Chef Brenton Low on NorthTec Promotional Trip to China

Media Release 25 March 2014

Chef Brenton Low on NorthTec Promotional Trip to China

Award winning Chef and restaurant owner Brenton Low, and NorthTec Hospitality Programme Leader, Lisette Buckle, left this weekend for a trip to China to re-invigorate links with two Chinese Vocational Schools.

Lisette – “We have always had a link with Guangzhou and Nanping Vocational Schools in China, both of which are tertiary education schools. We wanted to reinforce that link and came up with the idea of a tour to specifically promote NorthTec hospitality courses.”

“I mentioned the idea of being an ambassador for the promotional tour to Brenton and he was keen! He is the Chef and owner of á Deco Restaurant and he received an honorary award at NorthTec’s graduation last year for all the work he put into helping our students prepare for competitions.”

Brenton is a four time (Platinum) Beef and Lamb NZ Ambassador. In 2010 and 2011 his restaurant à Deco won the Cuisine Magazine ‘NZ Best Smart Dining Regional’ title, and 2012 saw á Deco runner-up for the national title and Brenton was named Cuisine Magazine ‘Chef of the Year’ for NZ.

The trip to China will include a competition at each of the two schools for 15 of their best hospitality students. Lisette – “They will use NZ Beef in their chosen style for a cook–off. The 8 finalists will then get a chance to work with Brenton to prepare a gala dinner for the Heads of the School and local dignitaries.”

Lisette says this will be a totally new experience for the Chinese students. “I will help the students with front-of-house and to serve the meal and we will serve New Zealand wines with it.”

Lisette Buckle has come to her NorthTec Hospitality Programme Leader role from a solid industry background. “I was a chef for 19 years and a business owner for 6 years. I started in hospitality as a waitress at 16 years and it evolved from there. I worked a lot of years in the north, then in Christchurch, then in France. I love my position here at NorthTec because it provides so many opportunities to try new initiatives – like this one.”

“This promotional tour is a fascinating way to cement the relationship with these two schools and to showcase what we can do here.”

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