New Zealand’s Greatest Job Club: Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chefs
24th January 2019
New Zealand’s Greatest Job Club: Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chefs
• For images of the chefs and their signature dishes, please click HERE to download.
• For bios and dish descriptions, please click HERE to download pdf.
• Please view behind-the-scenes video available to embed or download HERE.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand have announced their five Ambassador Chefs for 2019 to act as figureheads to drive innovation
and creativity within the foodservice sector. The appointments follow the announcement of the 173 Beef and Lamb
Excellence Award holders for 2019, with the ambassadors selected from some of the highest rated restaurants during the
assessments.
The five selected for the coveted roles are; Andrew May (Amayjen the Restaurant, Feilding) Freddie Ponder (Tables
Restaurant, New Plymouth), Jarrod McGregor (Rothko at Sculptureum, Matakana), Pablo Tacchini (Cucina, Oamaru) and Scott
Buckler (No. 31 Restaurant, Hanmer Springs).
The Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chefs’ roll of honour looks like a who’s who of Kiwi culinary trailblazers, with the quintet
following in the footsteps of some of New Zealand’s most celebrated chefs. Peter Gordon, Ben Bayley, Sid Sahrawat, Kate
Fay and Rex Morgan are just a few of Aotearoa’s finest that have featured in an ambassadorial capacity for Beef + Lamb
New Zealand over the 23 years of the Beef and Lamb Excellence Awards.
Freddie Ponder, Head Chef at Tables Restaurant in New Plymouth, is returning to the ambassadorial role for a second
year. Freddie said: “You only have to look at some of the high-profile names that have been Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chefs
over the years to know what an honour it is.
“I was stoked to be asked last year, so to get another call up is awesome. What I really enjoyed about the experience
was meeting and connecting with other chefs, seeing their enthusiasm and sharing ideas.”
Lisa Moloney has been Food Service Manager for Beef + Lamb New Zealand for over 12 years, overseeing the Ambassador Chef
programme. Lisa said: “This year’s ambassadors have been selected not just because they are fantastic chefs, they were
identified because of their creativity, dedication and excitement for cooking with beef and lamb.
“Their purpose is simple; to inspire a network of likeminded chefs to move forward, try something new and showcase what
amazing creations are possible with beef and lamb.”
Kiwi food fanatics looking to sample the very best the ambassadors have to offer will be able to attend an Ambassador
Series Dinner, hosted at each of the chef’s restaurant, with each chef being paired with a Platinum Ambassador Chef to
create a unique beef and lamb dining experience.
For more information on these events and the 2019 Beef + Lamb New Zealand Ambassador Chefs please visit nzexcellenceawards.co.nz.
ENDS