If you intend to indulge in a dollop of fine dining you better be willing to commit to a date – because some of New Zealand’s top restaurants are now charging up to $195 per person for reservation no-shows.

Among Auckland’s leading restaurants, nearly all have introduced some form of insurance on their bookings – whether it be a deposit laid down online, or a request for customers’ credit card details.

The terms of each high-end restaurant differ, but broadly a fee anywhere from $20 to $195 per person will be charged to diners if they fail to show up to their reservations without notice.

Clooney restaurant in Auckland ‘s CBD charges $120 per person for a booking canceled within six hours prior to the intended dining time.

Owner Tony Stewart said Clooney had enforced the cancellation fee six times in 2018.

“It’s for all bookings. I just think it’s rude that people would not show up without notifying,” he said.

“I totally understand if something comes up, someone’s unwell, there’s reasons. But there’s just not a situation I believe you shouldn’t make a phone call, it’s disrespectful.

“Our head spend is about $250, and this is a tough industry. When you’ve got a booking you cherish it, and to have a table empty when we had the potential of booking it is really tough.”

Pasture restaurant in Parnell decided to start taking a deposit of $50 per person upon booking after what owner-operator Laura Verna said was an “extremely high rate of no shows and cancellations”.

As an independent restaurant with only six seats, serving 12 guests a night with an average spend of $250 to $300, the cost of cancellations was “devastating” on Pasture’s profit margin.

“At our worst I remember working it out one week that 22 per cent of our bookings had been no shows or cancellations,” Verna said.

 

“Now we take a deposit with the booking and we haven’t had a single no show since April. We’ve had cancellations and that happens, it’s part of operating a restaurant.”

 

“I think these kind of systems are not there to punish people, they’re there to acknowledge that for restaurants that serve a set menu we do outlay a lot, in terms of purchasing special ingredients and preparing them.”

“My husband and I we were recently in New York and Copenhagen and we had to prepay for a lot of our meals and I’m totally cool with doing that. We would love to move to being pre-paid but we’re just not sure New Zealand is ready for that.”

Verna said she never kept deposits if she could rebook the cancelled seats.

The increasing trend of patrons booking numerous restaurants for the same night and then deciding on one at the last minute is also a nuisance many operators have to contend with.

Manager of Auckland city restaurant the Grove, Chris Martin, said such double booking was “not infrequent”.

“I’ve had that happen. I’ve had people book online at different time periods, so I’ll have someone booked at 6, 7.30, 8 and 8.45 and it’s the same person,” Martin said.

“You come in and say we’re really busy tonight and actually take a look at it and maybe you’re not as busy as you thought.”

However, Martin was representative of most owners and managers in saying the Grove rarely enforced their $99 per person fee for cancellations in the last 24 hours.

“Very seldom do we do it, it’s literally a deterrent. We put it there to say if anything happens, just call us. We don’t want to alienate our guests so a lot of the time we just rebook them. No-shows are a massive one in Auckland.”

Restaurant Association of New Zealand chief executive Marisa Bidois observed reservation insurance policies were increasingly common, and advised good practice to set it at 30 to 50 per cent of the average patron spend.

“That, at the end of the day wouldn’t cover all of their costs. If they’ve hired an extra staff member that evening they still would be paying that person,” Bidois said.

“Absolutely it’s been discussed for a number [of] years but I think more people are realising it does have a huge effect on the bottom line having no shows, and they need to create a system to protect their business.

“Profit margins in hospitality are very tight. If you book a show for example and then don’t go, you can’t get a refund on tickets, you have to onsell them. It’s pretty standard in today’s market.”

NO SHOW CHARGES

• Clooney (Auckland CBD) – $120 per person for cancellations in last six hours
• The Grove (Auckland CBD) – $99 per person for cancellations in last 24 hours
• Kazuya (Auckland CBD) – $80 per person for cancellations in last 24 hours
• Sidart (Ponsonby) – $100 per person for overseas bookings of four plus, cancelled in last 24 hours
• Pasture (Parnell) – $50 per person for cancellations
• Mudbrick (Waiheke) – $50 per person for cancellations in last 24 hours
• Roots (Lyttelton) – $105-$195 per person for cancellations in last 48 hours

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By Tom Dillane, NZ Herald

The culinary talents of Wellington chef Monique Fiso will go global this month when she flies the Kiwi flag in the new Netflix show The Final Table.

But when the 31-year-old met the Duchess of Sussex this week, she didn’t talk about herself.

She didn’t tell the expectant mum of the Queen’s next great-grandchild about how she was chosen from thousands of chefs worldwide to take part in the $2 million per episode show, which goes live worldwide on November 20.

Neither did she talk about her seven years working in New York under several highly acclaimed Michelin Star chefs at The Musket Room, PUBLIC Restaurant and Avoce.

Even her most recent achievement, readying her own restaurant Hiakai — which will offer a mostly Māori-Samoan cuisine tasting menu prepared Michelin-style in the Wellington suburb of Mount Cook — for its November 21 opening, went unmentioned.

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It was only right — without the support of both her mum and dad, Porirua call centre owners Serena and Siuai, Fiso wouldn’t have thrived in a career that has taken her around the world and home again, where she found herself meeting the former Suits actress-turned-Royal after being chosen to make 350 handcrafted chocolates for the reception at Government House.

