Hospitality Business Magazine

Kiwi restaurants a cut above the rest for Beef and Lamb

One hundred and seventy-two restaurants have received the longest running culinary award in New Zealand, the Beef and Lamb Excellence Award for 2019 after a tough and rigorous assessment process. Now in their 23rd year, the Excellence Awards recognise the skill, expertise and talent of our greatest chefs and together with the iconic gold plate, signpost to consumers where they can try the pinnacle of beef and lamb.

Peter Gordon, arguably New Zealand’s greatest export, has been wowing the folk of London and New Zealand with his remarkable dishes and has travelled the world plying his trade – but rates Kiwi chefs amongst the best in terms of cooking with beef and lamb.

“I have eaten at restaurants around the world and I’m hugely proud of the world-class beef and lamb we have here in New Zealand.

“I put this down to two factors; we have access to these wonderful meats, that are grass-fed and reared outdoors, giving them a delicious texture and flavour.

“But it also comes down to our chefs. They are talented, creative, dedicated, adventurous – I could go on throwing adjectives at them – but the proof is there for anyone to experience at restaurants up and down the country.”

After an application process that saw over 230 restaurants apply, an army of more than 100 independent, culinary-trained assessors were sent out to ‘mystery shop’ the restaurants and return their verdicts on whether the dishes had met the standard to be labelled as a leader of beef and lamb cuisine.

New Zealand is renowned for its world-class beef and lamb by locals and visitors alike. Shaun Clouston, Executive Chef at the Wellington institution Logan Brown, has experienced first hand the pull New Zealand beef and lamb can have on international visitors.

“I once had a customer who saw a lamb dish from Logan Brown featured in a magazine. He then got on a plane from Japan, landed in Auckland and flew straight to Wellington just to have New Zealand lamb.”

“The beef and lamb dishes I have tried by other Kiwi chefs are phenomenal – verses what I’ve had elsewhere, they are unbelievably good. Just the other day I had probably the best lamb I’ve ever eaten in my life at a restaurant right here in New Zealand.

“I think what really helps us as chefs is access to fantastic product, this is where it all begins. It’s difficult to group all chefs into the same basket but we are all able to draw from the world’s best product.”

But for any self-confessed foodie, the proof is in the eating. Anyone keen to experience how good we Kiwis are at cooking with beef and lamb should head to the restaurant directory on nzexcellenceawards.co.nz and try for themselves.

