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Vegetarian Pie Takes the Votes at the Bakels NZ Supreme Pie Awards
11 / Aug / 2007
Neville Jackson of Jackson’s Bakery and Café, Havelock North has won the Bakels New Zealand Supreme Pie Award with his Vegetarian Pie – Carrots, Silver Beet, Broccoli, Red Capsicum and Cauliflower in a Creamy White Sauce. The Chief Judge, Peter Grant said “there is no question that the Vegetarian, and the Gourmet Meat and Gourmet Fruit categories are attracting a much higher level of creativity each year. This year was tops. Simply divine fillings and exquisitely presented”..
Neville Jackson, in another life, was a Butcher but about twenty years ago made the switch to being a Baker. It’s certainly paid off. He wins NZ$7,500.00. That’s a lot of pies. Bakels NZ Managing Director, Graham Sims says “the actual worth in dollars to the winners is huge. Some past winners have enjoyed up to 300-500% increase in sustained sales”.
This year a record number of awards went to Asian bakeries. 21 placings out of 45 awards, compared to 15 last year.
The Hawkes Bay region has dominated these awards for the past decade. That stranglehold has now been broken by the Auckland region which takes 15 awards.
The New Zealand Pie market is now worth in excess of NZ$120 million. At an average cost of NZ$2.00 per pie that means that Kiwis eat a total of 60 million pies per year.
The Supreme Pie Award Winners will be announced at a dinner at the Hyatt Regency, Tuesday, 31 July.
Winning bakers, many prominent foodies and media stars will be in attendance. The MC for the evening is Paul Holmes.
The Langham Pushes NZ’s Green Image With ‘Organic Encounters’
11 / Aug / 2007
The Langham’s signature restaurant, Partingtons, is to run a two week ‘Organic Encounters’ menu using 100% certified organic New Zealand ingredients from 14–25 August 2007.
The Organic Encounters menu will include an eight course degustation for NZ$130. Diners can also choose to have their own personalised encounter by selecting individual items from the degustation which are available from NZ$16.
Highlights from the menu include a wild mushroom tart entrée with mascarpone and truffle essence, and a Blush China White iced tea jelly dessert with kiwifruit and ginger spring rolls.
Accompanying the Organic Encounters menu will be a selection of 24 organic wines.
Executive chef Ofir Yudilevich says he always uses organic ingredients wherever he can on all his menus but he sympathises with smaller restaurants who struggle to find the time to source certified organic ingredients: “There are a lot of organic suppliers but far fewer who are certified. I have counted over 50 ingredients in the Organic Encounters degustation alone and had to go to over a dozen suppliers just for one person’s dinner.”
“I love that New Zealand has such a diverse range of organic providers and look forward to the time where they are able to operate their businesses at more sustainable levels so organic can become the norm,” says Ofir.
Background Notes on the Langham:
Langham has a legendary hotel heritage dating back to 1865 when the Langham Hotel in London originally opened as Europe’s first Grand Hotel. For 140 years, this flagship hotel has been at the forefront of sophisticated and gracious hospitality. Today, all Langham Hotels worldwide inherit the same philosophy that reflects elegance in design, innovation in hospitality, genuine service and captivation of the senses creating a truly unique hotel experience.
For information on the Langham Hotel, Auckland, please visit
www.langhamhotels.com/langham/auckland/
The Winners Revealed!
24 / Jul / 2007
The 2nd annual New Zealand Bartender Magazine Bar Awards took Auckland by storm on Tuesday, 17 July at the Ballroom of the Hilton Hotel at the picturesque Princes Wharf.
The bar awards is the first awards ceremony dedicated to New Zealand’s bar and bartending industry and recognises the hard work of bar professionals over the last year. The gala dinner event was held on the first night of Auckland BarShow; with 15 awards presented over the evening. Over 300 of New Zealand’s leading bar professionals turned out for the festivities with guests traveling from Christchurch, Queenstown and Napier.
The attached PDF includes all the finalists in each category with the winners listed below. The seven finalists in each category were collated from thousands of trade votes submitted from all around New Zealand. The winners were then determined by a panel of industry professionals who cast their votes in August.
In addition, Spanton Media Group hosted the 2nd annual New Zealand Bartender Magazine’s Bartender of the Year Competition with the support of premium gin brand Bombay Sapphire. More than 40 of New Zealand’s finest bartenders competed on the day before Auckland BarShow sitting a gruelling written exam and an on the spot cocktail challenge. The Top Ten then returned on Tuesday morning for the final stage; a mixology demonstration which involved preparing two signature drinks for a panel of esteemed bartending luminaries. The winner, Nick Ravenhall from Corner Bar in Auckland won in a nail-biting victory and is now the proud owner of Bartender Magazine’s Bartender of the Year 07 title. Nick also won a trip to Sydney BarShow in September and a cash prize of $1000. When accepting the award, he said: “Winning Bartender of the Year has been an incredibly humbling experience and it is an honour I'm not sure I'm ready for.” Taking out second place was Riki Carter from the Matterhorn in Wellington, followed closely by Dickie Cullimore from Double Happy in Christchurch. Incidentally, these two bartenders placed second and third in 2006 in reverse order.
Taking out two awards on the night for the second year in a row was The Matterhorn in Wellington. This year they took out the prizes for ‘Bar of the Year’ and ‘ Best Drinks Selection’. Another big winner on the night was Suite in Auckland which took home two awards as well; one for Daniel Walker, the 2007 Bar Manager of the Year, and one for David Hawk, the 2007 Operator of the Year.