She’d promised to ask the Duchess, known as Meghan Markle before her marriage to Prince Harry, if she planned to return to Suits. And all despite knowing the answer herself.

“I said Hello, your Royal Highness. My name’s Monique and I made the chocolates. My dad wants to know are you still going to be on Suits, because he really likes Suits and he’s hoping you’ll be back. The women either side of me [in the receiving line], their faces were like what the hell?.”

The news was bad for Fiso’s dad, but the duchess delivered it with a smile.

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Fortunately, the duchess and millions of others worldwide will soon be able to learn about Fiso at just the push of a button on their TV remotes.

The competition show features 12 teams of two chefs from around the world cooking the national dishes from nine countries — Mexico, Spain, England, Brazil, France, Japan, the United States, India and Italy — for a single spot at the elite Final Table made up of the greatest chefs from around the world.

Each episode focused on a different country and its cuisine, with celebrity ambassadors, food critics and the country’s greatest chef eliminating teams until the finale.

Fiso remembers the moment she walked onto The Final Table set in Los Angeles.

“I was just like ‘holy f***’. The size of it, the amount of people involved — there were just hundreds of people. You think about New Zealand, you would never see a set like that.”

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She couldn’t say too much about the show, but said she had made the most of the opportunity to be a voice for New Zealand.

“It’s so, so hard to get the New Zealand food story out there. We’re a small country at the bottom of the world and quite frankly people don’t take us that seriously. But we can fricken cook down here.”

And while New Zealand isn’t among the nine nations chosen for the chefs to create the national dishes of, each chef brings their own skills and experience to the dish, Fiso said.

That means hometown viewers should be able to spot the Kiwi touch in her work.

“There will be moments where, if you grew up in New Zealand, you should definitely have experiences through the dishes.”

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A top Latin American restaurant owner says he is “banging against a brick wall” in trying to tell Immigration New Zealand that Kiwis who work in kebab shops are not Mexican food specialists just because they’ve handled avocado and jalapeño.

Besos Latinos owner and head chef Luis Cabrera, who cooked for former US President Barack Obama during his visit to Auckland, is fuming that the restaurant’s bid to hire specialist chefs from overseas is being knocked back by INZ which says there are available New Zealanders to do the job.

Under current rules, employers must prove there aren’t any Kiwis who can fill a job vacancy and register with Work and Income New Zealand (Winz) for referrals.

Besos Latinos serves traditional dishes from Argentina, Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela and claims to be “the first of its kind” in New Zealand.

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About 20 people have been referred by Winz, jobseekers who “ticked the box” claiming they were familiar and had cooked Latin American food.

But when interviewed, Cabrera said most couldn’t tell the difference between guacamole, empanada and ceviche.

“One was a kebab shop worker who ticked he could be a Mexican chef because the shop had offered a Mexican kebab, and another had worked in a cafe that had a sandwich which used guacamole,” Cabrera said.

It’s vital for chefs to have a passion and cultural understanding of the food they produce, Cabrera said.

“It takes generations for that to happen and INZ just doesn’t get it that this cannot happen overnight,” Cabrera said.

Cabrera, who has signed a lease to open a new restaurant near Wynyard Quarter on Auckland’s waterfront, said INZ’s lack of understanding was also affecting his expansion plans.

Restaurant Association chief executive Marisa Bidois said restaurants were struggling to find trained and skilled staff to assist in their businesses.

She said the association’s research found that not enough New Zealanders wanted to work the hospitality industry.

Chefs remain on INZ’s long-term skills shortage, including chef de partie, commis chef, demi chef, second chef and sous chef.

But Michael Carley, the agency’s operations support manager, said New Zealand citizens and residents were always given first priority.

“Robust processes exist to ensure that there are genuinely no other New Zealanders available to do the job,” Carley said.

“Immigration officers need to be satisfied that there are no suitable New Zealanders available to take up a job which has been offered to a foreign national who does not already hold a visa which enables them to work.”

The agency worked closely with Winz to determine whether there were any New Zealanders available for any particular job offered. If there was, it was “unlikely” a visa application would be approved.

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By Lincoln Tan, NZ Herald

Challenges finding quality staff have prompted heavyweights in Auckland’s hospitality scene to call for more flexible immigration policies.

As foodies descend on the four-day Taste of Auckland festival and a swag of big names open new ventures, restaurateurs are fed up seeing high performers leave because they can’t get visas.

Simon Gault, a stalwart of the waterfront food scene, said immigration was the biggest problem facing the sector.

“We struggle to get people that want to work in the restaurant industry and that want to put a smile on people’s faces.

“That doesn’t seem to be in the New Zealand psyche as much as it is in some of the travellers that come.

“Recently I had a French guy who was probably the most talented hospitality person I’ve ever seen.

“He was working for us and training people and Immigration wouldn’t renew his visa so we lost him.

“Within two hours he had an Australian visa and he went there and he’s not interested in coming back. He said, ‘they want me in Australia and I’m going there’. It’s a massive issue.”

Guy Malyon, a 30-year hospitality veteran, is the owner of Good Luck Coconut, a Pacific/Asian fusion restaurant newly opened at North Wharf.

