A Taste Of AUT For Restaurant Month

From cocktails infused with hyperlocal plants to the strange pairing of chocolate and cheese, AUT’s Culinary Arts and Gastronomy Winter Series 2022 is a must for the food enthusiast.

Spread over 10 days in August, the general public will be treated to a series of events that showcase food and academic thought in an accessible and delicious way, put on by the School of Hospitality and Tourism.

The showcase event - A Taste of AUT – will see guests come together for a special evening as they are treated to a live art installation and cocktail infusions, created with plants foraged from within 1km of the University by the botanical artist Mamakan.

The infusions will be served with canapés of charcuterie (cured meats) hand-crafted from free-range and organic cuts cured on campus by students in collaboration with the Lady Butcher, also known as Hannah Miller.

Guests will then enjoy beverages and a four-course meal, prepared by culinary arts students with star chefs Simon Gault, Kate Fay and Matthew Lambert. The evening will be capped with a high-scoring chocolate dessert designed by patisserie student Ngaiwi Kahukoka.

“If you are interested in connecting with others over food then you will love AUT’s Winter Series. All of our events have an eating or drinking component and are affordable, not run for profit,” says Lecturer Robert Richardson, co-organiser of the series.

“The Winter Series is our way to support the industry, to boost excitement around food after what has been a tough few years, while at the same time sharing some of the expertise at our School, celebrating our links with industry, and providing a quality podium for our students to take part in.”

Other events happening from August 16-26, include a session looking at the work of The Pacific Food Lab, an initiative to help create resilient and sustainable food systems in Aotearoa/New Zealand and the broader Pacific region.

A guided tasting will explore alcoholic drinks that can receive a bad rap – gin, tequila, absinthe, Champagne and kava – asking whether they can be dragged back into the realm of respectability.

Bumped from last year due to lockdown, there will be a screening of Yottem Ottolenghi’s acclaimed film Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles, followed by a delectable selection of sweet and savoury patisserie and teas, with a glass of Mumm champagne.

Also part of the series is a taste-bud journey into the pairing of chocolate and cheese, a guided trip to Waiheke Island’s best vineyards and a boutique distillery, master classes by top chefs, how to cook different cuts of venison, and a discussion of what it takes to make a career of in the food industry.

AUT’s Culinary Arts and Gastronomy Winter Series 2022 is made possible with the support of Beef + Lamb New Zealand, Behemoth Brewing Company, Brancott Estate, Callebaut, Cervena, Fonterra, Pernod Ricard, and Scapegrace Distillery.

The series sits alongside Restaurant Month, a celebration of food organised by Auckland’s business association for the city centre, Heart of the City.

AUT is ranked in the top 100 universities world-wide for Hospitality & Leisure Management by the QS World University Subject Rankings 2022.

More information on the Culinary Arts and Gastronomy Winter Series 2022 and links to the event listings and how to purchase tickets can be found on AUT’s website.

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