Originally from Palmerston North, Andrew May has been in the hospitality industry for over 20 years. At the end of 1992, he moved to the UK and spent several years working throughout Britain in fine-dining establishments. May travelled extensively throughout Europe and Zimbabwe where he extended his repertoire whilst discovering new ingredients and techniques. On returning to the UK, he moved to Perthshire, Scotland where he settled and started working as head chef at The Kinloch House Hotel. The establishment is classed as one of Scotland’s top country house hotels and is a member of ‘Relais and Chateaux’. May had the pleasure of having his recipes published in the UK edition of ‘A Taste of Relais and Chateaux 97’, which featured recipes from some of the finest chefs in the UK and Ireland. He has since moved back to New Zealand with his family and opened his own restaurant Amayjen in November 2014. His dish for the awards this year is a Silver Fern Farms venison tenderloin encased in a truffle and trumpet mousse, with beetroot, Silver Fern Farms Shank risotto cake, cranberry gel, celeriac remoulade, fondant pot, shallot, kale, seasonal vegetables and a port wine and beetroot jus.
“In Scotland I had the pleasure of using lots of game meat. In NZ, Silver Fern Farms venison has been one of my favourite cuts to use, because of its flavour and consistency. My customers have thoroughly enjoyed and commented on this dish and I am proud to offer this on my menu,” said May.
