutique Hotels.
“This iconic property perfectly aligns with our philosophy of providing highly personalized service, a tranquil ambience and rich local flavor to our guests in unique and stunning destinations.
“We are excited to bring our expertise in boutique hotel management to Hulbert House and continue to provide exceptional experiences for our guests.”
“We are confident that the management transition will be seamless, and we look forward to once again working closely with the dedicated team at Hulbert House to maintain the hotel’s reputation as a premier luxury destination,” added Mr Garrett.
Brook Serene Boutique Hotels is a boutique hotel management company known for its distinctive properties in unique locations around New Zealand. With a focus on providing exceptional guest experiences and personalized service, Brook Serene Boutique Hotels offers a collection of carefully curated hotels that embody luxury, style and authenticity. For more information, visit www.brookserene.com.
Insider Selling: Sotherly Hotels Inc. (NASDAQ:SOHO) Chairman Sells $39,600.00 in Stock
Sotherly Hotels Inc. (NASDAQ:SOHO – Get Rating) Chairman Andrew Sims sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1.98, for a total transaction of $39,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now owns 1,500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,970. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.
Sotherly Hotels Stock Performance
Shares of SOHO opened at $2.00 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.27, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a current ratio of 1.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $38.38 million, a P/E ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.69. The company’s fifty day moving average is $2.20 and its two-hundred day moving average is $2.05. Sotherly Hotels Inc. has a 1 year low of $1.48 and a 1 year high of $3.11.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sotherly Hotels
Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Thompson Davis & CO. Inc. grew its stake in shares of Sotherly Hotels by 32.8% during the 3rd quarter. Thompson Davis & CO. Inc. now owns 1,108,044 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $2,083,000 after purchasing an additional 273,747 shares during the period. JW Cole Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Sotherly Hotels by 65.6% during the 3rd quarter. JW Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 49,750 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $94,000 after purchasing an additional 19,700 shares during the period. Seneca House Advisors acquired a new position in shares of Sotherly Hotels during the 3rd quarter worth $68,000. Jane Street Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Sotherly Hotels by 218.4% during the 4th quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 35,030 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $63,000 after purchasing an additional 24,028 shares during the period. Finally, Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Sotherly Hotels during the 1st quarter worth $55,000. 21.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several analysts recently commented on SOHO shares. TheStreet upgraded shares of Sotherly Hotels from a “d” rating to a “c” rating in a research report on Friday, March 3rd. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Sotherly Hotels in a research report on Wednesday. They issued a “hold” rating for the company.
Sotherly Hotels Company Profile
(Get Rating)
Sotherly Hotels, Inc. is a real estate investment trust. It engages in the business of acquisition, renovation, upbranding, and repositioning of upscale to upper-upscale full-service hotels. The company was founded in August 2004 and is headquartered in Williamsburg, VA.
Further Reading
Receive News & Ratings for Sotherly Hotels Daily – Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts’ ratings for Sotherly Hotels and related companies with MarketBeat.com’s FREE daily email newsletter.
Southern Discoveries announce leadership changes –
One of New Zealand’s most experienced tourism professionals is retiring and a well known industry stalker is stepping into the role in July.
Queenstown’s Southern Discoveries owner, Skeggs Group has announced the retirement of CEO Tim Hunter and is delighted to confirm the appointment of former GM Sales and Marketing, Kerry Walker to the role of CEO.
Kerry has 25 years of tourism experience, the last four-and-a-half of which have been spent at Southern Discoveries. In the previous 15 years, she worked in a range of senior sales and marketing roles for Ngāi Tahu Tourism.
During her time with Southern Discoveries her sales and marketing skills have proved invaluable to the company, along with her strong industry networks.
Southern Discoveries has been owned and operated by the Skeggs Group since 2009 and company director David Skeggs says he welcomes Kerry into her new role.
“It is fantastic that we have been able to make an internal appointment and give Kerry the opportunity to showcase her unique skills and experience that will continue to drive the company forward,” he said.
Tim Hunter retires after seven years spent as Southern Discoveries’ CEO following extensive experience in the New Zealand aviation, coach transport and destination marketing sectors.
Those roles have included working as a commercial pilot in the Southern Lakes area, holding airline planning roles with Air New Zealand, and working in a number of senior general management roles, including GM Marketing with The Mount Cook Group during the 1990s.
Tim broadened his international market experience with Tourism New Zealand as Regional Manager for Americas & Europe and General Manager Operations, and in 2010 became Chief Executive of Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism (CCT).
“Tim has done a superb job of running the business during his tenure, especially during some very challenging times during Covid,” said David Skeggs.
“He would be the first to say he couldn’t have done it without the support of all his team and I’m sure he will be missed by all.”
Kerry says Southern Discoveries is an industry leader that delivers exceptional nature experiences in this “unique” part of New Zealand.
“I’ve always worked within businesses that show off the very best of New Zealand’s scenery, adventure and hospitality, and align with my values of preservation and social sustainability.
“Southern Discoveries fits that bill perfectly.” Kerry takes up her new role on July 17.
First Table serves new reservation system –
Foodie tech company First Table is changing the way people book dining experiences with the launch of its latest product, Regular Table.
The new product simplifies the reservation process by offering real-time availability for all participating restaurants, making it easier for diners to find and book a table, all in one place, without the First Table offer.
With Regular Tables, there’s no longer a need to search multiple websites for restaurants open in a city or call around to find a restaurant that can accommodate large parties. The platform seamlessly checks live availability and inserts bookings directly into the restaurant’s reservation system, providing an efficient and streamlined experience for both customers and restaurants.
