McRae Wins Southern South Island B+LNZ Director Vote
Matt McRae, a farmer from Mokoreta in Southland who runs a sheep, beef and dairy support business alongside a sheep stud, has been elected to the Beef +Lamb NZ Board as a farmer director.
Applications are open for young New Zealand chefs to plate up their best beef and lamb dishes in the hope of becoming the very first Beef + Lamb Young Ambassador Chef.
For 25 years, Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) has been shaping the careers of chefs across New Zealand by giving them the opportunity to be Ambassador Chefs.
To celebrate this, B+LNZ are offering a one-off opportunity for a young emerging chef to put their culinary skills to the test and join the 2021 Ambassador Chefs.
B+LNZ foodservice manager Lisa Moloney says the winning young chef will be someone who is hungry to learn more and take up opportunities to be mentored by some of New Zealand's top chefs.
"We see th eyoung chef as someone who can showcase their passion for cooking with New Zealand beef and lamb and use this opportunity to grow their culinary skills to tell the paddock to plate story in and exciting and innovative way," she says.
B+LNZ ambassador chef Phil Clark of Phil's Kitchen says he looks forward to the opportunity to give back to the industry and encourage young chefs to get creative in the kitchen.
"My advice to any young chef is to take your time and get the foundations right - there is no rush. Spend time working under great chefs and learn as much as you can and the rest will follow," he says.
Applications open 7 January and close at midnight on Friday 12 January.
Applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 25 years as of 31 January 2021 and either working as a junior chef in a restaurant or working as an apprentice or have completed an apprenticeship and working as a junior chef in a restaurant.
All applicants must be New Zealand residents.
Young chefs will need to present their best beef and lamb dishes with three finalists being invited to a cook-off event in Auckland in March 2021.
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A casualty of the storm that hit the Bay of Plenty recently was the cancelation of a field day at a leading Māori kiwifruit orchard at Te Puke.
Michael Wentworth has joined the team at Mission Estate Winery, filling the "big shoes" of former Chief Executive Peter Holley, who resigned in September last year, after almost 30 years running the storied Napier venue.
Some arable farmers are getting out of arable and converting to dairy in the faced of soaring fuel and fertiliser prices on top of a very poor growing season.
The New Zealand seed industry has reached a significant milestone with the completion and approval of the new seed certification system.
New Zealand's persimmon season will kick off early this year, with fruit set to hit shelves soon.

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