Born and raised on a dairy farm in Waikato, New Zealand. Ben as a young chef won Commis Chef of the Year 1999, National Youth Skills 2000 and the Bill Gallagher scholarship at Johnson and Wales University of Culinary Arts in Providence, Rhode Island, USA.

Bayly then spent the next 8 years working in famed restaurants around the world. Fenix in Melbourne, Le Crique in Las Vegas, The Square & the Ledbury in the U.K, Restaurant Jean-Paul Jeunet and Atelier de Joel Robuchon in France.

In 2009 Bayly returned home to New Zealand and is the executive chef of the 3 Hat restaurant-The Grove. In 2013 Bayly opened the Italian Baduzzi in the North Wharf, immediately gaining 2 Hats in the Cuisine Good Food Guide.

Other Awards include Metro Supreme Restaurant of the Year award 2010 & 2011, and Best Cuisine Metropolitan restaurant 2012, Best speciality restaurant 2014 & Cuisine Good Food Guide Chef of the Year 2014.

1980: Royal NZ Army Regular Force.
Apprentice Chef -London City & Guilds 706/1 – 706/2.
1990: Air New Zealand Flight Catering Auckland Airport.
1993: Restaurateur, Brier Patch Creole Restaurant Paraparaumu NZ.
1998: Restaurateur, Copper Creole Restaurant Rotorua NZ.
2000: Chef 4 Leone Restaurant Fienza Italy
2001: Chef Hyatt Hotel Adaleida Australia.
2002: Chef NZ General Residence LAX USA
2003: Chef Tutor San Antonio U.S.A School of Arts & Craft
New Zealand Chefs Association Innovative Chef of the Year
NZ Cuisine Magazine, Award Winner for Innovation & Excellence.
2004: Company Director Roera 2004 Ltd T/A Kinaki NZ®
2005: Chef Four Seasons Hotel Milano Italy.
2006: Chef NZ General Residence LAX USA
2007: Chef South West School of Art & Craft San Antonio Texas U.S.A
2008: Chef Tutor Central Market Cooking School Austin Texas U.S.A
2009: Chef Shanghai Beijing China
2010: Chef Tour Guide Kinaki NZ.
2011: Author Cooking with Charles Royal.
2014: Director Chef Roera 2004 Ltd Trading as Kinaki NZ®

Cookery has been a huge part of my life. Starting at a young age cooking for a shearing gang for 3 weeks (taking time away from school) at just 13, I have worked at nothing else since.

With wife Glenise and our family we currently operate Paddington Arms (Gastro Pub) in Invercargill, Southland’s most awards winning eatery which the family have operated for almost 22 years.

Back in time we employed the boys on a part time basis – they now roster me on a part time basis, an opportunity I am very much enjoying. In addition I also assist Beef + Lamb NZ and the Alliance Group Limited as consulting chef.

I feel very fortunate to still be able to work the pass and have no less passion for the culinary arts than I did when I entered this most satisfying profession 50 years ago.

Over the years in conjunction with our sons and their wives we have operated six other outlets in Invercargill – three contract catering, two licensed restaurants and an entertainment centre. During that period we employed more than 80 full time staff, 20 permanent part time staff along with several casual team members.

To succeed with five operations on five differing premises and styles we adopted a management style of a good working chef, allowing team members to maximise their potential through their own drive and passion with our guidance – with praise for the accomplishments and a quick bandaid and encouraging advice for any slip up’s. A style we as a family still adopt today.

As co-writer of the original culinary guidelines for judges and competitors in New Zealand and instigator of the first judging seminars, I recognise what a tremendous job has been done in lifting the standards of our judging for N Z Chefs members. It would be my intention to continue with the lifting of the standards by offering the opportunity for all our registered judges to move up one level including the international levels of WorldChefs. Having achieved the highest level of judging with WorldChefs in the past I would hope to see other NZChefs rise to the same level.

Murray Dicks recent appointment as our WorldChefs Continental Director is a position I am very familiar with. As such I feel it is an appropriate time to support Murray in his role in the Pacific while giving something back to the Industry that has given everything to me.

It has been great to see the NZ Chefs as a group evolve, develop and mature over recent years and I very much look forward to be part of its further development in the near future and ‘sharing a passion for all things culinary’ with your all.

Graham Hawkes (Hawksy)
Life member of NZ Chefs
Member of NZ Chefs Hall of Fame
Honorary Member of WorldChefs
Inaugural recipient of HNZ Hospitality Industry Personality Award

I am a culinarian who likes to use food as the medium to connect with people and amongst the communities I am part of. I was Born in 1966 and lived in the coastal home of Whananaki, New Zealand where sharing of produce and the catch was common practice.

I now call Tauranga home where I work at the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic as a Chef lecturer.
The more I travel and experience other cultures the more excited and passionate I am about food and the positive influence it can have.

Where have I been for culinary training?

City & Guilds 7065/1 Waikato Polytechnic, Hamilton
City & Guilds 7065/, Waikato Polytechnic, New Zealand
City & Guilds 7065/2, Solihull College of Technology, England
City & Guilds Pastry, Birmingham College of Food, England
Batchelor of Culinary Arts. Otago Polytechnic, Dunedin
Post Grad in Adult and Further Education, Wolverhampton University, England

Where have I done ‘Stages’?

Heston Blumenthal the Fat Duck, England
Grand Formosa Hotel, Taiwan
Bear & Rugged Staff, England
Dine by Peter Gordon, Auckland
Michael Naddel, London England

Mark Gregory is the first New Zealand chef awarded the “Master of Culinary Arts” by the Royal Academy and the French “Meilleur Ouvrier” ( Master Craftsman ) status, after enjoying a career spanning two decades in top European kitchens, television and books. Following 19 year working in Europe Mark returned home to New Zealand with his family in 2007.

His daughter Analiese also a chef spending four year as head chef to Peter Gilmore at Quay restaurant in Sydney which is listed in San Pellegrino Worlds “Top 50 Restaurants”

Today Mark, designs for his Chefs wear brand Le Chef, is a director of Denny’s, Eveve Software, RestaurantHub. Consults for leading New Zealand companies incl Lion, Cookie Time and Kenwood Delonghi as well as founding trustee of DineAid, the charity for the NZ restaurant industry.

Executive Chef & Co-Owner, The Musket Room – Chef Matt Lambert marries his New Zealand heritage with a modern, innovative culinary technique at The Musket Room, where he is the Executive Chef and Co-owner, in partnership with restaurateur Jennifer Vitagliano and Manager Barbara, his wife.

Lambert’s menu draws inspiration from his Kiwi upbringing, experience working in New York City’s best kitchens and passion for locally sourced produce. Under his leadership, The Musket Room received a highly coveted Michelin Star, just four months after opening in May of 2013. Born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, Lambert knew from a young age that he wanted to be a chef.

After applying for his first job at age 11 (the chef told him to come back when he was of age), Matt first found himself in a kitchen at 14, washing dishes and getting to know the industry that would become his life. At 16, he was granted an apprenticeship with New Zealand restaurateur Garry Bates, an experience which lead to his acceptance into the Culinary Program at Auckland University of Technology.

In 1999, Lambert relocated to Wellington, New Zealand, where he worked in various restaurants while completing his degree at Whitireia Community Polytechnic.

Shortly after graduating, Lambert and his mother opened a café called Sun Seair. Realizing that he still had a lot to learn about the business, Lambert returned to Auckland to work at Mediterranean mainstay, Red, and alongside Chef Michael Meredith at The Grove, where he met his future wife Barbara.

There, Lambert honed his craft and developed a passion for combining classical techniques with Asian flavors. Meredith impressed Lambert with his ability to stay current on global culinary trends, and it was, in part, with his encouragement that Lambert went to the United States.

Soon after relocating with Barbara to her home state, Lambert was hired as a sous chef at John’s Café in Woodbury, CT. Lambert loved working with local farmers to create his seasonal menus, while combining various American ingredients with those of New Zealand.

After two years at John’s Café, Lambert secured a position at PUBLIC, a one star Michelin-rated restaurant owned by the AvroKO group. There, he was quickly promoted to Sous Chef at their sister restaurant Double Crown and eventually worked his way up to Chef de Cuisine of PUBLIC and Saxon + Parole, which opened in 2011.

In his time with AvroKO, Lambert had the opportunity to compete on “Chopped” on the Food Network, taking home first place at the end of the episode.

When not in the kitchen, Lambert enjoys spending time with his son, traveling and playing the drums. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @MusketMatt.

Michael left school at 16 to pursue a cooking career in the Royal New Zealand Army, things didn’t go according to plan and after a severe knee injury, Michael found himself back in his home town of Dunedin, looking to continue where he left off.