It was very difficult finding good people, “the worst probably I remember it”, he said.

A slew of new ventures along the waterfront and the pending opening of the Commercial Bay development at the foot of Queen St meant other operators were facing similar pressures, he said.

Malyon said a “fantastic” Italian cocktail-maker “can only be with us for three months because of a ridiculous Italian working visa”.

“I really think the Government don’t quite understand the predicament of the industry at the moment, particularly in Auckland.”

The fight for good staff is the flipside of the new openings in the hospitality sector. At least four new ventures from some of the sector’s best-known names are open or imminent in the Viaduct-Wynyard Quarter precinct.

Beside Malyon’s new restaurant, Stuart Rogan, the former executive chef for Harbourside, White + Wongs and more, has opened Hello Beasty at the sun-soaked former Cowboys Bar site in Market Square off Customs St West.

Savor Group – the brains behind Ostro, Ebisu, Azabu and more – is advertising for staff to work at a major revamp of the Auckland Fish Market next to Silo Park.

And the trio behind Dr Rudi’s Rooftop Brewing Co are taking on the former Kermadec premises next door.

Malyon is making his first foray downtown after big success with Little Jimmy and One Tree Grill in Epsom.

Hello Beasty – beasty meaning “something cool”, says Rogan – has been a long time in the making.

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The owner and chef had been cooking for other people since 1989 but said it was the right time to strike out by himself – despite the strength of competition: “You’ve got to believe in yourself and what you do and your business model.”

Both said the looming America’s Cup, with its many participants and tourists, would be a bonus but wasn’t the driver behind their openings.

“The America’s Cup is a crazy time, fairly hedonistic and go go go, and there’s no question it will be busy, but really that’s a blip in a restaurant’s life cycle,” said Malyon.

“I know some operators are going down here just for the America’s Cup but that’s certainly not us – we’re long-term players.”

In the days before the successful soft launch of Hello Beasty last weekend, Rogan said it was “one of the biggest weeks in my career”.

 

“You put everything on the line. What a lot of people don’t know is how much. You put your reputation on the line, your capital and the amount of work that goes into it a lot of people don’t really know.”

 

Gault has seen plenty of changes since opening Gault’s on Quay in the 90s. He went on to put Euro on the world culinary map and is now winning plaudits for Giraffe in the heart of the Viaduct.

“Having good people around increases the offering of the precinct so I always welcome good new people coming along and doing something. But it’s tougher and tougher.

“The public have a bigger choice which is great, however you do see people struggle more.

“Yesterday I had a real estate agent ring me trying to sell me three different restaurants, all people that had invested their hard-earned money and were not making a success of it and were getting out for way less than they put into opening their business and that’s very sad to see.”

Gault said waterfront rents were “massive, ridiculous” and restaurants should ensure they stuck with top-quality ingredients if they wanted to stay around long-term.

“I’ve been in the waterfront for a long time and I still think it’s a fabulous location, a little old fishing village that’s now the Viaduct. There’s a lot of foot traffic and that’s what you’re paying the big rent for. The America’s Cup is a nice bonus.”

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On the waterfront

Good Luck Coconut
Location: 39 Jellicoe St
Style: “The best of the Pacific with just a hint of flavour from the East.”
Owner: Guy Malyon’s Luna Group (Little Jimmy, One Tree Grill)
Vibe: “Uncomplicated, not too high-end, fine dining.”
Sample dishes: Ika mata, poke salmon, hula hula chicken thigh yakitori.
Open: Now

Hello Beasty
Location: 95-97 Customs St West (formerly Cowboys Bar)
Style: Contemporary New Zealand cuisine inspired by the cuisines of Japan, Korea and China.
Owner: Stuart Rogan, formerly group executive chef for Good Group (Harbourside, Botswana Butchery, White + Wongs)
Vibe: Fun with big focus on New Zealand produce: “We didn’t want stiff white tablecloths.”
Sample dishes: KFC (Korean fried cauliflower), fried sticky beef cheek buns, Hello Beasty Ramen cup noodle.
Open: Now

Saint Alice/Bang Bang China Cafe
Location: Viaduct, adjacent to Dr Rudi’s Rooftop Brewing Co, the former Kermadec fine dining rooms.
Style: According to the ad for duty managers, Saint Alice will offer wood-fired meats from a 2.5 metre grill and a raw seafood bar with sea views. On the other side of the site, “hidden treasure” Bang Bang will offer Chinese street eats.
Vibe: At Saint Alice “less is more and all pretension is left at the door”. Bang Bang will offer “food and vibrancy you could expect in the back streets of China … anything goes”.
Sample dishes: TBC, but Saint Alice is expected to offer a selection of ceviches and sashimi.
Open: They’re hoping in time for the pre-Christmas rush.

Auckland Fish Market
Location: Jellicoe St
Style: Fresh seafood cooked in multiple ways (charcoal grill, wok, fryers, etc)
Operator: Savor Group (Ostro, Ebisu, Azabu)
Vibe: “Set in the heart of Auckland’s waterfront, with amazing super yachts and beautiful sea views, Auckland’s fish market is reopening its doors with a modern open style venue with a state of the art fit-out.”
Sample dishes: TBC
Open: The ad for front of house staff says November.

