From the Food Files

Banana Tart with Feijoa and Vodka Sorbet

An Edible Delicacy

By Chef Ben Batterbury

True South @ The Rees Hotel & Luxury Apartments

Queenstown

www.therees.co.nz

From the Food Files

Truffle Salad

Food & Photo by Queenstown Chef Ben Batterbury

True South at The Rees Hotel & Luxury Apartments

www.therees.co.nz

Meet Ben by clicking on his name in the index line below this post.

A Fine Wine Experience

Both Images Courtesy of The Rees, Queenstown

I’ve prattled on about The Rees Hotel & Luxury Apartments in Queenstown before – both the hotel itself and its terrific restaurant True South and the beautiful dishes they tempt you with, from both a visual and a taste perspective. This time we’re taking a peek into their wine cellar – small but perfectly formed you might say. This is where they store New Zealand’s best collection of Bordeaux wines in partnership with the best of Central Otago. You can sample your fancy in their bistro wine lounge, Bordeau at The Rees – in fact, if you’ve gotten that far, you may as well go for the whole hog and try their full wine and food experience, setting the best of Central Otago against the best of Bordeaux, all matched with exciting seasonal foods from New Zealand and France. Their resident sommelier guides you through the experience and talks about the strong French influence in New Zealand’s winemaking heritage. Maybe they’ll even tell you why they spell Bordeau without an ‘x’ in Queenstown. And who knows, maybe your resolve will weaken and you’ll crack open a NZ$4,250 bottle of Chateau Lafitte that they have in the cellar. www.therees.co.nz

A Taste of True South

There’s nothing new about the concept of buying local to assure freshness and quality control but in this day and age of environmental sustainability it’s taken on a new level of significance – and at True South, the classy new restaurant at one of Queenstown’s newest hospitality players, The Rees Hotel & Luxury Apartments, it is at the core of everything they do. I particularly like the fact that at the end of their comprehensive and mouth-watering menu, they’ve listed all their local produce suppliers, complete with contact details so that diners can make contact with them directly to source their own edible goodies. Leading the charge at True South, is innovative young British chef, Ben Batterbury, 30, who developed his talent for creating exciting classically-based dishes under the direction of two Michelin-starred chefs – Gary Jones, who is now executive head chef at Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons restaurant in Oxford; and Simon Crannage at the Charlton House luxury country hotel in Somerset.

Ben believes in food that is recognizable, superbly cooked, true to flavour and embellished to deliver an element of surprise. “Dining out is a kind of theatre, providing pleasure to all the senses,” he says. I’m a big fan of edible theatre myself – it’s the very best of performance and when I get to Queenstown in May you can be assured I will be indulging myself. It’s part of my job after all – not that I ever need an excuse to indulge myself. All images above taken by Ben Batterbury and supplied by The Rees From Top to Bottom: Foie gras; Langos pork belly; basil pannacotta; rhubarb. www.therees.co.nz