Bay hospitality awards on the menu

Andrew Targett said he's delighted to return to hands-on restaurant work after his stint in academia. Photo/File

The Restaurant Association's Bay of Plenty branch is planning to hold an awards event next year as part of an overall strategy to raise the profile of the region's hospitality sector, says president Andrew Targett.

"We want to build up the profile of the restaurant industry here," said Mr Targett, who was chairman of the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic's hospitality department before resigning two years ago to launch Elizabeth Cafe and Larder on the ground floor of the new office complex on the corner of Cameron Rd and Elizabeth St.

"We're aiming to do a regional award event here in 2015, which would give us a year or so to plan the event."

Mr Targett pointed to the role that events such as The Remarkable Awards in Queenstown had played in raising the profile of hospitality operations in the southern lakes region.

"These events are about restaurants voting on restaurants," he said.

"Instead of outside people telling you you're doing well, it's about recognition from our own industry. And the industry is growing here."

Local membership of the association was about 76 out of an estimated 1500 nationwide.

According to figures from the Restaurant Association of New Zealand's last annual survey, released in 2013, Bay of Plenty region restaurants had seen gross sales growth of 38 per cent from 255.8 million in 2009 to $355.3 million in 2013, despite a slight dip in 2011.

Tauranga City Council chief executive Garry Poole attended a recent Restaurant Association meeting organised by the Tauranga branch, and Mr Targett said the local restaurateurs had been open to and encouraged by his vision for the city's future.

Mr Targett said another key item of the agenda of the branch's committee would be fostering closer relationships with the Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bay of Plenty, which it hoped would also become involved in the proposed awards event.

"We tend to have hospitality here, tourism there," he said.

"I think we should be talking more often."

A closer relationship would enable the sectors to be more supportive of each other, he said.

Tourism Bay of Plenty general manager Rhys Arrowsmith said he welcomed closer engagement with the hospitality sector.

"As an ex-restaurateur myself, there's a natural synergy between that matchup," he said.

"Good food is completely aligned with our marketing strategy so it's a natural fit for us to work in with them. It's vital."

Mr Targett said he had been delighted to return to hands-on restaurant work after his stint in academia.

He originally became involved because Jo Brown, who runs The Med in Devonport Rd, had been asked to tender for the site and had brought him in.

However, due to the pressure of work, Ms Brown left the partnership last year to focus on The Med, he said.

"We were very lucky to get the site and the landlord has been very supportive," said Mr Targett.

"We've gone from strength to strength."