Tag Archives: chef

Delivered: second Red Meat Sector Conference

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Delivered, as promised: Excellent, inspirational and thought-provoking speakers, all appearing in a packed programme for the 250 delegates attending the second Red Meat Sector conference.

Congratulations must go to the Meat Industry Association (MIA) and Beef + Lamb NZ Ltd (B+LNZ), joint organisers of this year’s well-attended Red Meat Sector Conference at Rydges Lakeland Resort hotel in Queenstown.

Alongside heartening optimism for future demand for red meat, recurrent themes were the massive potential for New Zealand of emerging markets in Asia, especially China, water issues, the need to utilise best practice, the need for all links in the chain to tell the industry’s story to the public, plus the rapid emergence of social media as a tool for communicating with consumers.

In his opening comments, MIA chairman Bill Falconer also noted that, while not as quickly as some would like, encouraging progress is being made on the Red Meat Sector Strategy and that “small starts are being made across the board.” Later in the day Rob Davison, from the B+LNZ Economic Service, outlined a number of matrices that the Economic Service is developing that will help to track progress against the strategy, and these matrices will “focus conversations, thinking and actions to drive the future”.

The Conference also saw the announcement of new Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) funding for the red meat sector, for a project to develop high-value grass-fed marbled beef, using Waygu genetics.

All the presentations were a veritable smorgasbord of information, packed with facts, statistics and views from many facets of the industry, enabling delegates to pick out what was relevant for their part of the value chain. While every single one of the speakers was passionate and eloquent about their topic, from an export food manufacturing perspective the highlights were excellent presentations from McDonald’s Arron Hoyle and vertically integrated meat processor Agri Beef’s Rick Stott from the US.

Besides the serious business, there was entertainment and laughter too. Lunch – finger food featuring B+LNZ Ambassador chef Ben Battersbury’s speciality “alternative cuts, not cheap cuts” like lamb riblets –  was amusingly heralded with witty comments from him. After dinner speaker Davey Hughes of Swazi Apparel gave an hilarious account of hunting expeditions in Africa and shared a few (tongue-in-cheek) items from his latest collection, including a new ‘mankini’.

Also noteworthy, was a significant Australian presence at the conference in the form of representatives from Meat & Livestock Australia and Aus-Meat. This put physical form to MLA’s managing director Scott Hansen’s opening comment in his presentation that “Australia sees a close collaboration with New Zealand.”

There was positive feedback from delegates, who came from all parts of the sector, including farmers, processors, equipment suppliers, researchers and media.

This article appeared in Food NZ magazine (August/September 2012). Copies of most of the conference presentations are available at www.mia.co.nz or redmeatsector.co.nz.

 

German festival-goers flock to eat New Zealand lamb and venison

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New Zealand lamb and venison were in such hot demand at Northern Europe’s biggest summer festival, the organisers had to get in extra chefs to satisfy the hungry queues.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand and Deer Industry New Zealand were invited to take part in this year’s Kieler Woche celebrations – the first time in the festival’s 130-year history New Zealand has been represented at the international market.

Cristian Hossack, seen here plating up for Kiel Woche, is the former head chef at Peter Gordon’s Providores restaurant in London. He is returning to New Zealand.

The market in Kiel’s picturesque main square is at the hub of more than 2,000 sports and cultural events which attract around three million visitors annually to a city with a population not much bigger than Hamilton’s.

Working 16 hours a day for 10 days, the Kiwi culinary team led by Marton-born chef Cristian Hossack (pictured right) served 7,000 lamb burgers, venison wraps and lamb salads, complemented by wines from Hawke’s Bay vineyard Coopers Creek.

Nick Beeby, B+LNZ Ltd manager for emerging markets and strategic projects, says it was great to be working alongside a chef of Cristian’s stature. A food critic who ‘mystery dined’ the festival rated the New Zealand offering top for food, service and value for money, stating “it was like eating at a restaurant.”

“It’s hardly surprising the food was so popular or received the plaudits it did,” Beeby says. “With a top chef and top produce, you can’t go wrong. But it’s even more impressive when you realise the chefs were juggling questions as well as pans.

“There was a constant queue of festival-goers lined up not only to taste our lamb and venison, but to find out more about its production, how to cook it and where to buy it; asking questions about everything from knife sharpening to sustainable farming practices. People loved it and we’ll definitely be going back again.”

The joint venture aimed to raise awareness of New Zealand lamb and venison in Germany, where consumers do not traditionally eat much of either.

Innes Moffat, venison marketing services manager at DINZ says the novelty was a bonus. B+LNZ and DINZ both run comprehensive marketing programmes in Germany. However the Kiwi presence at the festival for the first time generated lots of media interest and free publicity on television and radio, and in the press.

B+LNZ and DINZ attended in conjunction with a major Northern European retailer which sells New Zealand lamb and venison 12 months of the year – so festival-goers knew where to go to get it.

The two organisations will come together again in August for a three-day festival in Frankfurt, where around 40,000 visitors are expected through the New Zealand pavilion.

Photos below are courtesy of B+LNZ Ltd.

