Looking Ahead | February 2018 Newsletter

Inbound international tourists and New Zealand's tourism experience are a hot topic at present. For those of us working with food, there is a question around how the ingredients grown and produced in New Zealand can be more integrated into the tourism story. It's all very well to say we have fabulously fresh seafood or exceptionally tender beef or lamb but it seems to me that we need something more that just fine produce. We need to create some new iconic dishes that can become the must taste, must eat and must experience for tourists visiting this country.

With this theme in mind, our 2018, W&F Celebration will include a Kiwi Cuisine Cook-Off Competition to provide a new platform for cookery innovation. The W&F and will start on Saturday 18 August and run over three days with a series of events. Last year's enormously successful Foodography dinner, where you snap your own six course menu, will feature on Saturday 18 August. The New Zealand Sommelier of the Year Awards and Dinner along with our Wine Tasting Room, wine seminars, cooking demonstrations and hands on classes will be the focus of Sunday 20 August. The Kiwi Cuisine Cook-Offwill take place on Monday 21 August.More details to follow soon.... 

Apricots.

Gurnard with red pepper salsa.

Superyacht careers

With the Volvo Ocean Race yachts set to depart from Hong Kong to Auckland and the America's Cup Challenge another major topic of discussion, career in yachting have never been more relevant. Over the years, many of our graduates have gone on to work as chefs and stewardesses on superyachts around the world. A recent visit from Joey Meen of the Professional Yachting Association (PYA) has confirmed our own going accreditation for these programmes. In April we will run the Yacht Interior Introduction module. Looking ahead, a number of our programmes will be able to be cross-credited to the PYA certificates.

Briar Meades completed the Foundation Cookery programme in 2016 and recently was in touch with her news.
I've been working as a chef on a superyacht for the past 14 months. The yacht is based out of Miami and we cruise all along the East Coast of America and up to New York where the yacht docks for the American summer. I've even been able to cruise right past the Statue of Liberty! Then during winter we cruise around the Caribbean spending most of our time in St Martin and St Barts. Currently we're docked in the Bahamas and cruise all round the many small islands. I've been able to travel to so many amazing places so it makes all the hard work really pay off.

During our busy seasons which is March-May and June-September we do a lot of guest trips with up to ten guests. A normal day for me would be preparing a cooked breakfast for all guests then lunch and in the evening I will make canapés then a dinner of starter, main and dessert. I also cook lunch and dinner for my crew. An average trip is around two weeks. Provisioning is a huge part of my job and can be very difficult if we are on a tiny island out in the Bahamas! So organisation is so important and being prepared. I've learnt so much since beginning my career as a yacht chef and I look forward to what the future holds. I love my job and wouldn't be here without the skills I learnt at NZ School of Food and Wine.

Wine tasting, classes and careers

Connal Finlay completed the Certificate in Professional Wine Knowledge in 2013 and has gone on to complete the WSET Diploma of Wine. and now teaches part of our wine programme. In May, Connal will host the World of Wine international wine tasting at AUT in Auckland. 

WSET Level 1 Award in Wines: starts Monday 19 February.

WSET Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits: starts Monday 5 March or over two weekend from April 28 & 29.

WSET Level 3 Award in Wines: starts Monday 26 March or over five weekend from July 28 & 29.

WSET Level 2 Award in Spirits: starts Tuesday 1 May for 4 days. 

French Wine Scholar: starts Monday 26 March for 5 days.

Setting up your own food business

My six workshops on Setting up your food business will start on the weekend of Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 February. In the first seminar we look at the planning that goes into the  Set Up with a detailed discussion on design requirements for commercial kitchens costs of equipment and useful tips to provide a better understanding of the start-up process. The second workshop on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 March looks in more detail at business compliance, rents and landlords, council planning and Menu costing, planning and design. Module three focuses on how to achieve the food and beverage margins to ensure financial success from planning budgets for staff rosters to key performance ratios. Module four looks at HRM, recruitment, training and retention of staff to build an effective team. Module five looks at Marketing ideas and how to harness social media and other marketing strategies. Module six is a individual business mentoring workshop where we look at your ideas and how to implement them. The programme draws on my new book, How to Grow your Hospitality business Click here to read more about the book and to order a copy.

Cooking classes

We are excited to welcome David Schofieldto our team of tutors. David has an impressive background that includes setting up and running his own restaurant business in Australia and NZ, Head Chef at Sky City and in earlier years working at Claridge’s Hotel and The Ritz Hotel in London. In 2016, David represented New Zealand at the international chef's competition, Bocuse d'Or. 

Claire Guenegan will teach the Chocolate Essentials in a one-day class on Saturday 20 February.Claire has worked as a pastry chef in New York, Sydney and in a number of head pastry chef roles in Auckland. This class will include tempering, ganache and chocolate decoration, making cupcakes, friandes and chocolate tarts. Click here to to register.

Hand-made pasta

Making your own pasta from scratch brings a wonderful sense of accomplishment. Join chef Ralf Schmidt for this hands-on seminar. 

Essentials of Cooking Fine Food

Chef Charlotte Hope will teach this course over four evenings learning important culinary techniques while preparing a delicious line-up of meals that are easy to replicate in your home. Starts Tuesday 6 March from 6- 9pm.

Bartending and Cocktails

Grant Pickup, our bartending specialist, will teach this popular workshop over three nights that teaches the foundations of bartending along with classic cocktails and tips about contemporary fashions. 

Serving Wine.

Superyacht.

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