NZ wins big at world cookbook awards

New Zealand foodies have taken out culinary royalty like Jamie Oliver, Neil Perry and Oprah Winfrey's personal chef to win at the world's biggest cookbook awards.

Pacific cuisine specialist and star of Real Pasifik, Robert Oliver, was crowned Best TV Chef at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in Beijing overnight, beating 187 other contenders in his category, including our own MasterChef Nadia Lim. The winning series was based on Oliver's 2010 book Me'a Kai: The Food and Flavours of the South Pacific which earned him Cookbook of the Year in 2011.

Fellow Kiwi food journalist Julie Biuso, won the Best Easy Recipes Cookbook section with her latest work, Julie Biuso at Home.

Currently a writer for Taste magazine, Biuso said the recognition was a great win for the NZ food industry.

"Winning an award such as this in the presence of such hugely influential people means the world to me, and shows New Zealand off in the very best light."

- www.nzherald.co.nz