Eton College chef ‘perfectly seasoned’

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Louisa Matthews: 2012 UK-NZ Culinary Challenge winner.

New Zealand venison featured in a British competition for young chefs in April.

The winner of the 2012 Air NZ UK-NZ Culinary Challenge is 20-year-old Louisa Matthews, a young chef from Eton College in Windsor. She fought off tough competition from eight other finalists in a cook-off at Westminster Kingsway College in London to win the opportunity of a lifetime to travel to New Zealand on a three-week study trip experiencing the country’s top restaurants, visiting award-winning vineyards and suppliers, with the option of one week to explore the country.

Showcasing New Zealand venison, manuka honey and Bramley apples, Louisa’s award-winning menu comprised ‘perfectly seasoned and richly flavoured’ roast seabass with aioli crab croquette, mussel stew and winter vegetables, roast loin of venison, venison tortellini and Foie Gras foam; and a steamed manuka honey sponge, caramelised Bramley apple ice-cream and nettle beignet.

The UK-NZ Culinary Challenge was founded by well known Kiwi chef Peter Gordon, owner/chef of Providores and Tapa Room in London. Gordon commented that the eight finalists – all chosen from high calibre entries – “did themselves proud. Dishes were very creative with a good use of secondary cuts of venison from the rib cooked on the bone through to liver and kidneys, along with other interesting ingredients such as foraged foods and pulses. In the kitchen, the amount of gadgetary was a far cry from  the days of young chefs simply using a knife and pan, with molecular gastronomy making an appearance in the form of pea jellies through to foams.

“The qualty of the entries is a fantastic indication of how highly respected the competition is amongst tutors and employers around the UK in regards to the advancement of their junior staff and students.”

Steve Mulcahy, vice-president of competition organiser the British Craft Guild of Chefs, commented that he had no doubt Louisa will be a great ambassador for the competition when she travels to New Zealand to take up this once in a lifetime prize.

The other finalists were: Laura Daniels (Manchester College; Trung Nguyen (Westminster Kinsway College); Luke Orwin (Pan Heggarty Restaurant, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne); Joshua Saunders (Worcester College of Technology); Thomas Sturrock (Kopapa Restaurant, London).

Judges included: Peter Gordon, chef/proprieter The Providores and Tapa Room; David Mulcahy, culinary director Sodexco and Ireland; Anna Hansen, chef/proprieter The Modern Pantry; Sophie Wright, previous winner of the challenge and celebrity chef; and Cristian Hossack, head chef Providores and Tapa Room.

The UK-NZ Culinary Challenge is generously sponsored by Air New Zealand, Dudson, Bleeding Heart Restaurant, Trinity Hill Wines, Providores & Tapa Room, New Zealand Venison, New Zealand Society, Bramley Apples, Comvita and NZ Trade & Enterprise.

www.uknzculinarychallenge.com

 

New Zealand venison: the ‘rockstar’ of meat

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Brad Farmerie, chef owner of New York restaurant ‘Public’.

New Yorkers got the clear message last October that New Zealand venison is the healthy red meat.

A story aired at prime-time on the ABC channel WABC featuring New York chef Brad Farmerie and a well known nutrition advisor Heidi Skolnik talking about the quality, versatility and healthy attributes of Cervena venison, from New Zealand.

According to Farmerie, “Grilled, pan seared or smoked, venison is the new “it” food,” and he should know. At his Soho restaurant Public, he prepares and serves about 10 thousand portions of it each year.

“I know for a fact, this is going to be a rockstar meat going forward, next year, the year after and everywhere from then on,” he says.

Even health food experts agree. Heidi Skolnik, a nutritionist for the New York Knicks, calls it a nutrient powerhouse, pointing out the cut is packed full of iron, zinc and vitamin B12.

“There are less calories, less fat and more nutrients than in a chicken breast and we think of chicken as healthy, which it is but this is like all of the benefits of a red meat with a fifth of the fat of beef,” Skolnik explains.

The three minute story also showed chef Farmerie, who holds a coveted Michelin star for his restaurant Public – NYC, preparing some of the dishes using Cervena venison that he serves in his restaurant.

WABC is a top rating news channel covering the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut – the three states have a combined population of over 18 million.

New Zealand exports around $20 million worth of venison to the USA each year.  Cervena venison is a quality scheme shared by most venison exporting companies that guarantees the venison is farm-raised, tender and delicious.  Deer Industry New Zealand works with venison marketing companies to increase demand for New Zealand venison.

The coverage resulted from work done by Deer Industry New Zealand.  DINZ hosted a function at Public on 12 October, inviting food editors, nutritionists and chefs to an evening to sample New Zealand venison dishes created by Farmerie and to sample New Zealand wines.  About 60 attended, representing food and lifestyle media including Oprah, Dr Oz, The Food Network channel and Food Arts.

The food editor of WABC, Kemberly Richardson took little persuading to produce a story about New Zealand venison, and following filming sessions with Farmerie and an interview with Skolnik, the results screened on October 19.

See the clip below: