The Beef + Lamb Ambassador Series are a series of degustation dinners held in the restaurants of each of our Ambassador Chefs. Staggered throughout the year, each chef prepares a menu showcasing their skill using New Zealand beef and lamb. The dinners are ticketed events and are always a sell-out. Scroll below to find out details of the next dinner and also take a look back at some of our past Ambassador Series Dinners for a little bit of menu inspiration!
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MRINAL GHOSAL & MAT MCLEAN
MUDBRICK VINEYARD, WAIHEKE ISLAND
25 OCTOBER 2024
Executive Head Chef, Mrinal Ghosal teamed up with Platinum Ambassador Chef Mat McLean from Hamilton’s Palate Restaurant. Together, the two chefs brought Waiheke Island’s unique setting to life through each dish, balancing flavours and textures to honour New Zealand’s renowned beef and lamb. Their combined efforts created a dining experience that celebrated local ingredients, the art of collaboration, and the craftsmanship of two accomplished chefs.
dean thompson & brenton low
SCHNAPPA ROCK, TUTUKAKA
WEDNESDAY 14 AUGUST 2024
Chef Dean Thompson of Schnappa Rock hosted his Beef + Lamb Ambassador Series Dinner, featuring a special collaboration with Platinum Ambassador Chef Brenton Low. Renowned for his culinary artistry, Brenton Low, owner of Marina Dining in Tutukaka and former owner of aDeco in Whangarei, joined forces with Dean to craft an exclusive one-night-only menu. Together, they showcased the finest beef, lamb, and local produce, delivering a dining experience for their community of loyal patrons that tantalised taste buds and left guests craving more.
ANDREW MAY, MAT MCLEAN & NIC KEARNEY
AMAYJEN THE RESTAURANT, PALMERSTON NORTH
THURSDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 2023
Three Ambassador Chefs cooked together for Andrew May’s Ambassador Series Dinner recently. Andrew’s guest chefs were Platinum Ambassador Mat McLean from Palate in Hamilton and Young Ambassador Chef, Nic Kearney from Onslow in Auckland. Together they blended tradition and innovation, showcasing the essence of each chef’s culinary journey bringing together an abundance of taste and texture on the plate. The three chefs used their creativity and skill to highlight some of the lesser-known cuts of beef and lamb such as tongues, necks, sweetbreads and cheeks. Eye fillet was the only prime cut to feature on the menu.
Click below to read more on our blog.
BJ SEBASTIAN & NIC KEARNEY
PLUME RESTAURANT, matakana
SATURDAY 8 JULY 2023
Plume Restaurant was the location for a Beef + Lamb Ambassador Series Dinner recently. Nestled into the idyllic wine country of Matakana, Plume Restaurant is a dining destination where head chef BJ pushes culinary boundaries and successfully showcases the magic that happens when creativity meets fermentation. BJ invited newly crowned Young Ambassador Chef, Nic Kearney into his kitchen to create a collaboration and learning experience for the up-and-coming young chef. BJ unlocked the secrets of umami, creating dishes that redefined the very essence of taste, while Nic created his award-winning take on a steak and mushroom pie, with a touch of luxurious truffle.
Click below to read more on our blog.
MACLEAN FRASER & REX MORGAN
ArtisAN AT BOLTON HOTEL, WELLINGTON
9 sEPTEMBER 2022
The second Ambassador Series was a collaboration of epic proportions. With Rex Morgan coming back to Wellington and teaming up with MacLean and the kitchen team at Artisan at Bolton Hotel, both chefs created mouth-watering dishes that took guests on a memorable culinary journey.
Click below to find out the inspiration behind their dishes.
CAMERON DAVIES & DARREN WRIGHT
THE FAT DUCK, TE ANAU
23 JUNE 2022
The first Ambassador Series for 2022 kicked off in the beautiful Southland town of Te Anau. Chef Cameron Davies invited Platinum Ambassador Chef, Darren Wright from Christchurch into his kitchen at The Fat Duck. Their collaboration featured a sumptuous five course degustation with canapes to start.
Click below to read how the night unfolded.
PHIL CLARK & SAM HEAVEN
PHIL’S KITCHEN, AUCKLAND
25 MAY 2021
In celebration of National Lamb Day, Ambassador Chef Phil Clark and newly crowned Young Ambassador Chef, Sam Heaven, got together and created a one-off menu, showcasing the best beef and lamb dishes with every dish telling a story.
Click here to read all about the dinner.