Commercial Bay
The blurb says Auckland’s “newest destination lifestyle precinct” will offer “world class food and beverage experiences”.
Confirmed ventures include:
* A “vintage styled Korean bar” from the team behind Parnell’s Simon and Lee.
* The latest branch of Hawker & Roll, a Malaysian-inspired street eat operation fronted by Josh Emett.
* Saxon + Parole, the NZ bow from New York-based AvroKO Hospitality Group with a menu overseen by Michelin-starred Brad Farmerie, who cites our own Peter Gordon as a mentor.

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By Chris Reed, NZ Herald

Heritage Auckland Hectors restaurant has been announced the very first New Zealand restaurant to achieve Vegan Certification by a new scheme created by the New Zealand Vegetarian Society.

The New Zealand Vegetarian Society is running the Vegan Certification programme in collaboration with the Vegan Society of Aotearoa New Zealand. The certification is the only one of its kind in New Zealand.

“The ever-increasing demand for vegan food and products made this a good time to launch such a programme. The new certification symbol will make simple work of finding suitable products and dining experiences that are authentically vegan,” says Julia Clements, president of the New Zealand Vegetarian Society.

For Heritage Auckland, the certification involved a stringent and independent audit of every ingredient in the hotel’s Hectors restaurant plant-based menu range.

The rigour of the process sent the executive chef of the Heritage Auckland, Gerrard O’Keefe, on a major culinary research project, but it was worth it to his mind.

“We are delighted Hectors restaurant has been Vegan Certified by the New Zealand Vegetarian Society. It took weeks of research to conduct a detailed examination of our suppliers’ ingredients that go into our vegan menus. The thoroughness of the New Zealand Vegetarian Society process proved a great discipline and their support is hard-earned, so it’s a huge honour to be the first restaurant to achieve their accreditation,” says Gerrard O’Keefe.

“There are a dozen or so companies with different products and ingredients now certified, and many applicants waiting. The amount of interest in the Vegan Certification has been extraordinary, perhaps not surprising given veganism is currently growing at an unprecedented rate,” says Stephanie Lane, certification manager of the New Zealand Vegetarian Society.

Heritage Auckland began offering plant-based menu items in both its lobby cafe and Hectors restaurant in 2011. The hotel then went on to be the first New Zealand restaurant to be Vegetarian Accredited by the NZ Vegetarian Society in early 2013.

A constant innovative dining leader, Heritage Auckland followed up with a plant-based raw breakfast bar in Hectors restaurant to great success.

Hectors restaurant has a delicious vegan range for breakfast, lunch, high tea and dinner. The hotel has a regular ‘The Creative Kitchen – Meat Free Monday’ menu with new seasonal plant-based dishes each week. The hotel also regularly hosts special dining events to celebrate vegan dining including World Vegetarian and World Vegan Days each year.

Hectors restaurant is open seven days and welcomes both in-house guests and casual diners and caters plant-based menus for conferences and weddings upon request. A six-course plant-based meal will be available on Christmas Day. (Bookings are essential).

For more on Hector’s dining at Heritage Auckland, call 09 9797434.
www.heritagehotels.co.nz/auckland

Eat New Zealand wins $100K tourism grant and announces our vision to become the world’s premium food destination.

Eat New Zealand, a New Zealand Food Movement, has been awarded the Auckland Airport $100,000 Tourism Development Grant for our mission to develop ‘out of the ordinary’ thinking to promote New Zealand and support our vision to become the world’s premium food destination. This fund will assist towards establishing a nationwide food celebration that showcases the story of New Zealand food alongside traditional Matariki celebrations.

Scott Tasker, Auckland Airport’s general manager aeronautical commercial, says, “Eat New Zealand were the standout winner for this year’s grant, demonstrating fresh and creative ideas plus a clear strategy to promote New Zealand as a food tourism destination and encouraging travellers to explore more of our exciting and diverse tourism experiences.”

This news comes as part of a momentous week for Eat New Zealand, as we co-presented the first ever Food Hui, alongside the Restaurant Association. The Christchurch event, was attended by over 250 individuals from throughout the country and touted as “the most important food conversation in New Zealand”. Eat New Zealand presented Day 2 of the hui, announcing our vision, goals, and successes through a series of speakers.

Angela Clifford, CEO of Eat New Zealand shared “it’s a big, ambitious goal, but it’s one that we are going to go after with everything we have….We want New Zealand to be the world’s premium food destination. We want to support the development of sustainable food systems, making sure all kiwis have access to our food. We want to increase New Zealand’s unique culinary credentials by sharing our food stories with the world.”

Eat New Zealand are particularly interested in connecting our two biggest economic sectors – food and tourism. We were thrilled to have Rob Simic, Head of Food & Beverage, ANZ, launch the first ever Food and Tourism Report co-authored by The Ministry of Primary Industries and ANZ Bank. This joint industry insights paper – “New Zealand Food and Agri Tourism” aims to raise the profile of food tourism.

 

“New Zealand has a thriving food and beverage sector and a booming tourism industry, but more can be done to connect the two and realise the opportunities this brings for our primary sectors.”

