We are delighted that two of New Zealand’s most respected food personalities, Lauraine Jacobs and Geoff Scott are returning to judge the New Zealand dishes in the 2017 Ora King Awards competition.
Lauraine Jacobs writes the weekly food column for the NZ Listener and is one of the country’s most experienced restaurant critics and culinary judges.
Trained at the London Cordon Bleu School, she has been writing on all matters culinary for more than 25 years, starting as food editor of Fashion Quarterly in the late ’80s, and served as food editor for Cuisine magazine until 2009. Her bestselling cook book, The Confident Cook, is a much loved and used book in many New Zealand homes.
A passionate cook and lover of simply presented fresh food, she has won many food and recipe writing awards including two Gold Ladles at the World Food Media Awards. Lauraine spent eight years on the Board of Directors of the USA-based International Association of Culinary Professionals and served as president of this prestigious group in 2002. She was a member of the 2005/2006 New Zealand Government-appointed Food & Beverage Taskforce, and has also served as a food and wine ambassador for New Zealand’s Trade & Enterprise initiative in North America.
Lauraine proudly accepted an MNZM in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2009 for services to the food industry. She lives in Auckland, and continues to be passionate about the amazing culinary possibilities for New Zealand food and wine, and is a member of the Advisory Board for ConversatioNZ. Her dream is that New Zealand becomes an internationally recognised food tourism destination.
Acclaimed chef and restaurateur, Geoff Scott , has been delighting kiwi diners with his unique style of cuisine, which combines the finest European style of cooking with fresh New Zealand produce for over a decade.
Geoff trained under the famous Roux brothers, Alain Ducasse and Michel Rostang, and in restaurants across Europe, before returning to New Zealand in 2005 and taking ownership of his own highly successful restaurant Vinnies in Herne Bay. Having closed the doors of Vinnies in 2016. Geoff is now a consultant, lecturer and judge for food competitions across the country, and is a regular contributor to BITE magazine.
CHEFS TOUR OF JAPAN
Lauraine Jacobs and Geoff Scott, will accompany the international Ora King team and Ora King chefs from around the globe, to Japan this October. The group of Ora King chefs will comprise of three Best Dish finalists from New Zealand, Australia and North America respectively, in addition to an Ambassador Chef from each region and a few select international guest chefs.
This discerning group of culinary talent will embark upon a true Chef’s Tour of Japan; an ‘off the tourist trail’ journey of exploration into Japanese food culture and cuisine, visiting some of Japan’s most prominent restaurants and artisan producers. The highlight of the trip will be The Ōra’s ceremony in Tokyo.
Lauraine comments “It’s truly exciting that the Ōra King Awards are to be announced in Japan this year. Japanese chefs are meticulous about ingredients and while it is both encouraging and reassuring to see so many choosing to work with Ōra King, it is even better to consider the impact this will have on raising the profile of both the premium salmon and other beautiful New Zealand produce in Japan and internationally. It is an inspired and astute move and I am really looking forward to returning to Japan again.”
Both Geoff and Lauraine are incredibly passionate about New Zealand cuisine and are highly motivated to create awareness of the high quality produce our small country has to offer. The Japan trip will provide the Ora King finalist chefs with an opportunity to not only explore Japan’s culinary culture and heritage, but also connect with their international peers to share their creative insights and experiences.
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