Michael completed his training as a chef at the Otago Polytechnic, whilst filling a multitude of kitchen positions in Central Otago and Dunedin , gleaning as much knowledge and skill that he could.

Of the 33 years Michael has been cooking he has spent 28 of these self employed in various operations in Alexandra and Clyde to his 18 years as Chef / Patron at the celebrated Bell Pepper Blues Restaurant in Dunedin.

Michael’s passion for food and especially his enthusiasm for meat is reflected in his success of winning many cooking competitions including Southern Venison Plate, the Nation Cervena Plates, he has been a four time selected Ambassador for Beef & Lamb New Zealand and current life time Platinum Ambassador with 3 fellow chefs that hold this very exclusive title.

Michael has currently focused his skills and passion to the opening up and running of the Pier24 kitchen at Newly built Hotel on St Clair Beach “Hotel St Clair” that was built and opened 5 years ago.

Alongside this busy operation, Michael spends a great deal of his time consulting and working with the Product Development & Marketing team from Silver Fern Farms up and down the Country, which is why he is here today to help us share with you our ‘Plate to Pasture Story”

Chef Michael Meredith was born in Samoa, and moved to New Zealand when he was 13. His passion for food and cooking was born when he enrolled at Auckland University of Technology.

After that he left to study at The Culinary Institute of America for several months and then staged at several top-notch Manhattan restaurants, including Montrachet, March, and Gramercy Tavern.

Upon his return to New Zealand, Meredith worked his way through the best of Auckland’s kitchens: Antoine’s, Vinnies, and then as the founding chef of The Grove.

In September of 2007 Meredith opened his eponymous restaurant in Mt. Eden, Auckland. Since its opening, Merediths has received numerous accolades, including the Metro Audi Restaurant Award of Supreme Winner and also the Cuisine Restaurant of the year 2012 and recently Michael won Metro Audi Ward of Best Chef 2012.

New Zealand-born, Philip Johnson has become one of Australia’s most celebrated chefs, honing his skills in Australia, London and New Zealand before settling in Brisbane which he now calls home.

Philip opened his landmark bistro, e’cco, in 1995 and very quickly made a name for himself with his win of the 1997 Remy Martin Cognac/Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant of the Year award, a stunning achievement for Philip, but also a coup of Queensland.

Philip conducts numerous cooking classes, demonstrations and guest chef appearances, both nationally and internationally. He has also donated his services to many charities, working alongside a stellar line-up of industry peers to raise much needed funds for many worthwhile causes, including the Starlight Children’s Foundation, Bestest, Mission Australia, AEIOU and The Leukaemia Foundation.

As one of Australia’s leading chefs, Philip has contributed recipes to a multitude of book publications. He featured as a weekly columnist for The Courier Mail’s Good Life supplement from 2002 until 2008. Then he featured in Brisbane lifestyle magazine, Brisbane News from 2009 until 2012. This year Philip began as a weekly columnist in the Qweekend supplement of the Courier Mail.

Philip has also authored six of his own cookbooks. They all include a wonderful collection of recipes that are distinctively Philip Johnson – unpretentious food, simple yet stunning – and a reflection of the ideas and beliefs that have made e’cco the success it is today. His latest offering, Eating In, was released in August 2010 and what Philip considers his best work yet.

Chef Corey Hume was born and raised in Christchurch, New Zealand. He trained at Christchurch Polytechnic and won a scholarship to further his training at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, Providence, USA.

Throughout his career Corey has been a representative for New Zealand, Australia and Australasia (as a whole) numerous times and is currently on the New Zealand Fonterra Olympic Squad.

Corey is the Executive chef for one of the world’s most exclusive and well-regarded lodges, “Blanket Bay” in the Otago town of Glenorchy. There he and his team cater to some of the most discerning guests who all have the highest expectation in service, wine and of course cuisine.

Whilst running the day to day operations of the Blanket Bay kitchen, Corey still finds time to foster, train and mentor his team not only in their careers but also in the culinary competition arena where he has helped train New Zealand “Commis Chef of the Year” as well as New Zealand “Pastry Chef of the Year”. A true testament to his passion for cuisine, competitions and the hospitality industry.

Corey will bring his vast experience and driving passion for the industry and New Zealand produce to the roll of Board Member for Bocuse d’Or New Zealand. He will be adding another strong “string” of expertise and skill to the Bocuse d’Or New Zealand “bow”.