TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Entries must be sent in via the official entry portal on thechefskitchen.co.nz. Entries close at midnight on Monday 23 February 2026.
Entrants must agree to abide by the entry guidelines.
Applicants must be aged 27 or over as of 1st May 2026.
Applicants must be New Zealand citizens or eligible to work in New Zealand.
Applicants must be working in a restaurant as a senior chef (such as head chef or executive chef) with at least two years’ experience.
Applicants must include contact details of someone other than their employee to provide a character reference.
Confirmation of a place as a finalist will be determined by Beef + Lamb New Zealand in consultation with our Food Service Advisory Chefs. Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s decisions are final and no discussion or correspondence will be entered into.
All finalists must have a beef and a lamb main course dish on their menu during the restaurant assessing period (2nd to 21st March 2026). They do not have to be the same as the dishes on their application form due to seasonality of produce. The restaurant assessing is anonymous and all costs of the restaurant assessor will be met by Beef + Lamb New Zealand.
Once restaurant assessing has finished and final consideration is given to the applicants, Beef + Lamb New Zealand along with their Food Service Advisory Chefs will invite two chefs to take up the term of a Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chef throughout 2026 and 2027.
The role of the 2026/2027 Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chefs will include being involved in creating consumer facing content which will be used on the Beef + Lamb New Zealand social media channels. Find out more about the full role of a Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chef here.
Each chef will need to be available to attend a two-day onboarding and content creation session in Auckland on the 13th and 14th of April 2026. This will include attending a farm visit and a cooking day. Beef + Lamb New Zealand will brief each chef on what to cook. Each chef will also be interviewed, photographed and filmed for content to use in the announcement of the new Ambassador Chefs and on Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s social channels.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand will cover the cost of a return airfare to Auckland, local transport, meals and accommodation in Auckland (if required) for the two chefs who are selected as Ambassador Chefs. If you live in the Auckland region, we may not offer accommodation.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand will reimburse the cost of all ingredients used for each of the chefs attending the cooking day in April.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand will supply a chef’s jacket to wear on the cooking day. Each finalist should wear the appropriate chef gear to go with the jacket.
Time away from work to take part in the two-day onboarding and content creation session is not a cost of the event organisers, Beef + Lamb New Zealand. If you are invited to be an Ambassador Chef and attend the two-day onboarding and content creation session, it is up to you to negotiate with your employer whether or not your employer will pay your wages as per normal.
Ambassador Chefs may be offered opportunities to participate in activities requiring travel outside their restaurant. In such cases, Beef + Lamb New Zealand or participating sponsors will cover travel and accommodation costs, but not wages for time away from employment. In some situations, an Ambassador Chef fee may be paid, at the discretion of Beef + Lamb New Zealand.
When representing Beef + Lamb New Zealand, Ambassador Chefs must conduct themselves in an appropriate manner.
All finalists must agree to participate in the announcement and promotion of the Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chefs through our digital platforms and the media, and agree to the use of their personal details for these purposes.
If you have any questions, please contact Lisa on 027-632-1644
or email lisa@beeflambnz.co.nz