David Spanton, Managing Director of Spanton Media Group and Editor-in-chief of New Zealand Bartender magazine was excited by the turnout for the event and thinks it will continue to grow each year. “The New Zealand bar industry is going from strength to strength and the bar awards is a great way for the hospitality trade to get together and congratulate their peers for all their hard work and dedication,” he said, adding, “I look forward to doing it all again next year!”
THE WINNERS
Bartender of the Year
Winner: Nick Ravenhall, Corner Bar, Auckland
2nd place: Riki Carter, Matterhorn, Wellington
3rd place: Dickie Cullimore, Double Happy Christchurch
Bar of the Year
Matterhorn, Wellington
Bar Manager of the Year
Daniel Walker, Suite, Auckland
Wine Bar of the Year
Vivo Enoteca Cucina, Wellington
Pub of the Year
Galbraith’s Alehouse, Auckland
New Pub of the Year
The Living Room, Auckland
New Bar of the Year
Hawthorn Lounge, Wellington
Nightclub of the Year
Double Happy, Christchurch
Best Drinks Selection
Matterhorn, Wellington
Bar Team of the Year
Clooney, Auckland
Operator of the Year
David Hawk, Suite & Crow Bar, Auckland
Cocktail Bar of the Year
Mea Culpa, Auckland
Cocktail List of the Year
Hawthorn Lounge, Wellington
Best Music Offering
Sandwiches, Wellington
Best Bar Food
La Zeppa, Auckland
-ends-
Note to editors:
Photos of the winners and social pix are available upon request.
For more information please call Sam Sedman on +61 2 9552 2488 or email sam@spantonmedia.com
Sam Sedman
Spanton Media Group
Telephone: +61 2 9552 2488
Mobile: +61 402 147 800
Fax: +61 2 9552 2499
A Sweet Night Out In Auckland
24 / Jul / 2007
If a sweet night in the city is what you crave then the After 8 Dessert Special will be the perfect elixir at the Stamford Plaza Auckland.
Knights on Albert restaurant overlooks the busy Stamford lobby and bar where desserts are tantalisingly displayed in front of the kitchen and guests are encouraged to help themselves – as many times as they dare.
Start with a panacotta served in a demitasse cup (or a shot glass if you’re pacing yourself) with a berry or kiwifruit couli. Take a slice of fresh cheesecake and a piece of the mouth-watering gateau, carrot cake or any of the other little cakes that change daily and are just small enough to stave off the guilts yet leave you room for a slice of pavlova with lashings of cream. And after all that sin, the platter of fresh fruit and a cheese board with dried fruit and walnuts will assuage any guilt.
The After 8 Dessert Special includes a cup of espresso or tea for NZ$16.00 and is available from 8pm to 10pm Monday to Sunday.
To book contact Knights On Albert Restaurant on +64 (0)9 357 9220
22 Albert Street, Auckland City
Lynda King
T: +64 (0)9 912 3004
E: lyndaking@spak.stamford.com.au
Auckland Gears Up For Second Seafood Extravaganza
24 / Jul / 2007
The City of Sails is set to celebrate the abundance of seafood brought to its shores and to the Auckland Fish Market, the venue for the second annual Auckland Seafood Festival on 29th and 30th September.
Kiwis spend around NZ$250million a year on seafood and this exciting event enables visitors to taste, learn about and touch some of the 100 edible species found in New Zealand waters. It’s also a way to experience the sights and sounds of the Fish Market in a fun and interactive way.
Last year’s event hosted 12,000 visitors over the weekend even despite the rain on the Sunday and is sure to become one of the city’s iconic events. This year organizers expect an even bigger crowd, and are expanding the festival area by closing off Daldy Street as well as Jellicoe Street to allow even more stalls and space for kids to enjoy. The site will be ‘weather-proofed’ and a 100 metre long marquee will be erected on Jellicoe Street.
The event boasts three areas. The Jellicoe Street party will feature some top Kiwi entertainment on the music stage, carnival style street theatre and of course amazing seafood taste sensations and a variety of wines and beers, food preparation demonstrations etc. Meanwhile the free family area offers multi-cultural entertainment, more tasting opportunities and fun educational activities and competitions.
For corporate entertainment the VIP lounge allows access to exclusive cookery master-classes with top New Zealand chefs in the Seafood School, as well as premium entertainment and a plethora of exotic seafood and fine wines.
The festival begins with the Blessing of the Fleet which is a tribute to those lost at sea, and a wish for safety and prosperity in the new fishing year. Fishing boats, tugs and search and rescue vessels will circle the nearby quayside blasting their horns and spraying water, providing a new and vibrant experience for visitors.
What: Auckland Seafood Festival - A celebration of the Seafood found in the Hauraki Gulf and surrounding New Zealand waters.
Where: Auckland Fish Market, Jellicoe Street, Western Viaduct, Auckland Central
When: Saturday 29th September and Sunday 30th September, 2007
Time: 11am – 6pm Saturday and Sunday
Blessing of the Fleet 10am Saturday
Info: www.aucklandseafoodfestival.co.nz
How much: Blessing of the Fleet & Family Area – Free entry
Street Party – Tickets (NZ$20 excl booking fee) will be available soon, see website for details, or buy at the gate.
VIP Lounge – >From NZ$500+GST/table for 10 (call +64 (0)9 524 2336 or email festival@xtra.co.nz to book tickets)
For more information contact:
Kathy Cunningham
Event Director
+64 (0)21 743 378
+64 (0)9 378 9031
kathy@empirepr.co.nz
Angus Coull
Event Manager
DDI +64 9 378 9032
Mobile +64 21 998 484
Fax +64 9 378 9033
www.empirepr.co.nz