 

The report shows that over 60% of food tourists sought out products from the country they visited when they got home.

“With our three biggest tourism markets, Australia, China and the USA, also being our three largest food and beverage export markets, this is a great opportunity for our primary sectors. Whether you are farming in Southland, exporting beer from Wellington or providing unique dining experiences in Northland, this report highlights opportunities both behind and beyond the farm gate to connect with consumers.”

We hope this will stimulate thought on collaboration between our two biggest export earners. Working together to bring the world to New Zealand, and take New Zealand to the world. The full report is available here.

As part of the day two discussion, Eat New Zealand hosted a sustainable fishing panel, allowing “A chance to understand the state of our fisheries from an unimpeachable source, the fishermen themselves”, says Giulio Sturla, Founder of Eat New Zealand. We heard from Scott Macindoe of Legasea NZ who divulged that our “fisheries are in a state of sustainable extinction” and the cold hard facts that our “fish are currently out of reach for New Zealanders, with the bulk being exported for a poor price.” But inspiring stories of game changers in action were shared from the men and businesses determined to lead the way to a more sustainable future, including the inspiring Kai Ika Project.

Other topics covered included understanding Mahinga Kai, where Makarini Rupene explained the need to improve farming practises, clean up our waterways and build relationships through kai and the application of kaitiakitanga – the guardianship of our precious environment.

A stimulating introduction to regenerative agriculture was shared, as well as the importance of telling our regional food stories and understanding the role we play in world food. As Ian Proudfoot of KPMG revealed – “New Zealand is an artisan player in the global food system”.

We saw the beginning of a vision for national food resilience and sovereignty, with Michael Reynolds of Canterbury Food Resilience Network laying down the challenge to ensure our food systems provide sufficient and accessible food to all New Zealanders and how this wider Eat New Zealand movement provides the opportunity for us to claim back the sovereignty of our environment, our land and our food.

We also announced a partnership project with the social enterprise business, Leftfield Innovation to raise the awareness of the outstanding grains & seeds we grow in New Zealand for the purpose of supporting sustainable land use. The hui lunch, designed by Bear Lion Foods used lentils, oats, rye, barley, quinoa, linseed, spelt, hempseed and blue peas all grown in Canterbury.

It was full, raw and utterly inspiring and we are so excited to watch our wild ambition become a reality, as Nic Lees of Lincoln University stated “it’s not a matter of if we can become the world’s premium food destination, it’s a matter of when!”

Join us. www.eatnewzealand.nz

Eat New Zealand (formerly ConversatioNZ) was established in 2015 by ‘Cuisine Magazine Chef of the Year – 2018’, Giulio Sturla, owner of Roots Restaurant, Lyttelton. It is a collective of New Zealand’s chefs, producers, media, tourism and event operators, who have all been inspired to create a national platform to promote and champion our best food, drink, and culinary tourism opportunities.

We believe our home grown food is world class. The quality of our produce, the skill, creativity and passion of our people, and our spirit of respect and openness means the food we create is of the highest global standard. We’re closer to the source. “We are all connected to food. We should all care. It’s the essence of who we are.” Giulio Sturla, Roots Restaurant.

Eat New Zealand will continue to build on our national digital platform designed to bring together all aspects of NZ food. Our website has already seen several thousand visitors since it launched with people wanting to discover what each region has to offer in terms of restaurants, cafes, farmers markets, tours and festivals in that area. But we can’t do it alone. We need your help. Be part of the movement, share our vision and become a supporter.

Our vision

• We Want Resilient Food Communities
• We Want Our People Connected to Our Food
• We Want to Use NZ Grains and Seeds
• We Want the Fish on our Plate to have a Future in the Ocean
• We Want Regenerative Agricultural Systems
• We Want to Share Our Food Stories With The World
• We Want to Tell Our Regional Food Stories
• We Want a National Food Celebration
• We Want to Connect Our Biggest Economic Sectors – Food & Tourism
• We Want NZ to Become the World’s Premium Food Destination

The Restaurant Association of New Zealand is proud to be working with Goodman Fielder to bring you this special limited time offer:

Terms & Conditions:

• Offer valid for new Meadow Fresh fresh white milk customers only. No minimum spend.
• To be eligible, you must purchase Meadow Fresh fresh white milk products. Purchases must be made for 13 consecutive weeks.
• Eligible customers will receive a Goodman Fielder account credit to the value of 1 week’s worth of Meadow Fresh fresh white milk purchases (based on average weekly sales over the 13 week period). Credit may be redeemed on any Goodman Fielder products.
• Offer is valid from 22 October 2018 to 4 August 2019. Purchases must fall within this timeframe.
• Account credit must be used by 4 August 2019.

To redeem offer, contact: foodservice@goodmanfielder.co.nz

Click to download promotional flyer

New fees and levies will take effect from Monday, 5 November 2018.

Immigration fees and levies are reviewed regularly to ensure they accurately reflect the cost incurred in providing immigration services. New fees and levies have now been confirmed, following public consultation earlier in the year. The new fees and levies will take effect from Monday, 5 November 2018.

Summary of changes

Most fees and levies are increasing, reflecting cost pressures and increases risk management practices. A small number of visas see a decrease and refugee applicants will now be specifically exempted from the requirement to pay an application fee.

