Contributed by Copthorne Hotel and Resort Bay of Islands, Conference Coordinator, Ms Georgina Martin.

A Mid-Winters Dinner Event was held on 7 July 2018 at the Copthorne Hotel and Resort in the Bay of Islands with Ms Annabelle White, along-time supporter of Millennium Hotels and celebrity cook, supported by The Landing Wines, a vineyard in Bay of Islands, New Zealand.

Ms White is an iconic New Zealand food writer, author of 11 cookbooks, long time food columnist for various New Zealand publications, and celebrity chef. The Landing Wines is a popular vineyard in New Zealand, producing local Rosé, Syrah, Chardonnay, Sangiovese, Pinot Gris, Montepulciano, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Its wines were recently presented to former United States President Mr Barrack Obama when he visited New Zealand in March this year.

A total of 150 lucky guests enjoyed their night at the dinner event, enjoying a four course meal that showcased the best flavours in our Northland region. The dishes were curated by Ms White, and prepared by our hotel chefs, accompanied by wine pairings from The Landing Wines.

The night ended in a hilarious MasterChef challenge, with two guests going head to head in a typical MasterChef pressure test, where they had to recreate a complicated dessert in three minutes. The dessert, created by Executive Chef Johnny Coulter, was a deconstructed apple crumble with 16 different element, including dried raspberry, coconut parfait, chocolate soil, New Zealand Jazz Apples, Copthorne-grown wild rhubarb, and quenelles of crème fraiche with an oat and nut crumble.

A huge success filled with delicious food, wine, and laughter, guests left with full tummies, signed copies of Ms White's latest cookbook, and plenty of inspiration for their next dinner party.