F.A.W.C! Talent
Check out the clever talent that will be showcased during Winter F.A.W.C! 2013
Ashley Jones
Ashley Jones - Head Chef Elephant Hill Winery
Ashley began his culinary career at acclaimed ‘Jaspers’ Restaurant under Head Chef Carl Ellis. He then moved to sister restaurant ‘Essence’ in Darling Harbour, Sydney.
Chris Scott
Chris Scott is Church Road's Senior Winemaker. He claims that the line between his interests and work is a bit blurred as he enjoys tasting a wide variety of wines, especially benchmark wines of the world. “All the best wines I try, stand out from their peers because of their texture and structure, aroma and flavour alone is not enough, and this has become a focus in my winemaking,” he says.
Dan Barker
Dan is a passionate winemaker with experience from some of the top performing wineries in Hawke's Bay, and has been involved in the New Zealand wine industry from both a sales and a manufacturing aspect for 18 years. Dan graduated from EIT with a degree in Wine Science in 2003. While being runner up for Young Winemaker of the Year in 2002, he was successful and won the title in 2003.
Dermot McCollum
Dermot is originally from Ireland. He graduated in chemical engineering from Queen’s University Belfast and spent more than 20 years working in the chemical and related industries, eventually joining ICI where he headed up the HSE function at their London Corporate Centre.
Gary Grootelaar
The aim of this Meat Master class is to help people understand that you do not need to spend $45 on a cut of meat when you can spend $9 on a different cut that has more flavor and more structure. With a little education and help from us you will be able to enjoy much more...
James Beck
James set up Taste Cornucopia in 2009, with the aim of bringing flavoursome, fresh & approachable organic food to Hastings. Prior to this he spent eight years cooking in top restaurants in Europe including the Savoy Hotel, Quiqui da Costa, Pastorale and Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck.
John Hancock
John is our President and Founder and an owner of Trinity Hill. He is one of the most charismatic personalities in the New Zealand Wine Industry with more than 35 years of experience in New Zealand, Australia and France, He graduated from the noteable Roseworthy College in South Australia in 1973.
Kate Galloway
Kate is Chief Winemaker for Alpha Domus which is located in the newly formed but well established Bridge Pa Triangle Wine District. She commenced in 2002 and 12 vintages on is still there. (I guess she likes it!) In addition to working vintages in Hawke’s Bay, Kate has travelled frequently to France where she has worked as flying winemaker in the Rhone Valley, Bergerac, Loire Valley and Jurancon regions.. “Working with the same varieties in different countries always reinforces for me how lucky we are in New Zealand with the fantastic purity and intensity of flavour in our grapes and in our food in general.”
Leyton Ashley
Born and raised in Wellington, Leyton has worked in over a dozen kitchens in New Zealand, Australia and the five star Hotel Bora Bora in Tahiti. Following a move to Hawke’s Bay in 2006, Leyton started with Terrôir at Craggy Range as sous chef and was promoted to Head Chef in 2009, a position he has now held for 4 years.
Malcolm Redmond
My passion for cooking goes back to my childhood days on the home farm near Methven. My mother was a perfectionist when it came to food and was famous for her hospitality in our community. She was my inspiration.
Martin Bosley
Martin is one of New Zealand’s finest chefs. His eponymous award-winning restaurant on the waterfront in Wellington’s Oriental Bay is a must-visit for all who appreciate the work of chefs at the height of their powers and creativity.
Paolo Pancotti
Paolo Pancotti cemented his place in Hawke’s Bay’s hospitality industry when he was announced winner of the Maimai Creek Outstanding Chef category in the 2010 Hawke’s Bay Hospitality Awards. Milk & Honey owner Sean Burns first met Paolo, who hails from Milan, about five years ago when he was invited down from Vivace in Auckland to feature as a guest chef at an Italian weekend at Craggy Range. It was there that Paolo also met Sass, now his wife.
Paul Greany
My mother likes to joke that I was born holding a lamb chop.
I grew up around meat, as my mother was a meatpacker in a butcher shop in Waipukurau and I used to hang around after school, she ended up running the shop and I ended up getting an apprenticeship.
Now I have my own shop in the heart of the village where I can give my customers what I truly believe in. Exceptional meat at a reasonable price. I have a passion for using secondary cuts to produce amazing meals and would love to be able to show customers what they can achieve in the kitchen with these cuts when cooked the right way.
Peter Gough
Peter Gough is the senior winemaker and viticulturist at Ngatarawa. His passion, knowledge and style make the ‘winemaker tastings’ a must-do.
Peter Robertson
Brookfields Vineyards, situated near the glistening waters of the Tutaekuri River, between Napier and Hastings was founded in 1937.
Brookfields Vineyards was purchased by the current owner Peter Robertson in 1977, who has since transformed Brookfields into a producer of fine wines. Brookfields Vineyards is Hawkes Bays oldest boutique winery.
Rex Morgan
Rex is chef & co-owner of the iconic Boulcott St Bistro in Wellington & a director of Citron culinary consultancy group. He also owned the well known degustation restaurant Citron.
Richard Highnam
Richard’s culinary career started in the late 1990’s working under New Zealand chef legends including Peter Thornley, Rex Morgan, Al Brown and Simon Wright – head chef of The French Café. Whilst in the employ of The French Café – the team won the Supreme Metro Restaurant of the Year and Overall Cuisine Restaurant of the year in 2006.
Rod Mcdonald
My first memory of wine being on the radar was at my grandparents place, Christmas dinner, when I was ten. Papa always fancied a drink, his martini’s and G&T’s were the stuff of legend. He also loved entertaining, big dinners, a bottle or two of special wine on the table. There was always a story that went with it. Great wine is all about that.
Sebastian Sylwan
Sebastian Sylwan is currently Chief Technology Officer at Weta Digital, bringing structure and focus to the studio's long tradition of innovation. Before joining Weta, Sebastian served as Autodesk’s Senior Film Industry Manager where he helped set the global strategy for Autodesk’s film products, including their first steps into stereoscopic 3D. Sebastian also served as Director of Technology at LA's Digital Domain as well as Principal Technology Advisor at USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies.
Terry Lowe
Terry Lowe has been Head Chef at Black Barn Bistro Havelock North since it’s opening in 2003. With his dedicated team, he has established an international reputation as a ‘must visit’ for locals and visitors to Hawke’s Bay.
Tony Bish
"The unique thing about Sacred Hill wine making - texture - it is our hallmark stamp. The craft is in developing layers to create wines where smell, taste and mouth feel combine for complete enjoyment" Tony BIsh.
Yvonne Lorkin
Born and bred in Hawkes Bay but now based in Christchurch, Yvonne Lorkin is the beverages editor for Dish Magazine, writes a syndicated weekly newspaper wine column for nine NZ newspapers, is a fortnightly guest on “Afternoons with Jim Mora” on Radio NZ National and a weekly guest on Your Home & Garden every Saturday Morning on Radio Live.
