Food campaign lambasted by restaurateurs

Press, 26 January 1988, Page 9

Food campaign lambasted by restaurateurs

PA Auckland The Minister of Tourism, Mr Goff, launched a New Zealand food campaign yesterday, but top restaurateurs doubt that his scheme cuts the mustard.

Mr Goff crowed confidently as he launched the “Taste New Zealand” campaign in Queenstown, but the project has been lambasted as a waste of taxpayer’s money and parts of it were called useless. “New Zealand food is fresh and tasty, with no need to bow to any other national cuisine,” Mr Goff said.

“Through the campaign we want to heighten the image of our food, improve the quality of its presentation, underline its importance within the holiday experience and help overseas visitors and New Zealanders to appreciate it.”

But the Minister may be guilty of trying to have his cake and eat it too. As far as Tony Astle,

the owner and chef at Antoine’s Restaurant in Parnell is concerned, the campaign is a great idea. The problem is that New Zealanders who try to get the great food Mr Goff is talking about can be left floundering around. “Obviously New Zealand has great food but any time it’s around, it gets exported,” Mr Astle said.

“In the past we’ve tried so hard to promote New Zealand food but we can’t get it so we’ve lost interest in the community spirit. The Government doesn’t help us.” Even if the best cuts and most succulent seafood were available, New Zealanders were apparently fish out of water when it came to serving. “With the Government’s immigration laws we can’t even get waiters. New Zealanders don’t want to be waiters. Service staff from this country are diabolical,” Mr Astle said.

Chatterleys in Ponsonby

is one of more than 300 restaurants Mr Goff claims to be involved in the campaign. Nevertheless, a co-owner and chef, Mr Peter Meikle, also has

a few bones to pick with the Minister.

“It just seems to be another expensive campaign to use taxpayers’ money,” he said.

Mr Goff is enthusiastic about aims to develop regional cuisines. But it is an idea Mr Astle and Mr Meikle find hard to stomach.

“Regional food is a useless idea,” Mr Astle said. “New Zealand as a whole is a region. The West Coast might have white bait fritters as a regional dish but we get their white bait the same day they do.”

Mr Meikle agreed that ideas about regional food would not work in New Zealand. “Items came from throughout the country so strictly regional dishes would have little to work with,” he said.