Vaughan Mabee: Amisfield Executive Chef on the restaurant being named third best in the world in Food & Wine’s Global Tastemaker Awards

Central Otago has once again caught the attention of world-renowned food critics. 

In Food & Wine’s Global Tastemaker Awards, Queenstown’s Amisfield has been named the third best restaurant in the world.  

It was recognised in the Top 15 International Restaurants category, with the judges saying it was a “beacon for wine enthusiasts worldwide who seek an unparalleled dining experience”.  

Executive Chef Vaughan Mabee told Mike Hosking they’re always striving to improve and give their guests an amazing experience. 

He says they try to show them the beauty and bounty of New Zealand and its differences through our food and wine.

Mabee was also voted in the world's top 45 chefs – the sole Kiwi in the top hundred.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good news for hospital and Central O Tiger. If you've
missed this one, probably the whole country got Good Food
and Wine's Global Taste Maker Awards. They've named Queenstown's Ammersfield
as the third best in the world. A beacon I quote,
a beacon for wine enthusiasts world whye who seek an
unparalleled dining experience, is how the judge put it. Msfield,
executive Chef of Vaughan. Maybe he's with us born Very

(00:21):
good morning to you.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
What do Mike? How are you matte?

Speaker 1 (00:25):
Very well? Indeed, do you realize at the time you're
being judged and these are people there for any sort
of aventors it all sort of blind tasting.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
Do you realize when you're being judged?

Speaker 1 (00:35):
You mean, yeah, do they come there and go where
the judge is from the magazine or the awards committee,
you know, or do they do it secretly like Michelin.

Speaker 2 (00:42):
Sometimes sometimes you pick up judges some of the awards
that were involved in You're clueless, you know, and you
just kind of play the game of trying to give
everyone on the same experience and put consistency out.

Speaker 1 (00:58):
There, you know, fantastic. Would you have rated yourself as
highly as this, I mean, third best in the world
is really quite something, isn't it.

Speaker 2 (01:06):
I mean it's pretty huge. I Mean what I can
say is that we have a you know, super passionate
team there that is always striving to improve and just
get better and give our guests an amazing experience. We
try to show them the beauty and the bounty of

(01:27):
New Zealand and our difference through our food and our wine.

Speaker 1 (01:31):
Does it and I know you're biased, does the food
speak for itself or does the whole environment add to it?
By the time you get into that beautiful restaurant, in
the beautiful surroundings, it all adds up to a piece
of magic.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
I mean, it's the whole thing, you know. It's the place,
you know, it's the longevity of the restaurant with the
amazing team. It's the food, it's the beautiful organic wine
from our vineyard. It's all combined into one story of

(02:03):
New Zealand that's unique and people are loving it, you know.

Speaker 1 (02:09):
And you're on the shoulder season now, is it still
busy in your area?

Speaker 2 (02:13):
It always tapes off a little bit, and I mean,
to be honest, that's kind of good for our team
just to get like a tiny little bit where we're
not getting bombarded every day after day, you know, and
that's the kind of little luxury of living in a
beautiful town like Queens.

Speaker 1 (02:31):
Sound good on your quick word on the vintage? Was
it good this season? The grapes will be ina? Is
everyone fizzing?

Speaker 2 (02:38):
Hey? Listen, my team in the restaurant from the front
and in the kitchen, we're out there picking grapes, helping
the team over at the vineyard and the peace Arrange.
And you know, it's looking like an amazing year. We
even had the owner, John Darby out there looking around

(02:58):
yesterday and it looks like from what he sees that
it's going to be an amazing year.

Speaker 1 (03:03):
Good one you're born will go well with it and
warmness congratulations are putting New Zealand on the map and
helping the tourism industry. Born maybe who's the Ammersfield executive shift?
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