Popular visa categories, the current and future charges (for applicants in New Zealand), are listed below:

Specific charges that will apply are detailed in our schedule of fees and levies.

Schedule of new fees and leviesPDF 47KB

Fee regulations

Levy regulations

The fees tool on the INZ website will be updated on 5 November

We’ll update the information on this website about fees and levies once they take effect on 5 November.

Fees, decision times & where to apply

What happens if my application is received by INZ before 5 November, but not processed until after?

The fee and levy you pay is based on when INZ receives your application.

If you are applying online, the fee charged is the fee that is in force at the time you reach the online payment screen. For example, if you start your application on 4 November, but don’t complete it until after midnight New Zealand time, then the new fee and levy will apply.

Facing criticism, comparison and scrutiny every day takes its toll. Heaping even more pressure on someone who’s suffering isn’t the answer, writes chef and MKRNZ judge Ben Bayly.

It’s no secret that restaurants are high-adrenaline, high-stakes workplaces. The hours are long, it’s highly competitive and with the added pressure of maintaining impeccable customer service, there’s really no room for error. Add to this a sink-or-swim, dog-eat-dog mentality, and you have a perfect storm of contributors to poor mental health.

These are some of the factors unique to the hospitality industry that have come under fire in recent years, with several high-profile chefs – and many other unknown chefs – taking their lives.

I say unique because working in a restaurant is the only occupation I can think of in which you face criticism, comparison and scrutiny every day. In fact, the only occupation I could compare it to would be medical professionals working in emergency departments. The difference is that running a restaurant isn’t a life-or-death situation – until it gets too much and someone takes their own life.

Depression and anxiety are well-known issues in the hospitality industry. I’ve never worked with anyone who has ended their life, but I have seen the effects of depression, anxiety and addiction and the impact it has on a person’s ability to function – especially in the pressure-cooker environment of a kitchen.

Brody, one of my boys at The Grove, wasn’t pulling his weight – he was underperforming, serving shit food and making mistakes. Eventually I pulled him aside and asked him what was going on and he broke down and told me he suffered from depression.

It caught me off guard – I should have seen the signs, but I didn’t. I’d been laying on the pressure and thinking he was just lazy, when really there was this whole other issue at play. One thing he said really stuck with me: “It’s like I can’t change gears. I’m stuck in first gear and I need to get into fifth gear to keep up with you all, but I have no spirit, I have no energy.”

What I’ve realised as I’ve got older and smarter is that you need to know how to get the best out of people. We are all very different – some thrive off competition, some need a good bollocking to get moving, some don’t respond well to that at all. And the only way to learn these things is to get to know the people you’re working with. That way, you can learn to see the signs when someone is struggling with their mental health.

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My ‘Brody epiphany’, as I call it, really brought this home for me. It’s about seeing individuals for who they are and treating each person on the team accordingly.

Brody now works out at my new restaurant, The Grounds Eatery, and is loving it because that style of dining is more suited to him and his skillset. He’s creating amazing rubs for the meat, he works on developing the menu and he’s totally killing it. Fine dining isn’t for everyone and there’s nothing wrong with that – it’s just about finding what makes people tick.

A friend of mine had one of his employees die by suicide. I hate to think what that would do to me – if I lost any of my guys and I felt I hadn’t done anything to prevent it. But that is a sad reality of this line of work, and it shouldn’t be. It’s such a rewarding industry and we need to work on bringing out the good. The hospitality industry in New Zealand is amazing – it employs more people in the country than any other industry, it’s fun and creative and there are so many opportunities. But as employers, we need to be very aware of how we drive our team. This was one of the big talking points of my presentation at the Restaurant Association and Eat NZ’s Hui in Christchurch last week.

There’s no denying working in a restaurant is stressful – regardless of whether you’re a head chef, kitchen hand or front of house. But I think one of the biggest problems we face, as a country, is the stigma around mental health. Just look at what happened with Jami-Lee Ross. I’m not in anyway condoning his behaviour, but how the National Party dealt with it, calling his problems ‘embarrassing’, is a perfect example of the stigma attached to mental health.

There’s nothing embarrassing about mental illness. We must normalise the conversation and treat the problems like any other medical issue, like a broken arm or a wound. I recently completed a Mental Health First Aid for Hospitality course run by St John’s – and this is as vital as a standard first aid course. This is a Restaurant Association New Zealand initiative developed with the hospitality industry in mind and I’d recommend it to any one of my team.

Mental health issues can be managed like any other condition. Empathy and acceptance – those are two key words for me – are what we need more of. I challenge employers to make small changes in the workplace – connect with people, find out what makes them who they are, embrace a better culture. My team choose the days they’re rostered on and they work four days a week, which I find really increases staff morale. And I get it – my mental health would suffer if I worked seven days a week, could never see my family or spend time in the garden and missed out on things because I was rostered on to work.

It’s not about being less tough or going ‘soft’, but let’s have fun as well and show love for what we do and who we all are – as individuals and as a team. Because there’s a lot to love.

Support services

Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 any time for support from a trained counsellor.

Lifeline – 0800 543 354 or 09 5222 999 within Auckland.

Samaritans – 0800 726 666.

