Newsletter: Dec 2020

Our big news - 25 years!

Flashback to February, 1995, and I had just opened the New Zealand School of Food & Wine above Hay's Restaurant in Victoria Street, Christchurch. My son Oliver, not yet 6 months old, I carried around in a back-pack. We started the Foundation Cookery Certificate with three students and that is how it all began. 

Twenty-five years later, and an earthquake-inspired move to Auckland, it's with an enormous sense of satisfaction and pride that I look back over all these years. All the people who have studied with us, the dynamic tutors and vital administration and marketing staff who have all contributed to the success of the New Zealand School of Food and Wine.   

And yes, there have been lots of challenges - curve balls - to manoeuvre, catch and dodge but this is just to be expected in any business.

Looking back, the foundation of the school was very timely and our story reflects and parallels the transformation of New Zealand's hospitality, wine and tourism sectors. The 1989 Sale of Liquor Act freed up who could hold an liquor license and in turn, there was an explosion of new restaurants, cafés, bars - all able to sell alcohol. At the same time, the growth in vineyard plantings around New Zealand gave these local restaurants and cafés a host of brand-new New Zealand wines to offer on their wine lists. Chefs and restaurant managers, returning from work overseas, inspired a more sophisticated, diverse and often Asian-influenced  offerings on menus. The quality coffee revolution had also begun. When we first started making espresso in Christchurch, we ground the hopper of coffee at 7am and this would last for hours, compared to today, when coffee is ground à la minute. No one ever taught us about cleaning the insides of a espresso machine...

It's so exciting to see how our hospitality and tourism would has evolved and grown with confidence and I am very pleased to have contributed to this through our courses and training. 

And 25 years later, we remain a family-owned business. My three children have equally benefited from a hospo education with Oliver, an engineer who has just spent six months as crew chef on a superyacht, Daniel, also an engineer, who supplements his income in Edinburgh as a barista and Alice, over the summer holiday break from school, has been part of the NZ Certificate in Cookery Level 3.

We hope you can join us over the weekend of March 14/15. See programme below. 

With best wishes for 2020,

A 3-day hike along the Dart River in Mount Aspiring National Park, with my daughter Alice, has been a refreshing highlight to start off the year. View my photo blog here.

25 Years of the New Zealand School of Food and Wine

With over 20,000 students through our doors, it's exciting to acknowledge the achievements of our diverse former students. From Canada Loucks, now Sous Chef at Euro to Lou Bentley who recently celebrated 10 years of the Akaroa Cooking School to Simon Kelly and his Kelly Washington Wines and Roots Dry Gin and Ettore Donadeo who is now a leading WSET wine educator in Japan to Nici Wickes, Food Editor at New Zealand Women's Weekly to Jonathan Thorne, Head Chef at the Merivale Group's Coogee Pavilion in Sydney .

To celebrate, we have invited a number of our alumni to share their cuisine and story behind what they cook and the wines that they love at the 25th Anniversary of the New Zealand School of Food and Wine at our premises in the Viaduct.

Cooking Demonstrations & Wine Tastings - Saturday 14 March

From 9:30 am, you will be able to reconnect with the long-serving tutor, Philippe Meyer, who shares his secrets on pork rillettes and crunchy bread. Michelle Bevan of Mint Cakery will prepare a Sticky date pudding with salted caramel sauce and candied pecans. Spencer Matagi, Chef de Partie at Soul Bar will share his favourite Palusami - Taro leaves, steamed with coconut cream along with Samoan lamb chop suey.

In the afternoon, Ginny Grant, from Cuisine Magazine will be followed by our new chef tutor, Ana Seini Mailei, who recently returned from seven years in Europe - mostly in Italy, who will share a Pasifika inspired vegan menu.

Leading wine writer, Joelle Thomson will lead-off with a wine tasting of an intriguing line-up New Zealand Pinot Noir. Connal Findlay, wine merchant in  will follow with a Fortified Revival including Tio Pepe En Rama Fino Sherry, Barbeito Boal Med-Sweet Madeira, Campbells Rutherglen Muscat and Williams & Humbert Don Zolio 12 year PX.

Joy Bates, recently returned from UK and completing the WSET Diploma with distinction will lead a New Zealand PET NAT and Grower Champagne comparative tasting.

25th Anniversary Dinner from 7:00 pm

We hope you will stay on for our gastronomic feast prepared by Chef Finn and the Advanced and Diploma students. It will naturally feature our lamb from Pigeon Bay. Click below to see the menu.

Autumn Forage with Riki Bennett - Sunday 15 March 10am

A unique opportunity to learn about Mahinga Kai and New Zealand flora from special guest Matua Riki Bennett. 

It’s going to be fun to meet again, share old stories and new stories, re-connect and make new foodie friends while enjoying a weekend of food and wine.

Our Anniversary events are open to the public and we are offering discounted prices for NZSFW Alumni and friends. 

Certificate in New Zealand Wine NZQA micro-credential