Guests to enjoy mouth-watering menus at Eden Park Pavilion during Rugby World Cup 2011

Raukumara Red New Zealand wild venison, South Island salmon, Canterbury prime steer beef eye fillet and Cambridge duck are just a few of the dishes on the menu for guests who have purchased Official Hospitality Packages in the impressive Eden Park Pavilion during Rugby World Cup 2011.

The menus have been created by Auckland business Austin’s Food Design Events, whose team of highly trained chefs will be serving a superb four-course fine dining experience for up to 3,000 guests per match in the Pavilion.

The brief given to Austin’s by Rugby Travel & Hospitality (RTH) was to design a series of menus which showcase fresh, quality produce proudly sourced from New Zealand.

“We wanted the ingredients prepared with passion to create spectacular dishes packed full of flavour and served with generosity and style,” says Claire Martin, Head of Operations for RTH.

Leading the menu design for Austin’s was Executive Head Chef Cobus Klopper, who honed his cooking skills under world-renowned chef Peter Gordon.

For each match, Cobus and his team have designed pre match canapés, entrée, main course, dessert, a cheese course and post match finger food.

"It has been exciting for my team and I to be involved with Rugby World Cup 2011. There is no better feeling than putting your passion, heart and soul onto a plate on such a large stage,” says Cobus.

Each match will have a different menu, so that guests who are attending more than one match will enjoy a new choice each time.

The food will be accompanied by fine New Zealand wine, which is being provided by Tournament sponsors Brancott Estate. There will also be complimentary Heineken beer and non-alcoholic beverages on offer for guests.

Menus have also been designed for the various other Official Hospitality Packages on offer during the Tournament. Rugby New Zealand 2011’s appointed caterers are providing the in stadia hospitality at the various stadiums throughout the country and where hospitality is being held off site the catering is being managed by the venue.

Overall, approximately 85 menus have been created for the Official Hospitality Programme, ranging from four-course fine dining to contemporary NZ finger food.

By the end of the Tournament the Official Hospitality Programme will have used approximately 200,000 plates, 150,000 wine glasses, 350,000 pieces of cutlery and 5,000 tablecloths.

Official Hospitality Packages are still available for purchase, including to the Final. Packages must be purchased through an Official Hospitality Agent or directly from RTH. For more information, please visit www.rth2011.com.