Executive Chef Paul Froggatt has taken out the Luxury Lodge Chef of the Year Award at CUISINE Magazine’s Good Food Awards 2023. The inaugural award category was added for the first time by the top food publication for this year’s accolades to acknowledge what is  “Gourmet Tourism at its finest”.

In a country renowned the world over for the “luxury lodge” phenomenon, where boutique hospitality and exceptional food and wine set a benchmark, Chef Froggatt's win is all the more impressive.

Cuisine Editor Kelli Brett praised Paul by saying “this is a chef at the top of his game, cooking for a clientele that is used to experiencing nothing but extraordinary”.

The British-born, French-trained chef marries a passion for modern European cuisine with a love of New Zealand’s outstanding produce to create truly fresh dishes at Kauri Cliffs.  A love of a healthy lifestyle and the fresh bounty on offer in his adopted home country New Zealand has fueled his personal passion for fish and vegetables, and all local produce prepared with a deft hand and subtle flavours.   

In his constant quest for the ripe flavours of New Zealand’s very best seasonal ingredients, Chef Froggatt has forged close ties with local growers to ensure he is able to work with “the best of the best”. Pair that with produce grown in the Kauri Cliffs kitchen garden or raised on its 6000 hectare farm, and the finest quality is assured.

Commenting on Chef Froggatt’s fresh style of cooking, Cuisine Magazine added, “his menu carries the flag for exceptional French technique while presenting exquisitely handled ingredients”.

On being named LUXURY LODGE CHEF OF THE YEAR, Paul added, “I am immensely excited to be the first chef to receive this important award, as it is one that recognises New Zealand’s world class lodges, which I truly believe are in a class of their own”.