Suicide Crisis Helpline – 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO). Open 24/7

Depression Helpline  – 0800 111 757 or free text 4202. This service is staffed 24/7 by trained counsellors

Samaritans  – 0800 726 666

Healthline – 0800 611 116

Resources for improving mental health and wellbeing in your restaurant can also be accessed via the Restaurant Association’s website.

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Via The Spinoff

Introducing Eat Drink Ponsonby – Auckland’s hottest precinct promotion in the country’s hippest strip!

Eat Drink Ponsonby will encourage people to visit, dine and party in Ponsonby. It will take in two weekends, running from Thursday 16 May until Sunday 26 May 2019.

Initiated by the Ponsonby Business Association (PBA), manager Viv Rosenberg says “our strip is famous for its restaurants, bars and cafes. We want to celebrate their contribution to the life of Ponsonby and show greater Auckland why we’ve earned the title of ‘Auckland’s Hippest Strip’.”

Over 10 days we’ll be showcasing Ponsonby’s finest cuisine from acclaimed restaurants to casual dining, from brunch to evening cocktails and everything in between. In addition to the focus on food and drinks we’ll be working with local retailers to incorporate their stores into the experiences.

Underscoring the community nature of Ponsonby, we are excited Barfoot & Thompson is the principal partner for Eat Drink Ponsonby. NZME and Auckland’s favourite lifestyle title, VIVA is our principal media partner and specialty food retailer, Farro, is a gold partner.

Branch Manager of Barfoot & Thompson Ponsonby, Tim Irvine says “giving back and building relationships with our local community is a major focus for us. This is a great opportunity for us to support our neighbourhood by getting on board as the principal partner for this exciting prestigious foodie event coming to Ponsonby”

PBA has engaged Marvellous Marketing to deliver Eat Drink Ponsonby. Marvellous Marketing is owned by Kathie Bartley and Nicola McConnell,  two senior marketing communication professionals with significant food and drinks marketing credentials.

Organisers will announce the programme of special dinners, master classes, events and experiences in March 2019.

www.eatdrinkponsonby.co.nz

New kid on the block ‘Rita’ is the name on everyone’s lips

Meghan and Harry may want to re-plan their upcoming Wellington trip to take in some of the winners in Wellington’s 2018 Hospitality awards.

The Wellington hospitality industry acknowledged the outstanding abilities of its own with the announcement of the winners at an awards ceremony held on the evening of Sunday, 21 October.

Newcomer Rita which seats just 28 people took out the public vote for Establishment of the Year as well as winning accolades for Outstanding New Establishment and Suburban/Regional Experience of the Year.

Rita has been recognised for its small set menu and intimate dining experience which has been compared to dining in a doll’s house.

 

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The Awards recognise the outstanding hospitality professionals, all of whom are making a positive impact on the local café and dining scene. The Restaurant Association of New Zealand is proud to organise and foster these Awards with the main purpose being to unite, grow and promote the Wellington hospitality industry.

Seafood restaurant Ortega Fish Shack took out Outstanding Restaurant of the Year with its fresh seafood menu served in an intimate and convivial setting. It’s commitment to making you feel right at home also did not go unnoticed with the restaurant winning Outstanding Front of House team.

Recognition also went out to street food vendor Lucky who won Casual Dining/Street Food Experience of the Year. Describing itself as ‘a hole-in-the-wall takeaway joint specialising in the Fryerlated Arts’ this place has won serious cred for its simple menu of just five burgers, fried chicken and chips with gravy.

Creative new fitouts have also been a key feature of a new breed of hospitality establishments in the city, with Lulu awarded for its outstanding ambience and design for its pacific theme.

Individual dedication to the industry and craft were also recognised. Tom Hutchison of Capitol Restaurant was awarded outstanding chef and Outstanding Barista of the Year went to Morgan West of Milk Crate.

The coveted Hospitality Hero of the Year was awarded to Stephen Morris of Avida Bar for his wealth of international wine experience, dry wit and contribution to the success of Wellington hospitality. Stephen’s hospitality career has included the legendary Boulcott Street Bistro, Shed 5 and his own Copita restaurant.

Marisa Bidois, CEO Restaurant Association of New Zealand says

 

“Wellington has always been a hotbed of talent when it comes to dining out. It’s been great to see new places offering something unique cropping up over the last year but it’s also reassuring to see some of the more established establishments still going strong.”

 

“As an industry it’s so important that we take time out to celebrate our success and acknowledge our achievements. We believe it’s important to shine a light on our industry and make sure we are recognised for the contribution we make to our community and economy. The Wellington Hospitality Awards represent the occasion to do just that – celebrate the hard work and success of the hospitality industry within the region. Congratulations to all winners.”

With all categories keenly contested, this year’s winners truly exemplify what it means to be at the top of their respective categories.

The winners were announced at an awards ceremony held at the Embassy Theatre with the party held at the Harbourside Function Centre and guests enjoyed the chance to catch up with their colleagues over a local offering of food and beverage and entertainment by local jazz band The Wellington City Shake ‘em on Downers, and international DJ duo Sweet Mix Kids.

