Gallery: Michelin Guide Launch - Dhall & Nash Fine Wines

6 July, 2026In Galleries, News, Events

Gallery: The Michelin Guide Comes to Aotearoa

The Michelin Guide has come to New Zealand (specifically Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown) and Dhall and Nash were very privileged to be included as Partners of the Michelin Guide.

I was lucky enough to be involved at the Gala Launch in Auckland on the 30th June this year. And what a night. After months of speculation of where random inspectors had visited and who may be awarded this honour of a Michelin accreditation, the results were announced.

At this stage, I would like to admit that when I heard of the $6 million price tag that Michelin had required to be brought to New Zealand, I was on the fence in regards to the value of this investment. Was Michelin an ‘outdated’ concept, would it apply to Aotearoa?

At the time of the Michelin Guide Gala, we were entering another cold and possibly difficult winter. Restaurateurs and chefs were seeing some signs of optimism, but generally they felt the fatigue of long hours in their establishments and endless hours staring at spreadsheets on profitability and costs. When would it ever end?

Well, the Gala dinner emphatically answered this for me.

The raw emotion from participants was palpable as awards were announced, lifelong dreams fulfilled, honours bestowed and self worth validated.

As the ceremony ended and chefs, partners and media filed back into the sumptuous banquet room with the greatest hors d’oeuvres set out exquisitely, we could all feel it. A new and radiant energy was flowing through all of the chefs. Social media was chattering, people from all over New Zealand were engaging.

This was the magic of Michelin. And on top of all of that, I myself finally met the legendary Bibendum of Michelin. Icing on the cake!

If there was a moment since COVID where we could say the river finally turned for our magical and incredible but beleaguered hospitality establishment, then this could well be that moment.