The quiet art of feeding schools well
From the great Kiwi breakfast to Sunday roasts, Ovation delivers warm, reliable hospitality to New Zealand’s independent schools.
But not the silver service, bow-tie and banquet kind (well, not always!).
Ours is the quieter, sturdier sort: plates cleared without fuss, the wild mushroom and caramelised onion tart still warm in the middle, the flat white poured with the magnetism of a Milanese maestro.
Ovation was born from five decades of hard-earned nous – think prep lists, the hiss of onions in hot oil, stockpots on by 6am, and dignified chaos. These days, from Kaitāia to Bluff, we partner with 27 organisations in places that matter. School dining halls. Hospitals. Stadiums filled with fans. Fancy corporate lunch rooms buzzing with ideas and ambition. Workplaces with pulse, purpose, and personality. We serve the kind of meals that make a day run better – honest, handmade soul food, delivered with quiet precision.
Our people are the difference. They care. They know how to make the gravy right and mean it when they say good morning. There’s planning, a dash of flair, and a fair dollop of elbow grease. A team in perfect sync.
We believe great hospitality is built on small, daily acts done well – and done with heart.
We are Ovation. And we’re only just getting started.
But this isn’t our first course.
Backed by five decades of trans-Tasman experience through our parent company, Doltone Hospitality Group, we bring a fresh perspective – and more than a few seasoned hands – to the table. Among them: 1250 chefs, baristas, servers, bakers, kitchen porters and quiet back-of-house alchemists who now wear the Ovation colours.
We work in schools and stadiums, hospitals and boardrooms – always with sleeves rolled up, standards high, and eyes, yes, on the details. Here’s a little more about the people behind it all.
Patrick McCartney has spent more than three decades in hospitality – but the essentials haven’t changed. “Everybody participates in a food experience every single day,” he says. “It doesn’t have to be overblown. It needs to be simplified and focused on the elements that really count.”
Starting his career at Sydney’s InterContinental Hotel – a teenager learning the rhythms, delivering room service with aplomb – Patrick has gone on to hold senior roles at some of Australasia’s most respected hospitality firms. His style is steady, thoughtful, gently exacting. And his belief has never wavered: hospitality is a human business.
As CEO of Ovation, Patrick is leading the group’s expansion across Aotearoa – bringing together a team of 1250 and reimagining what great service can look like in schools, hospitals, stadiums, aged care and corporate settings. “The food experience in a hospital or a school is different from a bar or stadium,” he says. “But the principles are the same: care, consistency, trust.”
The expectations shift – but the goal doesn’t. “We aim to match them, and exceed them, wherever we can. If we get the delivery right, people notice. And they remember.”
That’s the Ovation difference: hospitality that looks effortless, but never is. A service that’s personal, flexible, precise. “It’s about relationships,” Patrick says. “We serve people at every stage of life – teenagers in school halls, fans roaring at the stadium, patients in recovery, older folk finding comfort and connection in a shared meal. The settings change. The standard doesn’t.”
Vanessa Irvine is a Chartered Accountant with more than 25 years’ experience – and one of the steadiest pairs of hands in the finance world. She began her career at PwC, before heading to London and Zurich where, over 15 years, she held senior roles at HSBC, Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, Barclays and BP.
She returned to New Zealand in 2015, joining Auckland-based 'urban regenerators' Ockham Residential. As CFO, Vanessa worked alongside iwi, council agencies and central government on some of the city’s most ambitious and lauded developments. During her tenure, Ockham’s annual revenue climbed from $25 million to $400 million, with a $3.5 billion project pipeline lying ahead.
Vanessa now brings that same strategic acumen to Ovation, applying her financial expertise to the fast-moving world of hospitality – and always keeping people at the centre of the numbers.
“What drew me to Ovation was the discipline of the work – and the warmth behind it,” she says. “We’re here to support the people who create magic every day in stadiums, hospitals, dining halls and airport lounges across Aotearoa. It’s thoughtful work. It matters.”
Simone Hachache leads Ovation’s HR team in Aotearoa with a steady hand and a sharp ear – trusted across our business for her mix of empathy, intellect and clear-eyed judgement. She works alongside leaders at every level to support, develop and champion the people who make Ovation what it is.
“Hospitality is, at its core, about people,” she says. “And we’re lucky to work with some of the most hardworking, big-hearted people you’ll find anywhere. I’m here to make sure they feel supported, part of a team that looks after its own.”
Simone began her career in employment law – first at Russell McVeagh, then with SJ Berwin – before stepping into senior in-house roles at Auckland Council and Westpac. She later led people and capability teams at Bupa and Downer, bringing the same grounded calm she’s now known for at Ovation. She lives in Tāmaki Makaurau and spends most of her non-work hours wrangling two spirited teenage sons – which, she concedes, is excellent training for a career in HR.
Keven Kuschke heads up Ovation’s hospitality partnerships across the country – working closely with clients to deliver not just consistency and quality, but something you can feel: care, warmth and trust, plate after plate, day after day. “This industry gets under your skin – in the best possible way,” he says. “It’s fast, it’s full-on, and it’s powered by people. I love the pace, I love the pressure… and most of all, I love seeing teams light up a room, one table at a time.”