NORKA MELLA MUNOZ & KATE FAY
MANGAPAPA HOTEL, HAWKES BAY
15 NOVEMBER 2020
‘Meat the Leading Ladies’ was a collaboration between the two leading ladies of our Ambassador Chefs - Kate Fay from Cibo in Auckland and Norka Mella Munoz of Mangapapa Hotel in the Hawkes Bay. It was an amazing evening of fine wines and delicious beef and lamb with a bit of fun in the kitchen with two ladies at the helm.
Click here to read more about the dinner.
SCOTT BUCKLER & SCOTT KENNEDY
NO.31 RESTAURANT & BAR
14 NOVEMBER 2019
The delightful alpine village of Hanmer Springs was all abuzz last week in anticipation of their very own No.31 Restaurant and Bar hosting an Ambassador Series dinner. This was a collaboration between head chef, Scott Buckler and Scott Kennedy of Nero Restaurant in Palmerston North. The two Scott’s had put together a delicious menu showcasing the best of their regions and the dinner sold out fast with locals wanting a taste of Manawatu alongside the delicious produce they know and love from North Canterbury.
Click here to read all about the dinner.
ANDREW MAY & DARREN WRIGHT
AMAYJEN THE RESTAURANT, FEILDING
22 AUGUST 2019
On a cold wintry day, the team at Amayjen The Restaurant put on a warm welcome as we settled in for the third Ambassador Series collaboration dinner with Chefs Andrew May and Darren Wright. Together the two chefs whipped up a mouth-watering menu featuring a wide range of beef and lamb cuts from haggis to beef cheeks, giving guests the whole nose to tail experience. Both chefs favour using secondary cuts which lend themselves to long slow cooking bringing out a rich intense flavour to work with.
Read all about it here.
PABLO TACCHINI & MICHAEL COUGHLIN
CUCINA OAMARU
24 MAY 2019
When two chefs get together on National Lamb Day, you know its going to be a memorable evening! Such was the case when local Oamaru chef, Pablo Tacchini collaborated with Platinum Ambassador Chef Michael Coughlin recently. You can read all about what they cooked up here.
FREDDIE PONDER & MAT MCLEAN
TABLE RESTAURANT, NEW PLYMOUTH
29 MARCh 2019
A collaboration of meaty proportions took place on Friday 29 March at Table Restaurant in New Plymouth. Housed in the historic Nice Hotel, head chef Freddie Ponder served up an unconventional six course degustation of beef and lamb delights. The dinner was a collaboration with Platinum Ambassador Chef, Mat McLean from Palate in Hamilton and together with the team at Table Restaurant guests were taken on an amazing culinary journey where the food was expertly matched to some stunning wines. You can read all about it here.
HARRY WILLIAMS
ALPHA STREET KITCHEN & BAR, CAMBRIDGE
November 2018
Ambassador Chef, Harry Williams and his kitchen team served up a mouth-watering degustation in November where he combined some incredible flavours and textural combinations showcasing New Zealand beef and lamb. Alpha Street Kitchen and Bar is a beautifully furnished restaurant in the centre of Cambridge and it was a sell out crowd who were lucky enough to indulge on this special night. Read all about it here.
DAMON MCGINNISS
EMPORIUM EATERY & BAR, NAPIER
23 JUNE, 2018
Napier-based Ambassador Chef Damon McGinniss held his Ambassador Series Dinner as part of the Hawke's Bay Winter F.A.W.C! Series. His Grass & Gravel dinner paid homage to the amazing beef and lamb raised on our green New Zealand pastures and the beautifully matched Syrah's grown on the gravelly Hawke's Bay soils. Damon pushed the boundaries using some humble cuts and turning them into five sensational courses. Read more here.
KATE FAY
CIBO PARNELL, AUCKLAND
24 MAY 2018
Kate held a magnificent degustation on National Lamb Day and showcased her skill using an amazing array of lamb cuts creating some iconic dishes such as her lamb sausage roll and lamb bacon through to the engaging and theatrical starter of pouring our own lamb-baa-tini. Beef + Lamb New Zealand took this opportunity to announce Kate as Platinum Ambassador Chef, a lifetime status held by only eight other chefs in New Zealand. Kate is the first female chef to become Platinum after a long association with Beef + Lamb New Zealand. You can read more about Kate's dinner here.
FREDDIE PONDER
SALT RESTAURANT NEW PLYMOUTH
MARCH 5th 2018
Freddie Ponder hosted his Ambassador Series Dinner on March 5th, at Salt Restaurant in New Plymouth to a sell out crowd. Each course was a taste sensation using New Zealand beef and lamb and fresh seasonal produce with matching wines. Below is a snap shot of the evening and you can read more about what Freddie served up on our blog here.
