VIP menu showcases country's best

It’s purported to be the most prestigious event on our athletes’ calendar.

The NZ Olympic Committee’s Governor General’s Dinner on July 26 at Whitehall’s Banqueting House features more than 330 VIP guests, celebrating New Zealand’s best.

And nothing is more fitting for our top athletes than our nation’s finest cuisine, carefully designed by our most esteemed chef, award-winning Peter Gordon.

To be held the night before the world’s biggest sporting event gets underway, the banquet features a three course menu that reflects quality and our country’s reputation for sustainably produced food.

As a strong promoter of the New Zealand food industry, Peter contacted a number of noted New Zealand food producers for help in putting together the celebratory menu.

The evening’s starter is a delicate seafood preparation of miso marinated Ōra King salmon, manuka cold smoked Ōra King salmon and Kaipara oysters with wasabi sake dressing.

The main is a roast New Zealand lamb rack and NZ venison with mustard mashed potatoes, broadbeans, peas and artichokes, minted gremolata and chrain.

The meal is finished with a classic Kiwi favourite - baby pavlova with Little Melton mango yoghurt cream, passionfruit chocolate mousse, Heilala vanilla strawberries and kiwifruit.

Premium Ōra King Salmon is soon to be launched to New Zealand’s top chefs by South Island-based producer New Zealand King Salmon.

It has also been chosen for the menu at Kiwi House, the home of our Olympians during the games. An official partner of Kiwi house, NZ King Salmon was approached by Peter Gordon to provide our celebrated King salmon as one of the items on the ‘classic Kiwi barbecue’ menu during the two weeks.

More than 71kgs of fresh King salmon and 20 sides of Manuka cold smoked salmon were flown into Heathrow on July 20 in preparation for the events.

NZ King Salmon foodservice marketing general manager Jemma McCowan says donating premium Ōra King salmon was a simple decision.

“We couldn’t be more proud to have our salmon represent the best of New Zealand at the Olympics. I know the teams’ dieticians will be happy too – for peak performance there’s probably no more nutritious meal option,” she says.

Note:

1: The King salmon species produced in New Zealand is noted for its numerous health benefits including heart and eye health, inflammation reduction and its high long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids content.

2: Nelson-based NZ King Salmon produces 55 per cent of the world’s King salmon.