Wednesday, 08 October 2025 14:25

Craggy Range’s Casey McDonald wins Cuisine Chef of the Year 2025

Written by  Staff Reporters
The “next chapter” in Craggy Range hospitality is The Loft, where guests gather around a shared banquet table. The “next chapter” in Craggy Range hospitality is The Loft, where guests gather around a shared banquet table.

Craggy Range Restaurant’s Casey McDonald has been named Cuisine Chef of the Year 2025, in recognition of an “unwavering dedication to quality and sustainability”.

Meanwhile, the Hawke’s Bay restaurant he runs – which sources fresh produce from its own garden and local suppliers – won Cuisine’s Winery Restaurant of the Year 2025, with its two hats lifted to three.

Casey says the awards recognise every member of the wider Craggy Range family, “from the kitchen and floor, to the winery and vineyard teams”.

Amisfield in Lake Hayes took out the American Express Restaurant of the Year award, returning to the title it held from 2021-2023, and adding to a swathe of accolades this year, including being ranked 99th in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 51-100 list for 2025.

Cuisine’s Villa Maria Sommeliers and Wine Experience of the Year 2025 went to Katie Woodhead and Victoria Birsen from Cellar 495 in Hastings.

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