Alliance Group sales general manager Shane Kingston said 20 chefs from China, Singapore, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand spent a week last month visiting South Island farms as part of the Lumina 2023 tour.
The tour offered an insight into how Lumina lamb was produced and highlighted New Zealand’s ‘‘powerful story of free-range, grass-fed natural farming systems to leading international chefs’’.
‘‘The Lumina 2023 tour is helping raise awareness of the exceptional eating qualities of the lamb by sharing first-hand the story of how it has been developed and grown by dedicated visionary farmers in the most natural and sustainable farming systems,’’ Mr Kingston said.
The group learnt about the exceptional genetics, dedication and sustainable practices which went into producing Lumina lamb.
Tour stops included Minaret Station and Mount Burke Station in Wanaka, Caberfeidh Station in Kurow and Alliance Group’s Smithfield plant in Timaru.
The chefs on the tour included Michelin-starred PuLi Hotel executive chef Ugo Rinaldo, of Shanghai, MasterChef judge Kerth Gumbs, of London’s Fenchurch restaurant, Singapore National Culinary Team captain Koh Han Jie and Callie restaurant owner and chef Travis Swikard, of Los Angeles.
Callie was named by Esquire Magazine as one of America’s top new restaurants for 2022.
Also on the tour were New Zealand executive chefs Des Davies, of Christchurch’s Te Pae convention centre, Brent Martin, of Auckland’s Park Hyatt hotel, and Josh Seeds, of SkyCity Auckland.
The chefs saw how the lambs were farmed in some of New Zealand’s most spectacular natural landscapes and finished on a unique combination of chicory and clover forage, Mr Kingston said.
