Supper Club raises $138,000 for Ronald McDonald Family Retreat

Tummies were full and smiles wide after a night of cocktails, canapes, live entertainment and multicourse meals.

The Supper Club was held tonight for the ninth year running, with the pre-function at Novotel Rotorua Lakeside.

It included a live auction, a silent auction with electronic bidding, and a random draw of tables from the various venues where guests dined after 7pm.

The auctions and ticket sales raised $138,141, just shy of last year's tally of $142,000.

Tickets were $100 per person and sold in tables of eight.

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The funds go towards the operational cost of the Ronald McDonald Family Retreat, in Ngongotaha, which is used by families with children who are seriously ill.

Ticket-holders were moved by a speech from the Tamihere family from Kawerau, who stayed in the retreat after their son Mikaera was diagnosed with leukaemia at age 16.

The top auction item was a cruise holiday for two in Europe, valued at more than $20,000 put together by helloworld, Singapore Airlines and Windstar Cruises.

Ngahuia Hubbard placed the winning bid of $25,000.

Also up for grabs was a Stone Interiors $20,000 kitchen, bathroom or reception package which went for $17,000.

Supper Club organiser Linley Parry said she was "utterly overwhelmed by the amazing generosity".

Not all Supper Club tables went to dine at restaurants, some were in unusual locations with guest chefs such as My Kitchen Rules teams.

One of those locations was the Rotorua Fire Station where former MasterChef New Zealand semifinalist Vanessa Baxter cooked.

The Ronald McDonald House ambassador spent all of Tuesday sourcing ingredients and preparing to serve a four-course meal.

"I always add an Asian tweak, so the courses include spiced pulled beef brisket, gin-cured salmon with wasabi, spicy pork in a noodle broth, and lemon curd tart with black sesame icecream for dessert."

Lake Okareka Rural Fire Force member Stu Pinfold said the night coincided well with their scheduled training.

It involved up to 24 firefighters "training just outside of the dining room window" at the Rotorua Fire Station.