Sage Restaurant, at Paroa Bay near Russell, cleaned up in the 2023 Northland Hospitality Awards by winning the supreme title and three other awards. Photo / Shaun Jeffers
Sage Restaurant, at Paroa Bay near Russell, cleaned up in the 2023 Northland Hospitality Awards by winning the supreme title and three other awards. Photo / Shaun Jeffers
The head chef at a Bay of Islands restaurant that cleaned up at the 2023 Northland Hospitality Awards is hoping it will help promote the region as a top culinary destination and food producer.
Sage Restaurant, at Paroa Bay, about 12 kilometres south of Russell, was named the supreme winner and also took out the awards for Emerging Chef, Outstanding Chef and Outstanding Restaurant.
The awards night, held at Whangārei Art Museum on April 30, was a great success for Russell overall, with eateries from the small Far North town claiming eight of the 15 awards.
Hōne’s Garden, a pizza restaurant and previous supreme winner, bagged two awards while Rata’s Kitchen, a new establishment at Russell Boating Club in Matauwhi Bay, and Omata Estate Vineyard & Kitchen, between Russell and Ōkiato, won one each.
The People’s Choice award went to The Quay at Whangārei’s Town Basin.
He aimed to source 80 per cent of his produce from the region — he’d just driven to Whangārei’s Parua Bay to buy locally grown pineapples, for example — and was trying to champion Northland as a top food-producing region.
The restaurant also had three gardens and a small orchard on-site.
“We’re trying to turn Northland into a food destination, not just a place [where] you come and look at dolphins. We want to create a story of how beautiful the region is and what we’re capable of. I hope the win will put Northland on the culinary map and show we can compete with the big boys in the big cities.”
The multi-award-winning Sage Restaurant team at the 2023 Northland Hospitality Awards in Whangārei.
Fraser also gave credit to the Duke of Marlborough, where he had worked for nine years, the “massive team effort” at Sage and his “invaluable” senior sous chef Guillaume Laurent.
He wasn’t quite sure what was behind Russell’s success, but said the town was home to “a lot of passionate hospitality people”.
“We’re just kicking goals at the moment,” he said.
Jade Hennessy, of Hello Pickle on Whangārei’s Bank St, has been named Northland’s best barista for 2023. Photo / Tania Whyte
Meanwhile, coffee-loving Northlanders will be eager to know who won the title of best barista.
This year it went to Jade Hennessy of Hello Pickle on Whangārei’s Bank St, even though she’s only been in hospitality for 18 months.
The secret to being a good barista was simple: “It’s love, I guess ... and building that relationship with your customers, knowing what they want and how they like their coffee.”
Hennessy said she always had more success with things that made her happy — coffee was one of those things — and being surrounded by workmates who filled her day with laughter and support definitely helped.
Hōne’s Garden, a pizza restaurant and previous supreme winner in central Russell, won the Outstanding Front-of-House Team and Outstanding Ambience and Design awards. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Marisa Bidois, chief executive of the Restaurant Association of New Zealand, which runs the awards, said Te Tai Tokerau was home to some of the country’s best produce, served up in establishments ranging from fish-and-chip shops to fine-dining restaurants.
“With the cyclone and flooding, this region has had an incredibly challenging start to the year, so it’s now even more important that we take time out to recognise those people who showcase our incredible produce and welcome us into their establishments,” she said.
The awards are decided not by outside judges, but by the winners’ peers in the Northland hospitality industry, so a win is especially coveted.
Black Collar Distillery, in Kerikeri, was named the best food and beverage producer. Photo / Peter de Graaf
And the winners are...
Outstanding Barista: Jade Hennessy, Hello Pickle, Whangārei. Finalists: Carl Vincent, Long Beach Coffee Cart; Brittany Cox, Nook Espresso; Tom Richardson, Third Wheel Coffee Co.
Outstanding Bartender: Victoria Alexander, Bad Habits, Paihia. Finalists: Sam Tarrant, Astroboy; Benjamin Thrippleton, Kindred Spirits; Dan Marsland, Split Bar & Restaurant.
Emerging Chef: Caitlin Rose Brown, Sage Restaurant, Russell. Finalists: Maata Tehamingi Hau Pou, Roost Restaurant & Bar; Guillaume Laurent, Sage Restaurant; Jess Berweger, The Cove Waipū.
Outstanding Chef: Daniel Fraser, Sage Restaurant, Russell. Finalists: Dean Thompson, Schnappa Rock; Marcus Berndt, Terra Restaurant; Sam Blomfield, The Quay.
