Queenstown producer Mark Gillings, of MAP Productions Ltd, and Josh Emett, executive chef de cuisine at Gordon Ramsay at The London Los Angeles and The London New York, signed contracts on Saturday, formalising their "production vehicle", Frying Pan Films NZ Ltd.
At Amisfield on Saturday, Mr Gillings said the project would be carried out in three parts, beginning with a documentary tracing Mr Emett's career, beginning on a farm in Waikato and culminating in his current position for Ramsay Holdings Ltd, along the way collecting four Michelin stars.
The documentary would then feature Mr Emett back in New Zealand "for me really to figure out what I've missed out on in the past 16 years".
The second stage would see Mr Emett create a "one-off menu" at three or four restaurants in New Zealand before the final stage - a television cooking series which would be partly filmed in the Central Otago/Queenstown Lakes area.
"[It] will basically consist of Josh exploring the best of New Zealand produce and sustainability, from a culinary aspect and a technical aspect," Mr Gillings said.
"Meeting people who are passionate about growing and producing stuff that Kiwis are generally taking for granted now, because a lot of our great produce is disappearing out of the country and we don't even know that we have it.
"We'll involve growers and producers of fine boutique products, Josh will liaise with chefs in New Zealand that he's had relationships with in the past . . . and reacquaint himself with what's going on in New Zealand."
Mr Gillings said nationally and internationally there was a recognition now of the potential of the Central Otago and Lakes district regions, something that was not there when Mr Emett left New Zealand 16 years ago.
"Central Otago was pretty much known for producing great merino wool from its sheep and little else.
"People said `you'll never grow grapes here or dairy farm here'.
"Now, there are people irrigating land . . . we're producing all manner of amazing goods off land people once upon a time . . . saw as beautiful, but reasonably unproductive."
Part of the documentary would be filmed in London, where Mr Emett got his start with Gordon Ramsay, initially working with him in the kitchen in his three-star Michelin restaurant in Hospital Rd, Chelsea, before moving to Claridges for two years and then to The Savoy, where Mr Emett earned his first Michelin star after 12 months.
Mr Gillings said as yet there were "no firm contracts" signed for the project.
"We're at that stage of seeking funding.
"We'd like to think Television New Zealand were the interested party . . . but those discussions are yet to take place.
"We're going to have involvement to a certain extent of people from Ramsay Holdings Ltd, there's going to be involvement with a local production company here, Global Film Solutions . . .
"Director Rodger Tompkins will be involved," he said.
