Nick Honeyman appointed Executive Chef at Sofitel

Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour appoints Nick Honeyman as Executive Chef

AUCKLAND, May 19, 2014

Nick Honeyman has been confirmed as Executive Chef at Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour with a wide ranging brief to make the 5-star hotel’s elegant Lava Dining his own.

Honeyman is well known in the cosmopolitan Auckland dining scene and comes to Sofitel from his most recent role as Executive Chef at The Commons in Takapuna.

He comes to Lava having worked in Australia, Japan and France before moving to New Zealand to take a role at Auckland’s award-winning fine dining restaurant, The French Café .

South African-born, Honeyman has had a passion for inventive cooking from a young age. At 18 he took off for Australia to pursue his dream of being a chef.

After finishing chef school in 2002, he worked as a Junior Sous Chef in Sydney’s French-Japanese restaurant Galileo before moving to Bordeaux in France, where he worked three summer seasons as Head Chef at Le Petit Leon.

Interspersed were stints at Paris’s three Michelin-starred restaurants L’Astrance and L’Arpege before he returned to Sydney as Senior Chef de Partie at Becasse restaurant.

Honeyman joined The French Café in January 2009 before moving on to several head chef roles in Auckland prior to The Commons.

Area General Manager of Sofitel New Zealand Wouter de Graaf says Honeyman’s diverse background in the kitchen will be an asset to Lava Dining, with his food philosophy carried into all outlets of the hotel.

“Our ethos is centered on gastronomy, design and culture, and we feel that Nick’s refined dining experience is perfectly suited to Lava Dining and the Sofitel brand. Unlike in many other hotel restaurants where the role is limited, as Executive Chef Nick will play an over-riding role in the culinary direction of Lava and the hotel.

“We are absolutely delighted to have secured Nick’s culinary services and expertise and we look forward to seeing what he has planned for Lava Dining,” said Mr de Graaf.

Honeyman is currently developing a new menu which will be launched to diners in late May.

Lava Dining provides room service for Sofitel guests and is also open for breakfast, lunch and dinner for guests and casual diners.

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