2024/2025 AMBASSADOR CHEFS
about beef + lamb nz
Beef + Lamb New Zealand is a not-for-profit organisation responsible for the domestic marketing of beef and lamb in New Zealand. We are funded by levies from farmers, meat processors and retailers.
The Beef and Lamb New Zealand foodservice portfolio has been around for a long time. Back in the 1980’s they ran the Lamb Cuisine Awards which helped put New Zealand lamb on restaurant menus around the country. In 1997 the Awards became the Hallmark of Excellence Awards which was developed by a group of chefs to include both beef and lamb dishes and to establish what was to go on to be New Zealand’s longest running culinary award. The Beef and Lamb Excellence Awards ran for 23 years and during that time awarded the prestigious gold plate to over 3000 restaurants around the country.
The Ambassador Chef Programme evolved from the Beef + Lamb Excellence Awards and for almost three decades has seen some of our best loved chefs join the beef and lamb family as Ambassador Chefs. Some of these chefs have gone on to become Platinum which is a lifetime status granted to chefs for their longevity as ambassadors for Beef + Lamb New Zealand. In 2021 Beef + Lamb launched their inaugural search for a Beef + Lamb Young Ambassador Chef which is a competition held bi-annually for chefs under the age of 26.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s vision is for kiwi chefs to value and celebrate the place of grass-fed New Zealand beef and lamb as part of our national cuisine and for the voices of our Ambassador Chefs to lead the way.
The role of the Ambassador Chefs is to help shine a light on the New Zealand food story with inspiration, innovation, and elevation of New Zealand beef and lamb at the heart. They will help to celebrate New Zealand producers and their produce by telling the paddock to plate story through their menus.
IN THE NEWS
In an exciting announcement for New Zealand’s hospitality industry, Beef + Lamb New Zealand has unveiled the four talented chefs who will serve as their Ambassadors throughout 2024 and 2025.
We put a spotlight on one of our Beef + Lamb Platinum Ambassador Chefs, Mat McLean from Palate Restaurant in Hamilton. Read on to find out how he is reinventing Palate for the third time and what the point of difference will be with version 3.0
The shortist of chefs who are vying for the title of Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chef are now revealed. Which chefs will make the cut and become one of the next group of Ambassador Chefs? Read on to meet the finalists.
We took a dive back in time and discovered the love of roast lamb hasn’t changed much over the years. As stated in Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management circa. 1861, it appears her recipe for roast leg of lamb clearly states two of the most important ingredients that we still use today to cook our lamb - “lamb and a little salt.”
National Lamb Day has a new date - 15 February 2024. This is the date the first shipment of frozen New Zealand lamb left Port Chalmers bound for Dunedin back in 1882. Read on to find out how Kiwi’s will be encouraged to support National Lamb Day.
If you’re wondering exactly what the role of a Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chef entails, we recently caught up with Cameron Davies who was on a Beef + Lamb New Zealand assignment in Christchurch, cooking for the red meat sector on a large scale.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand are seeking talented chefs to step up to the plate and present their best beef and lamb dishes, in the search for their next Ambassador Chefs.
It was a tasty 24 hours in Palmeston North recently when we jetted off to attend Andrew May’s Ambassador Series Dinner at Amayjen. Alongside him in the kitchen were fellow Ambassadors, Mat McLean and Nic Kearney. Read on to find out how the night unfolded.
Chef BJ Sebastian says that creativity is about finding a new flavour and a new ingredient and working out how to incorporate it into a dish. Primarily he looks to use the ancient craft of fermentation to do this and after years of trial and error he has mastered the process. Find out more about ferments and garums and how it can add a depth of flavour to your menu.
Plume Restaurant is the ultimate dining destination. Nestled into the idyllic wine country of Matakana, you will find a culinary genius heading up the kitchen – Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chef, BJ Sebastian.
Congratulations to Nic Kearney from Onslow in Auckland who has claimed the title of 2023 Beef + Lamb Young Ambassador Chef.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand are delighted to announce the three talented young chefs who have made the cut to compete at the live cook-off to find the 2023 Beef + Lamb Young Ambassador Chef.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand are on the hunt for another Young Ambassador Chef to join the Beef + Lamb Hall of Fame and become the next emerging culinary rockstar on New Zealand’s food scene.
The Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chefs were recently offered an invaluable opportunity by ANZCO Foods, to learn more about the journey that beef and lamb takes from the farm to the fork.
Our Ambassador Chefs created some menu inspiration after taking up an opportunity with ANZCO Foods to visit a farm, processing plant and cook a signature dish using beef and lamb.
Something close to chef Lyall Minhinnick’s heart at the moment is mentoring rangatahi from his local community. Having returned to his old stomping ground in Waiuku, he is making use of his skill and knowledge a a chef to inspire the younger generation.
Wellington was the location of a night of meaty proportions when chef MacLean Fraser invited Platinum Ambassador Chef, Rex Morgan back to Wellington for a one-off menu served at Artisan at Bolton Hotel.
Looking for some winter menu inspiration, then check out what our Ambassador Chefs have on their menu.
There was a bit of a buzz around the small Southland town of Te Anau recently with chef Cameron Davies kicking off the Beef + Lamb Ambassador Series at his restaurant The Fat Duck.
As Matariki celebrations kick off around the country we brought two chefs together to chat about Matariki and cook some delicious kai using traditional ingredients and cooking methods.
In 2022, to celebrate the 140th anniversary of the first shipment of lamb arriving in the UK, three of the Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chefs stepped out of their kitchens and into Central Otago for National Lamb Day in May.
Ahead of National Lamb Day in 2022, we invited Platinum Ambassador Chef, Kate Fay into the Beef + Lamb kitchen to cook up a feast using lamb ribs.
In 2022, to commemorate the 140th anniversary of New Zealand lamb, we spoke to Platinum Ambassador Chef , Darren Wright, on his journey as a chef and cooking with New Zealand lamb.
To celebrate National Lamb Day in 2022, Cameron Davies shared the story of his braised lamb shoulder, local artisan Lumsden lamb bacon, pommes purée, parsnip purée, creamed local kale, and a green peppercorn sauce.
To celebrate National Lamb Day in 2022, MacLean Fraser shared the story of his grilled lamb loin, duck fat potato, baby carrots three ways (salt-baked whole, puréed, pickled) peas (in pods, sprouts, and foam), layered slices of potato, and crisp bacon.
To celebrate National Lamb Day in 2022, Andrew May shared the story of his Lumina lamb cutlets with pressed lamb neck terrine, topped with curried granola, courgette & basil purée, green tomato chutney, pickled baby beetroot, served with a split rosemary & lamb glaze.
To celebrate National Lamb Day in 2022, BJ Sebastian shared the story of his Hawkes Bay Lamb loin, lamb belly and potato roulade, piko piko, lamb sweetbread, elderberry, burnt zucchini, pickled green walnut, and lamb garum.
For 26 years, Beef + Lamb New Zealand have been recognising and rewarding a wealth of talented chefs and building a ’Hall of Fame’ who’s who of culinary rock stars including the likes of Phil Clark, Peter Gordon, Kate Fay and Rex Morgan to name just a few. And now it is time to reveal four new talented chefs who will join the Beef + Lamb family for the next two years, as Ambassadors.
With the new year upon us and after spending a few weeks working through a number of high-quality applications, we’re delighted to be able to announce the finalists in our search for the 2022 Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chefs.