Beef and Lamb Excellence Awards 2019 Restaurant List

Northland
Marsden Estate Winery Kerikeri
The Duke of Marlborough Hotel Russell
Te Koha Lodge Te Ngaere
The Quay Kitchen Whangarei
Number 8 Restaurant & Bar Whangarei
Auckland
Cibo Parnell Parnell
Soljans Estate Winery Kumeu
Knights on Albert, Stamford Plaza Hotel Central Auckland
MASU Central Auckland
21 Days Bar & Brasserie Browns Bay
Annabelles Mission Bay
Giraffe Central Auckland
Manly Bar & Grill Whangaparaoa
The Square, Novotel Auckland Airport Auckland
Mr Toms Ponsonby
Queen’s Head Bar & Eatery, Four Points by Sheraton Central Auckland
Oyster and Chop Central Auckland
Vineyard Café, Villa Maria Estate South Auckland
Regatta Bar & Eatery Takapuna
Jervois Steakhouse Herne Bay
Pilkingtons Central Auckland
Ampersand Eatery Central Auckland
Bracu Bombay
Black Cottage Café Coatsville
Rothko Matakana
Plume Restaurant Matakana
Casita Miro Waiheke Island
Cable Bay Vineyards Waiheke Island
The Archive Bar & Bistro Waiheke Island
Tantalus Estate Waiheke Island
Coromandel
Pepper Tree Restaurant & Bar Coromandel Town
Koru at Rapaura Thames
Bay of Plenty
Central Park Bar & Kitchen Katikati
Latitude 37 Mt. Maunganui
Mount Bistro Mt. Maunganui
Tay Street Beach Café Mt. maunganui
The Crown & Badger Tauranga
Halo Lounge & Dining, Trinity Wharf Tauranga Tauranga
Bistro at Falls Retreat Waihi
Waihi Beach Hotel Waihi Beach
Waikato
Alpha Street Kitchen & Bar Cambridge
Zealong Tea Estate Gordonton
Palate Restaurant Hamilton
Bluestone Steak House Hamilton
Furnace Restaurant & Bar Hamilton
Smith & McKenzie Steakhouse Hamilton
The Redoubt Bar & Eatery Matamata
The Wooden Farmer Restaurant Putaruru
Fahrenheit Restaurant & Bar Te Awamutu
Huhu Café Waitomo
Rotorua
Dukes Restaurant, Princes Gate Hotel Rotorua
Stolen Bike Café Rotorua
Mokoia Restaurant, Waiora Lakeside Spa Resort Rotorua
Regent of Rotorua Restaurant & Wine Bar Rotorua
Taupo/National Park
Ruapehu Room, The Chateau National Park
Victoria’s Café Kitchen Bar Taupo
Edgewater Restaurant, Millennium Hotel & Resort Manuels Taupo
The Brantry Taupo
Plateau Bar & Eatery Taupo
The Bistro Taupo
Bistro Lago, Hilton Lake Taupo Taupo
Tongariro Lodge Turangi
Taranaki
Gusto Restaurant Café & Bar New Plymouth
The Orangery Restaurant, Quality Hotel New Plymouth
Bella Vita Restaurant New Plymouth
Gover St Bistro New Plymouth
Meat and Liquor New Plymouth
Fork n Knife New Plymouth
Table Restaurant, Nice Hotel New Plymouth
The Good Home New Plymouth
Stony River Boutique Hotel Okato
Manawatu
The Barrelhouse Dannevirke
Amayjen The Restaurant Feilding
Nero Restaurant Palmerston North
Table 188 Palmerston North
The Fat Farmer Palmerston North
Aberdeen on Broadway Palmerston North
Hawkes Bay
Mangapapa Hotel Havelock North
Namaskar Indian Restaurant Havelock North
Emporium Eatery & Bar, Art Deco Masonic Hotel Napier
Philippine Asian Kitchen, Westshore Beach Inn Hotel Napier
Wairarapa
Wharekauhau Country Estate Featherston
Union Square, Martinborough Hotel Martinborough
Pinocchio Martinborough
Tirohana Estate Martinborough
Eatery 10 Restaurant Martinborough
Wellington
Sea Salt Café & Eatery Wellington
Artisan Dining House, Bolton Hotel Wellington
Cashmere Lounge Wellington
Grill Meats Beer Wellington
Logan Brown Wellington
Noble Rot Wine Bar Wellington
Olive Restaurant Wellington
One 80 Restaurant, Copthorne Hotel Oriental Bay Wellington
Vivant! Restaurant & Bar, Ibis Hotel Wellington
Hummingbird Eatery & Bar Wellington
Southern Cross Garden Bar Restaurant Wellington
Chameleon Restaurant, InterContinental Hotel Wellington
Bellamy’s by Logan Brown Wellington
Boulcott Street Bistro Wellington
La Bella Italia Wellington
Portlander Bar & Grill, Rydges Hotel Wellington
Jackson Café Bistro Lower Hutt
Shed 5 Restaurant & Bar Wellington
Tinakori Bistro Wellington
Nelson/Marlborough
Harakeke Restaurant, Awaroa Lodge Abel Tasman NP
Quench Restaurant & Bar, Chateau Marlborough Blenheim
Saint Clair Vineyard Kitchen Blenheim
Kai Restaurant Kaiteriteri
Precinct Dining Co. Nelson
Comida Café & Restaurant Nelson
Cod & Lobster Brasserie Nelson
Foredeck Restaurant, Bay of Many Coves Queen Charlotte Sound
Canterbury
Braided Rivers Restaurant & Bar Ashburton
The Lake House Ashburton
The Polo Bar & Restaurant Christchurch
Costas Taverna Christchurch
Pescatore, The George Christchurch
50 Bistro, The George Christchurch
Strawberry Fare Christchurch
Chillingworth Road Christchurch
Merrin Street Brewery Bar Christchurch
Terra Viva Café Christchurch
The Old Vicarage Christchurch

 

The Craft Embassy Christchurch
5th Street Christchurch
Cook ‘n’ with Gas Christchurch
Pattersons Restaurant & Bar, Commodore Hotel Christchurch
The Flamming Rabbit Christchurch
Christchurch Tramway Restaurant Christchurch
The Happening Bar & Kitchen Christchurch
Café Valentino Christchurch
Coasters Tavern Christchurch
The Square, Novotel Christchurch Christchurch
The Good Home Ferrymead Christchurch
No. 31 Restaurant Hanmer Springs
Governors Bay Hotel Lyttleton
Dunedin/North Otago
McGavins Restaurant & Bar, Mercure Dunedin Leisure Lodge Dunedin
Bacchus Wine Bar & Restaurant Dunedin
Ombrellos Kitchen & Bar Dunedin
Vault 21 Dunedin
Prohibition Smokehouse Dunedin
Cucina Oamaru
T Bar Restaurant, Brydone Hotel Oamaru
Central Otago
Millhouse Restaurant, Millbrook Resort Arrowtown
Kobe Cuisine, Millbrook Resort Arrowtown
Carrick Winery Restaurant Bannockburn
Olivers Restaurant Clyde
Pitches Store Ophir
Captains Restaurant Queenstown
Prime Lakefront Restaurant & Bar Queenstown
MacKenzies Restaurant, the Heritage Hotel Queenstown
True South Dining Room, The Rees Hotel Queenstown
Wakatipu Grill, Hilton Hotel Queenstown
Muskets and Moonshine Queenstown
Roaring Megs Queenstown
Observatory Restaurant, Millennium Hotel Queenstown
Bistro Gentil Wanaka
Wanaka Gourmet Kitchen Wanaka
Cardrona Hotel Cardrona
South Canterbury/Mackenzie District
The Dubliner Methven
Carnegies Fairlie
The Panorama Room, The Hermitage Hotel Mt. Cook
Stronechrubie Mt. Somers
Poppies Café Twizel
West Coast
Matheson Café Fox Glacier
Waterwheel Restaurant, Stations Inn Hokitika
Southland
The Whistling Frog Catlins
Paddington Arms Invercargill
Redcliff Restaurant & Bar Te Anau
The Fat Duck Te Anau
Two Fat Stags Waikawa