Thousands Experience The Best Of New Zealand Cuisine

MEDIA RELEASE

October 20 2011

Thousands Experience The Best Of New Zealand Cuisine And Hospitality

Up to 6000 four-course meals were served at last weekend’s Rugby World Cup 2011 (RWC 2011) semi-finals by New Zealand-owned family business, Austin’s Food Design Events, to a selection of local and international corporate guests in Eden Park Pavilion, the flagship of the RWC 2011 Official Hospitality Programme.

Austin’s Food Design Events will serve another 3000 guests a stunning array of local New Zealand produce at the Final of RWC 2011 this Sunday.

Successfully delivering the catering on such a large scale is a massive logistical operation, which is carried out by 375 of Austin’s staff in the Pavilion’s four-purpose built kitchens and six bespoke restaurants.

“A huge benefit of this event is that we have had a fantastic opportunity to train and up-skill a large volume of local staff, and instill in them a valuable set of skills for ongoing employment in many areas of New Zealand’s hospitality industry,” said Austin’s Director Alex Weatherhead.

Austin’s Food Design Events is proudly owned and operated by a mother and son partnership, Maggie and Alex Weatherhead. Maggie bought the company in 1998 and has since turned it into one of the touchstones of the New Zealand catering market.

After a comprehensive tender process, Austin’s Food Design Events were successfully awarded the exclusive catering contract by Rugby Travel & Hospitality, and over the last seven weeks, this has been their reality.

“It is one thing believing that we could do it, but another to actually pull it all together and make it happen,” commented Alex Weatherhead. “The vastly detailed planning that we have devoted to this amazing event over the last number of months paid off last weekend, and I am exceptionally proud of our talented team who delivered the catering to such a high standard”.

By the end of the Tournament, Austin’s will have showcased the very best of New Zealand produce including over 600 kilograms of Hawke’s Bay lamb, 1.5 tonnes of New Zealand beef, a tonne of boutique New Zealand cheeses, plus a premium selection of New Zealand’s Raukumara Red wild venison, South Island salmon, Cambridge duck and Wakanui grain-finished beef.

They will also have washed, polished and set 45,000 plates, 40,000 glasses, 65,000 pieces of cutlery and 1500 tablecloths.

Austin’s Executive Chef, Cobus Klopper, who originally worked with world-renowned chef Peter Gordon, custom-designed all menus for the matches with the emphasis on showcasing the very best that New Zealand has to offer to the world.

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