From wild Fiordland venison and South Island salmon to Bay of Plenty kiwifruit and Martinborough Pinot Noir, the menu celebrates ingredients and flavours from across the country. Emett joined Air New Zealand as Premium Culinary Ambassador in May and says his first menu showcases the ingredients that make New Zealand food special.
"New Zealand is home to some of the world's best produce, and I wanted to create dishes that let those ingredients shine," says Josh Emett.
"The menu is a tiki tour around New Zealand. There's salmon, wild venison, kiwifruit, and Pinot Noir alongside lesser-known flavours that I love cooking with like kawakawa, horopito and karengo.
"For me, it's about giving kiwi customers something that feels connected to our home and visiting customers their first introduction to what New Zealand has to offer."
Air New Zealand Chief Customer and Digital Officer Jeremy O'Brien says the partnership with Josh Emett is about delivering an experience that gives customers another reason to choose Air New Zealand.
"North America is such an important market for us. Getting people to choose New Zealand is one thing however giving them a reason to choose Air New Zealand, and in particular to travel with us in our premium cabins, is another.
"Working with Josh gives us the opportunity to create something special that feels unmistakably from New Zealand and further strengthens the quality and attention to detail our customers expect," says O'Brien.
"There's a wider benefit for the country we are so proud to represent too. We serve millions of meals onboard each year, so showcasing New Zealand growers, producers and suppliers is a wonderful opportunity to have kiwi products experienced around the world."
A taste of Fiordland
Fiordland wild venison features on the menu, served with golden kūmara chutney, kawakawa-spiced beetroot and toasted pine nuts.
The venison comes from WithWild, a New Zealand producer working with wild deer from Te Waipounamu.
WithWild partners with the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation, which helps manage deer numbers in Fiordland National Park to reduce their impact on native plants and ecosystems.
Adrian Bosher, General Manager at WithWild, says seeing their Fiordland venison featured on Josh Emett's first Air New Zealand menu is a proud moment.
"Fiordland is a special part of New Zealand, and there's a brilliant story behind the venison that comes from there. For us, it's about making good use of a wild food source while also supporting work that helps protect the environment it comes from."
