Tourism New Zealand has hosted international tastemakers at ‘the restaurant with the most stars’ to put New Zealand’s night skies and world class cuisine on the map.

After years of having its world-class restaurants snubbed by the Michelin Guide on account of its remote geography, New Zealand delivered a restaurant it claims has “more stars” than any other and invited 50 international tastemakers to judge the local cuisine for themselves.

In a breathtaking culinary showcase, leading New Zealand chef Ben Bayly produced a one-of-a-kind restaurant experience under the star-embellished skies of Kura Tawhiti (Castle Hill) at the foothills of the Southern Alps in New Zealand’s South Island.

“Why be satisfied with a Michelin Star, when you can cook under 2.5 billion of them?” asks Bayly.

Media, tastemakers and social media advocates from key events and incentive markets, including Australian food critic Sofia Levin, Ashley Day of influential US publication Food & Wine, and Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, were in attendance to sample the destination's spectacular dark skies and bespoke, six-course degustation menu. Meticulously constructed using the finest winter produce and native ingredients, the bill of fare celebrated the breadth of ingredients available throughout New Zealand, from truffle to pāua (abalone), Wagyu beef to crayfish.

René de Monchy, Chief Executive of Tourism New Zealand, says: “The sky really is the limit for an imaginative event organiser in New Zealand all year round. This was a spectacular example of combining two of New Zealand’s world class offerings in a bespoke event.

“New Zealand’s night skies offer incredible stargazing experiences, and they’re even more impressive during the longer nights of autumn, winter, and spring, when the majority of business events come to the country. Amazing food is an essential part of any good event, and this was a fantastic taste of what’s on offer in New Zealand.”

The definition of a three-star restaurant in the Michelin Guide means “exceptional cuisine, worthy of a special journey,” explains chef Ben Bayly. “We think that New Zealand cuisine is in a category of its own – we call it superior cuisine, worth a journey to the edge of the earth.”

Deeply rooted in kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and manaakitanga (hospitality), Aotearoa New Zealand’s food identity honours both people and place, resulting in a distinct agricultural richness and vibrant, culinary culture. 

For more information about what’s on offer in Aotearoa New Zealand go to www.newzealand.com/stargrazing

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NOTES:

The restaurant’s name, Pou-o-Kai was gifted to the restaurant by Ngāi Tuāhuriri, local tangata whenua (people of the land) in an ode to the eagle that used to soar the pristine skies of the Kura Tawhiti (Castle Hill, South Island) region.

The bespoke dishes served at Pou-o-Kai will be rotated across Ben Bayly’s New Zealand restaurants (Ahi, Aosta, Origine, Little Aosta, The Bathhouse) in Auckland, Queenstown and Arrowtown through to August 2025.

Tourism New Zealand’s dedicated Business Events team provides strategic funding and support to attract conferences and incentives to New Zealand.

For more information on holding a business event in New Zealand, visit businessevents.newzealand.com