Sam Heaven from the Park Hyatt in Auckland has cooked, carved and plated his way into the Beef + Lamb New Zealand hall of fame. Sam has won the title of Beef + Lamb Young Ambassador Chef after a 90-minute cook-off against the other two finalists – Ashley Knudsen from No. 7 Balmac in Dunedin and Lyall Minhinnick from Fleurs Place in Moeraki, held recently at Homeland – Peter Gordon’s new cooking school in Auckland.

For twenty-five years, Beef + Lamb New Zealand have been making rock stars out of their Ambassador Chefs and now it’s the turn of the next generation to step up and shine, as Beef + Lamb New Zealand seek out the very first Young Ambassador Chef.

We are delighted to announce that Provenance Meats and Shortlands Station will be supporting the 2021 Beef + Lamb Young Ambassador Chef by sponsoring a farm visit and the sharing of knowledge on their regenerative farming practices which produce outstanding New Zealand lamb.

To showcase the best beef dishes on a menu, chefs needs to start with an amazing product. New Zealand farmers are renowned for growing the best beef in the world and Greenstone Creek have taken that a step further by creating an exceptional range of beef which is free-range, hand-selected, aged and has a marble score of 4+, to create the ultimate eating experience.

With the challenges that Covid-19 has brought this year, Beef + Lamb New Zealand are delighted to announce that they will be carrying over their four current Ambassador Chefs – Tejas Nikam, Paddock to Plate Waikato; Phil Clark, Phil’s Kitchen; Jack Crosti, Mela; and Norka Mella Munoz, Mangapapa Hotel into 2021.