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.
Executive Chef Anton Hazelman has spent more than half his life in stadium kitchens. Here are seven hard-won lessons – part logistics, part legacy, all heart.
“You can’t get there on game day and then find things are wrong. You’ve got to get out there a couple of days earlier. Check the fridges, ovens, hot boxes. It’s the small things you don’t think that’ll trip you up on the day.”
“À la carte taught me you have to cross off every job as it comes. In hospitality, the list gets longer and longer. If you don’t cross them off, nothing gets done and you’re left with a whole lot of worry and a whole lot of things that could go wrong.”
“Warriors fans are happy to pay for food or pay the higher price, but they want to know they’ve got their money’s worth. They want quality and quantity. Auckland FC are higher quality, smaller portions… more grazing table and canapé service. Moana Pasifika – a lot of older generation Pacific Islanders who want well-done steaks. You’ve got to understand your crowd.”
“Our staff all have Pacific Island backgrounds. When we did palusami for the Warriors, the guys were keen because it was something they knew, something they’d prepared at family gatherings – but done in a new, relatable way.”
“I’ve always been one to say… if you can push someone to go to higher things, you gotta do that, you can’t hold him back. It’s selfish to want to keep them here just because you’re here and they know how to do things. If there’s growth for them, and if they can grow somewhere else, then you gotta push it.”
“The best coaches manage each person differently. Some require stern talking to, some just a little chat outside, some need space. You adapt your style to get the best out of everyone.”
“Nothing goes wrong when the home team’s winning. Everyone’s in a better mood. But when they’re not, every detail matters. Nothing goes wrong when the home team’s winning. Everyone’s in a better mood. But when they’re not, every detail matters. That’s when the emphasis is on making sure everything goes really well.”
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.