Over the past three decades, Keven has worked across just about every corner of the hospitality world – and in just about every setting you can think of. From stadium lounges to school canteens, cafés to commercial kitchens, he’s seen it all, done most of it, and still shows up with sleeves rolled and optimism undimmed. He’s held senior roles with Spotless, Epicure, and Burger King’s NZ franchise group, building lasting partnerships in schools, hospitals and high-volume venues. No matter the setting, the brief or the budget, Keven brings the same energy and joy to every table.
Few people know New Zealand’s major venues like Paul Marquardt. Over a 30-year career in hospitality and venue management, he’s led food and beverage operations at some of the country’s biggest events – from All Blacks tests and Cricket World Cups to sell-out concerts and NRL blockbusters.
Paul began his career with InterContinental Hotels, working his way up from kitchenhand to Food & Beverage Manager at hotels across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. Since arriving in Aotearoa in 2008, he has held senior roles at Eden Park, Vbase, and Spotless, overseeing thousands of matchdays, events and functions – always with the same laser focus on service, logistics and atmosphere.
These days, he heads up Ovation’s operations at Auckland Stadiums – including Go Media Stadium Mt Smart, home of the New Zealand Warriors and Auckland FC. His role is part theatre director, part logistics wrangler, part people-whisperer – ensuring the entire show runs smoothly from turnstile to last call.
“It’s about creating memorable experiences,” he says. “Customer satisfaction for us is king – it’s the reason we’re here, it’s the reason we turn up every day. Making people leave with a smile on their faces is our number one objective.”
Born in Durban, shaped in Johannesburg, and now at home in Aotearoa, Komeshen Pillay has spent almost two decades in hospitality – 15 years in healthcare. “It’s where I’ve always wanted to be,” he says. “It’s about giving back. Looking after people. Serving them.”
He began his career at South Africa’s iconic Beverly Hills Hotel – part of the InterContinental Group – before rising through the ranks at Compass, overseeing major operations across the country. In 2023, he joined Ovation and now leads hospital partnerships in Northland, Rotorua and Capital & Coast, along with private hospitals at MercyAscot (Auckland), Southern Cross (Rotorua) and Kensington (Whangārei), and Northbridge Health.
He thrives in the complexity of hospital life – managing food for patients, doctors, staff, and the public, often all at once. “It’s more demanding than hotels or business catering – but more rewarding too. You get to bring a five-star touch where it’s least expected.”
Each shift ends the same way: with the quiet satisfaction of knowing he’s helped someone who may be battling feel just that little bit better.
Komeshen once finished fourth in South Africa’s Unilever Young Chef of the Year – and still makes a chicken tikka masala that could silence a room.
It began with umu. A South Auckland backyard, a Sunday ritual – the hiss of steam, the quiet choreography of feeding a family. That’s where Touvai ‘Tee’ Poloniati first understood what food could mean: not just nourishment, but culture, comfort, connection.
By 13, he was already working in hotel kitchens. At 18, he began his apprenticeship at SkyCity – the first step on a path that would take him to Canada, Australia, Hong Kong and, eventually, home. In 2024, he returned to SkyCity to lead the relaunch of The Grill – a full-circle moment in the kitchen where it all began.
Now Group Executive Chef at Ovation, Tee mentors our nationwide culinary team with deep generosity. He watches, listens, nudges. Helps chefs find their own rhythm, then backs them all the way. He brings māfana to the table – a Tongan word that speaks to warmth, memory and joy.
“The food we create at Ovation is tailored to the places we serve – schools, stadiums, hotels,” he says. “I want it to feel good. I want it to taste of New Zealand. And most of all, I want people to enjoy it.”
With more than 40 years in the industry, John Rippingham blends deep operational and commercial experience with the calm, good-humoured assurance of someone who’s seen – and steered – it all.
He began his hospitality career in the kitchens of London’s Café Royal, before moving into senior management roles across the UK, Australia and New Zealand. From NHS hospitals to defence bases, luxury lodges and school canteens, John has led large teams with heart, humour and a certain chutzpah.
That wealth of experience now underpins his work at Ovation, where he helps shape strategic partnerships across a diverse portfolio – with the same clarity, empathy and customer-first focus that’s defined his career.
“Over four decades, I’ve seen hospitality at its most complex and most humble – sometimes in the same kitchen,” John says. “Some days it’s all timing and precision – perfection. Other days, it’s simply about turning up with a hot meal. Because food is never just food. It lifts spirits, anchors routines, and brings people together. That’s what stays with you.”
With generosity, with care, with something good in hand.
We’re lucky to work alongside organisations who do the same for New Zealand: enriching daily life, fuelling bright minds, and making the good stuff go further.
We’re a platinum sponsor of Independent Schools of New Zealand – and very proudly so.
It’s a natural fit: schools with deep traditions, and a hospitality company that understands the power of a great meal, done right.
We’re in the dining halls of Christ’s College, Whanganui Collegiate, Solway College – places where food isn’t just fuel, it’s part of the rhythm. A punctuation mark in the day. A time to connect.
Every school is different. That’s the joy of it. We learn the culture, listen hard, and tailor everything – from the menu to the mealtime mood.
Because this isn’t catering. It’s community. It’s mates. It’s mashed potato, yes – but mashed potato with aplomb. The food of champions!
From the great Kiwi breakfast to Sunday roasts, Ovation delivers warm, reliable hospitality to New Zealand’s independent schools.
No launch party. No song and dance. Just 1,250 staff and a clear idea of what good hospitality looks like.
Ovation’s new initiative aims to bring the taste, memory and mana of Māori and Pasifika dishes to hospital kitchens across New Zealand.