Chefs’ Night Out

Chefs hard at work in the
Chefs’ Night Out kitchen:
If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen! 

For the past eight years, a special event has been held in Hamilton, NZ. It involves very little fuss and almost no publicity but is an example of what can be done when many people come together for a common cause. Behind the scenes, an incredible amount of effort and meticulous care goes into Chefs’ Night Out, all orchestrated by long-time Hamilton Central Rotarians Yvonne and Fred Phillips.
 

Volunteers who arrive on the night to serve food and wine to over 200 guests would never know the months of planning that result in such flawless execution of seven courses of food created by seven top chefs in the Waikato. The chefs who give their time, and also that of their own kitchen staff, the wineries that choose and donate wines to match each course, the hotel that sponsors the venue and other generous sponsors (Rotarians among them) who donate in kind or with cash, plus the scores of volunteers who act as wait staff and kitchen hands all understand the value of their support on this annual occasion for important Rotary programmes.
 

  Yvonne explains that this event was the brainchild of her husband Fred who came up with the concept. “Taking the idea of a degustation dinner from the ones held at fabulous local restaurant Embargo each month, Fred originally thought of a competition between chefs, but when he talked to a number of them they said they competed every day of the week, and they would be more happy to work together. When we first started, I thought we would need a big kitchen for all of them, so we had our first two years at the local polytechnic, Wintec. But only 80 people can be seated there, so luckily roomy Kingsgate Hotel Hamilton then offered their conference venue, where we’ve held it ever since.
 

“On average, 200 people come and dine with us each year. The volunteers on the night are all from Hospice and Rotary. The hotel offers a reasonable cost bed and breakfast for those who have come from other districts – Whakatane West and Putaruru Rotary clubs are regular attendees from further afield.
 

“The major recipient for the first two events was Cure Kids. Since then a little less than half of the money raised has gone to Waikato Hospice, $2,000 each year to The Rotary Foundation, and the rest of the money goes for local Rotary projects such as school dictionaries, science summer school and Rotary Youth Programme of Enrichment (RYPEN).”
 

Yvonne and Fred support Rotary in many creative ways including these Chefs’ Nights Out that have raised over $150,000 since they began in 2007. They showcase the best food and wine the Waikato has to offer, so these memorable evenings are Hamilton Central Rotary’s most anticipated events on their annual calendars. Long may Hamiltonians continue to dine out with their most celebrated chefs.