“We understand that due to the current staffing shortage and restaurant capacity issues, finding a restaurant and making a reservation can be a time-consuming and frustrating process,” said the founder of First Table, Mat Weir.
“That’s why we’re excited to be launching this new product, which allows users to search participating restaurants’ availability and book a table, all in one place.
“First Table was able to achieve this as they have the largest number of integrations with restaurant reservation systems in New Zealand, offering a smooth and efficient booking experience.”
First Table’s integration strategy is uncommon in the industry where single connections between reservation systems and booking websites are typical, and the team is continually working on new exciting functionalities to enable real-time searching across multiple systems, streamlining the reservation process even further.
As a bonus, Regular Table bookings receive five times the amount of Status Points as First Table bookings, giving users a greater opportunity to reach Gold and Platinum status levels in the company’s national restaurant loyalty programme, Frequent Foodies™.
Launched on 1 February, the loyalty program rewards users for making bookings, sharing the platform with friends, and writing reviews. The new product is live in Queenstown, Christchurch and Wellington, with more restaurants being added daily. For more information, visit the First Table website at https://www.firsttable.co.nz/magazine/regular-table
Passionfruit – a survival story –
The 2023 passionfruit crop has survived the devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle with the country’s small team of commercial growers based in sub-tropical areas such as Northland, the Bay of Plenty and Taranaki pleased to deliver the seasonal delights to consumers.
Passionfruit is a labor-intensive crop that requires careful management throughout the growing season.
Debbie Baxter, President of the New Zealand Passionfruit Growers Association, says this season has been a particularly challenging one for growers.
“Like many other growers, we faced difficult weather conditions throughout the season. Many of our growers were affected by the severe frost in October and the vines have taken some time to bounce back from that,” he says.
“While we haven’t lost a large amount of fruit, the lack of sunshine hours this summer has delayed production by as much as four weeks in certain areas.”
Baxter notes that get passionfruit to customers is a delicate balance that requires a lot of care and expense.
“Growing passion fruit is a real labor of love. High costs are incurred from pruning and daily picking for months. Passionfruit vines are prone to disease, and, despite careful management, we have a high rate of replacement for plants that have died. In the past year alone, some of our growers lost 100 percent of their vines, while others left the industry altogether,” says Baxter.
Plant & Food Research Principal Scientist and 5+ A Day Charitable Trust spokesperson, Dr. Carolyn Lister says that passionfruit provides significant nutritional value for their size.
“The cost of two passionfruit equals to a cup of coffee – but at the same price, passionfruit delivers the nutritional benefits of dietary fiber to keep your gut healthy, and powerful antioxidants such as vitamins C and E to support your immune system. Plus, their intense sweet and tangy flavor is unbeatable,” she says.
5+ A Day suggests that passionfruit is perfectly scooped out and eaten as is or added to a wide range of sweet and savory dishes.
Passion fruit can add a tropical twist to salads. Add passionfruit pulp to a dressing for a classic green salad or mix the pulp with chunks of cucumber and peach, add baby spinach and cherry tomatoes and drizzle it with chilli and lemon for a deliciously sweet and spicy combination.
Make the most of this season’s passionfruit which are in stores from March through to September by trying out some of the tasty recipes on the 5+ A Day website, www.5aday.co.nz, or by following on social media channels for more great how to use this tropical flavor bomb.
McPlant nuggets premiere in Germany –
The world’s first plant-based nuggets at a McDonald’s restaurant will be available in Germany’s 1450 outlets today, replacing the vegan burger.
Also new on the menu is the McPlant Burger. It replaces the vegan burger and the Fresh Vegan TS, and McDonald’s has emphasized the plant-based characteristic of the nuggets and patties, avoiding the vegan designation.
This makes Germany the first country market with plant-based nuggets on the menu boards. According to the company, this is also the first time a plant-based alternative has been available in a Happy Meal.
McDonald’s and Beyond Meat worked together to create the new plant-based nuggets and tested them in nine restaurants in Stuttgart in August. The nuggets are made from peas, corn, wheat and tempura breading. Beyond Meat has also had a chicken substitute available in restaurants since mid-2021, when the company rolled out its revamped recipe.
In addition, the McPlant Burger, which is already available in Austria, the UK and the Netherlands, among other countries, is now permanently on the menu in Germany.
With the two new products, McDonald’s, and manufacturers Beyond Meat, aim to appeal primarily to flexitarians. This is because their market share is growing steadily in the German population. For the product launch, the company actively involved guests in the development in a broad-based market test.
The McPlant nuggets are said to be a real alternative to Chicken McNuggets in terms of taste.
The McPlant burger with the Beyond Meat patty is also based on pea protein in combination with processed cheddar cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, onions, sandwich sauce, ketchup and mustard, and is claimed to be able to convince even die-hard McDonald’s fans .
The burger replaces the Fresh Vegan TS or Veganburger on the menu and no longer bears the vegan label. This is because animal products such as eggs and milk are used in sauce and cheese sandwiches.
Guest wishes and transparency first
To distinguish the plant-based nuggets from the chicken nuggets, they come in a drop shape that is not found in the classic nuggets.
To publicize the new McPlant products, staff will be distributing free sample portions in McDonald’s restaurants in Germany from February 22 to March 01, 2023. From 02 to 05 March 2023, McDonald’s fans and registered users of the McDonald’s app will then have the chance to win one of 100,000 coupons each to try the McPlant Burger and McPlant Nuggets for free.
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.