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L’affare Outstanding Barista of the Year
Morgan West, Milk Crate

Jameson Outstanding Bartender of the Year
Benji Irvine, Hanging Ditch

Burns & Ferrall Emerging Front of House
Georgia Mackenzie, Poquito Bar

Helping Hands Outstanding Front of House Team of the Year
Ortega Fish Shack & Bar

Moet Hennessy Outstanding Maitre d of the Year
Chelsea Godinet, Shepherd

Le Cordon Bleu Emerging Chef
Tom Millot, Frenchie

Gilmours Outstanding Chef of the Year
Tom Hutchison, Capitol Restaurant

Southern Hospitality Outstanding Café of the Year
Prefab Eatery

Garage Project Outstanding Beer Experience of the Year
Little Beer Quarter

Negociants Outstanding Wine Experience of the Year
Noble Rot Wine Bar

Federal Merchants & Co Outstanding Cocktail Experience of the Year
Hawthorn Lounge

Service Foods Outstanding Casual Dining/Street Food Experience of the Year
Lucky

OneMusic Outstanding Ambience & Design of the Year
Lulu Bar

BCE Catering Equipment Outstanding New Establishment of the Year
Rita

Nova Energy Outstanding Suburban/Regional Experience of the Year
Rita

Red + White Cellar Outstanding Restaurant of the Year
Ortega Fish Shack & Bar

The Recruitment Network Outstanding Caterer of the Year
The Catering Studio

Harbourside Function Venue Outstanding Sales Rep of the Year
Stephanie Reade, Mineral Wines

Crombie Lockwood Insurance Brokers Outstanding Supplier of the Year
Moore Wilson’s

iMonitor Outstanding Hospitality Professional of the Year
Stephen Morris, Avida Bar

First Table People’s Choice Establishment of the Year
Rita

International chefs visit Nelson for coveted food industry awards

The winner of the ‘Best Ōra King Dish’ New Zealand has been announced during an official awards ceremony at Nelson’s Suter Art Gallery.

Mark McAllister, an Auckland-based private chef, was awarded the coveted 2018 food industry accolade for his dish “Salmon Solstice”, an edible interpretation of an ancient megalithic carved stone from Newgrange, a Neolithic site in Ireland.

Fellow New Zealand finalist, chef Anthony Page, joined McAllister and New Zealand Ōra King ambassadors – Marc Soper, Shaun Tyagi and Shaun Clouston – along with 20 visiting chefs from Australia, North America and Japan, for the annual celebration.

Now in its sixth year, this year’s Ōra King Awards received entries from 50 New Zealand chefs, all of whom were challenged by this year’s ‘Inspired by Art’ theme. The chefs were encouraged to take inspiration from a piece of artwork across any medium, then craft an edible masterpiece worthy of the coveted Best Ōra King Dish accolade.

McAllister’s winning dish incorporates Ōra King salmon to represent the ethereal orange, red and yellow hues of the sun on winter solstice – the driving inspiration behind his dish.

His salmon rock plate has been curated to eat like a world class three-star Michelin dish, deliciously flavoursome and perfectly balanced. Each component of the dish from the edible smoked potato “stones”, accompanied by a foraged wild seaside salad – to the perfectly arranged salmon sun with its rays of petals and pickled pumpkin delights the senses, with the final touch of the solstice-inspired saffron sauce setting the dish alight.

Ōra King Awards judge and renowned Kiwi chef Geoff Scott says he was particularly impressed by the care and precision of this year’s New Zealand winning dish, which exuded unique plate appeal.

 

“Mark’s winning dish ‘Salmon Solstice’ was simply stunning – his concept has been executed at the very highest level, taking this year’s art theme and delivering this to the plate while clearly showcasing Ōra King salmon as the hero”.

 

Judge Lauraine Jacobs – who returned for her fifth year and attended the prestigious award ceremony, recalls an enjoyable month visiting competing chefs.

“The creative talent of chefs entering this competition continues to impress me year on year. It is so inspiring to see such a diverse mix of chefs from across New Zealand (and the world) apply their creativity and culinary expertise to showcase Ōra King, as well as incorporating the ‘Inspired by Art’ theme.

 

“Chef Mark McAllister’s dish was commended for its creative brilliance and novelty; the award was well-earned, and I extend my congratulations to him.”

 

Scott agrees, praising all entrants’ dedication to incorporating the ‘Inspired by Art’ theme.

“I truly must commend this year’s talents. This year’s ‘Inspired by Art’ theme was a loose theme, there’s so many ways to articulate and bring this to life on a plate. Each creation embodied personal elements of its maker and these elements were clear in the final dish. These chefs gave it their very all, proving that culinary creativity clearly has no limits.

General Manager of Marketing at New Zealand King Salmon, Jemma McCowan says the surging use of Ōra King amongst some of the most talented chefs in the world has helped grow the brand’s reputation on a global scale.

“Ōra King has strong relationships with chefs who demand high value from any ingredient that stands the test of time in their restaurants. We know that there are already well over 1400 restaurants internationally that serve Ōra King salmon on their menu with at least 350 who have signed up this year, a testament to the quality of this homegrown product that celebrates all that New Zealand has to offer.”

The winners for the Best Ōra King Dish Australia, North America and Japan were also announced at last night’s award ceremony, and feature across social media and online at orakingsalmon.co.nz.