Cuisine coup for New Zealand luxury lodge

Take three of the world’s top chefs, give them some first class New Zealand wine and food and put them together at one of the top 20 hideaways on earth, and it’s no wonder The Farm at Cape Kidnappers is being credited with pulling off a major coup.

The exclusive five-star lodge in New Zealand’s Hawke’s Bay region has managed to bring together Heston Blumenthal of London's The Fat Duck, Neil Perry of Sydney's Rockpool, and Thomas Keller of the French Laundry in California for a one-off event billed as "The Ultimate Dinner".

Scheduled for 26 March 2011, the exclusive degustation dinner will only be available to guests staying at The Farm at Cape Kidnappers, and will be the highlight of a special weekend which the lodge says will include "unforgettable food, wine, golf and a spa experience at one of the world's best destinations".

The Farm at Cape Kidnappers has won a string of awards, the latest being the 2010 Andrew Harper Reader’s Choice Award as one of the world’s Top 20 Hideaways.

The Ultimate Dinner
The luxury lodge management says even one of the three chefs would be enough to lure international food and wine enthusiasts to New Zealand, but as a trio the ultimate dinner will provide a "once in a lifetime" event.

The three top chefs will each create two signature dishes as part of a six-course dinner in which each course will be matched to Dry River wines from New Zealand’s Martinborough wine-producing region.

The Farm at Cape Kidnappers has just 22 suites and a four-bedroom owner’s cottage, and a minimum three-night stay which encompasses the night of Saturday 26 March will be required to secure a spot at the ultimate three chefs’ dinner.

The lodge management says that as well as the dinner, guests will enjoy other exclusive dining experiences over the weekend along with free time for rounds of golf on the internationally-acclaimed Cape Kidnappers course, spa treatments, farm tours and walks, and the chance to explore the Hawke’s Bay wine region.

Three chefs
All three chefs are among the most prominent currently working in the world.

Thomas Keller is best known for his landmark destination restaurant in Yountville, California - The French Laundry, which he opened in 1994.

Keller now has eight restaurants and two bakeries in the United States, including the renowned Per Se in New York City. Keller says he’s very much looking forward to cooking and playing golf in New Zealand alongside two of his best friends and respected colleagues.

Heston Blumenthal opened The Fat Duck in the United Kingdom, which gained three Michelin stars in 2004. Blumenthal has received worldwide recognition for his unique approach to gastronomy, and has been described as a culinary alchemist for his innovative style of cuisine.

Neil Perry is Australia's best-known and most influential chef. His flagship brand Rockpool, includes Rockpool and Rockpool Bar & Grill in Sydney and Melbourne.

Rockpool is said to be synonymous with quality produce and outstanding wine, and is considered one of the world's great dining experiences having been named in the top 10 restaurants in the world, four times.

Luxury trio
The Farm at Cape Kidnappers is also part of a unique trio - one of three super-luxury lodges in New Zealand owned by American art collector and philanthropist Julian Robertson and family.

The Farm’s sister properties are Kauri Cliffs Lodge, Golf Course & Spa at Matauri Bay in Northland,and Matakauri Lodge which opened in August and is situated near the South Island resort of Queenstown.

All three offer world-class accommodation in some of New Zealand’s most picturesque locations and have been recognised internationally with a number of awards.

Conde Nast Traveler named The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs as 'No. 1 Lodge/Resort in Australia + Pacific' in the 2010 Readers' Choice Awards readers' survey.