Good food in NZ

Travelling when you are watching what you eat can be a hassle. You want to find the best thing for you and it isn’t always easy.

Lucky for us Heritage Hotels is launching a Good Food Project across its range of New Zealand hotels.

The project is a series of six commitments or promises to provide guests with healthy eating options and will be gradually rolled out across Heritage’s hotels throughout the country.

The six commitments include: showcasing New Zealand’s seasonal produce in every Heritage Hotel; introducing vegan and vegetarian dishes on every menu; rolling out the successful raw breakfast bar across the Heritage Hotels group; ensuring all the hotels cook with healthier vegetable based oil alternatives; catering to specific dietary requirements, such as gluten free; and developing healthy food options for kids.

Foodies everywhere are placing greater importance on locally sourced, sustainable ingredients with the raw food movement sweeping the world.

The raw breakfast bar concept was first introduced in 2013 at Heritage Auckland’s Hectors Restaurant, New Zealand’s first accredited vegetarian hotel restaurant.

Executive chef Jinu Abraham is leading the development of the new dishes that will be appearing on all Heritage Hotel menus.

“This is an opportunity to change the perceptions of hotel food,” said Abraham. “We are preparing vegetables, fruit, herbs, beans and nuts in ways that retain their natural flavours and nutritional value. Our raw dishes utilise a number of techniques such as preserving, pickling, compression, dehydration and sprouting to enhance the taste. With every meal, we’re celebrating New Zealand’s vibrant and varied cuisine.”

The executive chefs at each Heritage Hotel are also creating their own unique recipes, featuring the finest produce from their particular region. Signature dishes from around the country include Grilled Fiordland Wild Venison Denver Leg from Heritage Queenstown and Cedar Planked Tofu with Wasabi Salsa from Heritage Auckland.