One of New Zealand’s most experienced tourism professionals is retiring and a well known industry stalwart 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 h ..read more

Go with Tourism and IHG Hotels & Resorts have partnered to bring free learning and upskilling opportunities to New Zealand. The IHG Skills Academy, a virtual learning platform, was launched in the UK last October and offers free online education, courses and opportunities for people looking to build their confidence, get employment ready and explore their career options in the sector. As well as having access to global resources and learning modules, people who mention “Go with Tourism” during their registration will gain access to a New Zealand-specific ‘playlist’ of curated content ..read more

Two Auckland based hospitality venues have two very different but equally scary entertainment initiatives to keep children amused during the April school holidays. One, an afternoon tea involving dinosaurs and the other encouraging bad behaviour while dining out! Cordis Auckland, together with Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment,  is bringing back the ROAR of the dinosaurs with a special children’s Jurassic Park High Tea to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the iconic film. This is going to be an earth shattering event that you won’t want to miss from 2pm to 4pm on Satu ..read more

The Restaurant Association is calling on the next Government to work collaboratively to create a concise pathway for rebuilding and repositioning the sector for the future. “The hospitality industry contributes more than $14 billion to the economy, making it one of New Zealand’s largest industries. Despite being an enduring powerhouse of the New Zealand economy, policy made for the sector, in particular for hospitality, is fragmented, impractical and often devoid of the everyday realities of operations,” said Restaurant Association CEO Marisa Bidois. Last week the association invited six Nati ..read more

A team effort is behind the best hot cross bun in New Zealand, and its biggest critic, Daily Bread head baker Patrick Welzenbach describes it as “perfect”. Daily Bread, Auckland took out the top place for a second consecutive year in Baking New Zealand’s Great NZ Hot Cross Bun Competition, which was judged in Palmerston North on March 17. With extra butter, a little more moisture and a faster proving of the sourdough, the winning entry is the fluffiest hot cross bun Daily Bread has created while continuing to produce a classical bun.  “I have to say that this year’s bun was perfect. I wa ..read more

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-final category challenges are: •            Global Chef •    &n ..read more

More than 290 locally harvested, grown and made food and drink products were assessed late February with 206 Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals awarded in the seventh Outstanding New Zealand Food Producers Awards. Head Judge Lauraine Jacobs said, “Each year there is a different trend that becomes obvious as we work diligently to assess the range of entries. This year judges were excited to see how many producers have taken up the health messages and emphasised this through their food production.” ‘Free From’ is food made and marketed to meet the requirements of a specific diet such as; gluten-fre ..read more

Entries are open for the 25th Hospitality New Zealand Awards for Excellence.  The 2023 awards are steeped in history, recognising businesses and people across the hospitality and accommodation sectors, celebrating industry success and excellence.  The Hospitality New Zealand Awards for Excellence are the longest running, national awards that honour the achievements of the hardworking and talented people who make the hospitality and accommodation industries exceptional. Entries are now open to the public, closing on April 14. There are 25 categories to apply for, spaning hospitality ..read more

Iconic restaurants from Auckland, Andiamo & Jervois Steak House alongside Wellington’s Shed 5, are teaming up with drops from wineries Grove Mill, Mt Difficulty, Martinborough Vineyard and Te Kairanga for an evening of charity donation. One hundred percent of selected Foley Wines and fifty percent of a la carte purchases on Tuesday 28 March will go to KidsCan and SPCA in areas of New Zealand affected by Cyclone Gabrielle. KidsCan is on a mission to get clothing and food supplies to children and their families via schools and early childhood centres in Auckland, Northland, Hawke’s Bay, a ..read more

The Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award is back for 2023 seeking young New Zealand and Australian chefs to get involved. As Australia’s longest running culinary competition for young chefs, now in its 58th year, this is a career making opportunity for participants to put their talent to the test and get industry recognition. Key Dates For NZ Entrants 13-Mar Registrations open 5-May Entries Close 13-May Regional Competitors confirmed 26-Jul North Island Regional Finals 28-Jul South Island Regional Finals 11 & 12 Sept Grand Finals at Fine Foods Sydney 13-Sep Awards Entry is ope ..read more