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.
The closure of the McCain processing plant and the recent announcement of 300 job losses at Wattie’s underscore the mounting pressure facing New Zealand’s manufacturing sector, Buy NZ Made says.
Specialist agriculture lender Oxbury has entered the New Zealand market, offering livestock finance to farmers.
New research suggests Aotearoa New Zealand farmers are broadly matching phosphorus fertiliser use to the needs of their soils, helping maintain relatively stable nutrient levels across the country’s agricultural land.
Helensville farmers, Donald and Kirsten Watson of Moreland Pastoral, have been named the Auckland Regional Supreme Winners at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
Marc and Megan Lalich were named 2026 Share Farmers of the Year at last night's Canterbury/North Otago Dairy Industry Awards.
William John Poole, a third year Agribusiness student at Massey University, has been awarded the Dr Warren Parker and Pāmu Scholarship.

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