Hospitality New Zealand Southland president Graham Hawkes said the six-course meal had been built around locally produced ingredients prepared by a large cooking team mentored by eight internationally recognised chefs.
Chefs in training were invited from Southern Institute of Technology campuses in Invercargill and Queenstown, Queenstown’s Resort College, Frontline Training, the ILT and Southland Boys’ High School to create courses for the luncheon held at SIT Hansen Hall in Invercargill on Sunday.
"The chefs who come down are just so good — they are just great people.
"Their engagement with the students is absolutely fantastic.
"I’m just over the moon having 45 (overall) of them here for the weekend. That’s just staggering.
"We started with a handful four years ago and now we’ve got 45 coming."
International chef Tony Smith said it was his fourth time volunteering at the event.
Mr Smith was happy to impart the experience he had from his time working at Christchurch’s Park Royal, and in India, Singapore, Bangkok and Australia.
He considered himself to be semi-retired but saw the opportunity to "put back in" to the trade.
"It’s a great event ... you bring a recipe down and get into it."
He loved how the ingredients were sponsored because the funds were going to a good cause.
He was thrilled to be now working alongside chefs Darren Wright, of Alliance Farmer’s Produce, former Blanket Bay chef Mark Sycamore and Te Anau’s Fat Duck chef Cam Davies, who all were once his apprentices.
Mr Smith enjoyed having the opportunity to come back to Invercargill where he had relatives and catch up with Mr Hawkes, who he worked with more than 40 yearsago.
He was impressed with how many young chefs had volunteered for the weekend.
"I think last year we had about 20. So it’s doubled. The lunch is getting a bit of a reputation.
Last year each of the senior chefs mentored two or three students each. But this year, each had five trainees.
Volunteering to train otherson days off was "a real passion thing".
"It’s a really good event and a really good deal. You get six courses and wine for $120.
"It’s a long lunch that starts with canapes and finishes about 4.30pm with desert.
"With the weather the way it is out there, it’s a perfect way to spend an afternoon."
Mr Hawkes said all the dishes had been matched with wine.
"This is something we do to raise funds for Southland Boys’ High School so they can have better equipment in their area for training young chefs."
- By Toni McDonald
