Dutch immigrant, Raymond Van Rijk, become a culinary identity in Hawke's Bay.
Michael Fowler is a contracted Hawke’s Bay author and historian mfhistory@gmail.com
Dutch immigrant, Raymond Van Rijk, who arrived in 1979 to the White Heron Lodge in Parnell, Auckland, as food and beverage manager, was horrified at what he was witnessing at a buffet.
The 29-year-old had been there a month and a $15 (2025:$105) per head charity buffet featuring the British television stars of George and Mildred (Brian Murphy and Yootha Joyce) was taking place at the White Heron Lodge.
Unlike Europe, where people took a small plate of seafood first, and after the plates were cleared took a larger plate for meat and vegetables, what he was witnessing here was quite different.
The audience, which was 90% women, were piling high their plates, and sometimes they would juggle another full plate between two of them.
By the time 40% of people had been to the table – that was it – they had run out of food. Van Rijk was astonished at the culture of the excessive buffet eating in New Zealand – and the wastage of uneaten food left on the plates.
Just how Van Rijk – a well-known restaurant and hospitality entrepreneur in Hawke’s Bay for over 40 years, came to New Zealand, was linked to his love of the sport of fencing.
As an accomplished fencer in the Netherlands, he contested many times against army officers, who he got on well with.
Compulsory military conscription was then in force, and Van Rijk decided to continue to officer training based on his friendship with the fencers. His dad was also an army officer, and he got on with his military friends.
Life was good on the sporting front, where he became military fencing champion.
Van Rijk became Military Master of Ceremonies for events – and he liked it – and became interested in hospitality.
He left the military and enrolled in the School of Hotel Management for three years, and took 14 subjects relating to hotel management, including cooking, administration, architecture, and languages.
As Van Rijk was keen to travel overseas, the job at White Heron Lodge in Auckland was originally taken as it was part of a 14 hotel chain in the South Pacific, and if he started there, he could no doubt move around.
However, after about two-and-a-half years, instead of a sandy, warm South Pacific resort, he was offered a job in Hastings at the St Aubyn Street Vidals winery by owner George Fistonich. Van Rijk fell in love with Vidals, and would enjoy his three years there.
Many will remember the wood fire in the Vidals building.
Van Rijk wanted an open fire for atmosphere as he knew back home this was popular, but he was experiencing resistance from George Fistonich.
He was offered pot belly stoves, as an open fire in the old wooden former stables at Vidals was considered a fire risk.
Undeterred, he got a brick fireplace with a covering steel hood designed, and had it installed.
George sent his friend Paul White down from Auckland to investigate, and Paul loved it so much he was still sitting in front of it until the closing time. The fireplace remained a feature until Vidals closed in 2018.
After marriage to Hastings woman Louise Russell, Van Rijk moved to Wellington for a hospitality job there, but the job was not everything it was promised, so he resigned, taking another job – at one point working both jobs for a month while he served out his notice.
Louise became ill, and the couple moved back to Hastings.
So Van Rijk secured a job with Noel Crawford, who Van Rijk describes as the outstanding caterer of Hawke’s Bay then, and many will remember his shop The Pantry at Stortford Lodge.
After Louise passed away in 1984, Van Rijk looked for someone to help look after their young son, Thomas. Kirsty, who got the job, captured a bit more than young Thomas’ heart, and would marry Van Rijk.
An opportunity came up to take over Peak House, the hospitality venue in Te Mata Park.
Built in 1967, it had struggled with tenant viability up to the point in late 1985 when Van Rijk and Kirsty took over. The building was built on a shoestring budget, and was an exceptional location as a venue, but not without frustrations for lessees.
Van Rijk saw the potential and with the co-operation of the Te Mata Park Trust Board, undertook alterations, and paid to replace the dated fittings.
It was still financially tough, and he had to work both running a restaurant and an outside catering business to support his growing family ‒ three sons and a daughter.
Unlike today, when Van Rijk took over in 1985 there were only two restaurants in Havelock North to serve its 7,000 population.
Van Rijk and Kirsty wrestled with trying to attract more customers to Peak House – there was some resistance to the distance – so he got ‘Just up the Hill’ sign written on his van.
While watching John Cleese’s Fawlty Towers on television Kirsty said to Van Rijk; “That’s what we need up here”.
“No way” said Van Rijk, “I’m not having that carry on in here.”
(Kirsty, says Van Rijk, comes up with the good ideas).
They later added ‘Cluedo’ and “Footrot Flats” dinner theatre nights to the repertoire.
The evenings would not have been a success without the extraordinary talents of local actors.
Van Rijk is quick to insist they be recognised - David Brown, Sandy Chorely, Caroline Lowry, Roger Bronte, John Trewick, Jose Arparicio, Aaron Ward, and Lisa-Jane Easter.
The dinner theatre formula spread to the Wellington Michael Fowler Hotel (Museum Hotel) and Van Rijk, never afraid of hard work, juggled four restaurant venues at this time, driving down with Hawke’s Bay food and wine to be served.
Another of Van Rijk’s innovations was his BBQ courses at Peak House as BBQ Gourmet, and perhaps how he is best known, as the BBQ Guru.
He observed men at parties relentlessly turning meat, until the poor tortured and burned item was mercilessly taken off the grill to end its misery.
Van Rijk taught himself mastery of the BBQ, even developing his own commercial rubs which are still sold today.
The courses ran for 17 years, and he ran courses in the Netherlands, England and Iceland.
Van Rijk and Kirsty left Peak House in 2012, after 27 years.
There have many more innovations Van Rijk has been involved in – too many to mention in a short column.
Van Rijk’s place in Hawke’s Bay’s history as a hospitality personality and innovator, is assured, and the business, BBQ Gourmet Catering, is carried on today by his eldest son Tom.