Waikato Business News August/September 2023

28 CONFERENCE & EVENTS
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2023
Late Night Lounge Ernest dominates
2023 Waikato Hospitality Awards
Hamilton Late Night Lounge Ernest,
a trailblazing establishment in the
Waikato hospitality scene, celebrated
a resounding victory at the 2023
Waikato Hospitality Awards.
BY EDITH SYMES
Winning an impressive
four awards out
of seven nominations,
this outstanding achievement
solidifies Ernest's status
as an industry leader, marking
them as the nightspot of choice
for guests seeking an unparalleled
bar experience.
Since its grand opening in
November 2021, Ernest has
captivated guests with its distinctive
blend of sit-down
seating, top-tier service, and a
curated selection of premium
beverages spanning from delicious
cocktails to exquisite
wines.
Among the accolades,
Ernest bartender Roberto
Valenzuela proudly secured the
title of Outstanding Bartender.
With over two decades of bartending
experience, he has dedicated
relentless effort to reach
this milestone.
“Creating unique experiences
through my cocktails has
always been a passion of mine.
This award has been a long
time coming and I am grateful
for the recognition from my
peers,” he says.
Ernest also claimed Outstanding
Front of House Team
and Outstanding Bar. These
awards serve as a testament to
the unwavering commitment
of the team to elevate the standard
of service and hospitality
in the Waikato region. However,
the crowning achievement
was the coveted Overall
Supreme Award presented
to the establishment with the
highest number of nominations
and votes, a great recognition
of industry support.
Craig Loveday the visionary
behind Ernest says the team
was thrilled and humbled to
receive these awards.
“It is a testament to the
hard work and dedication of
our team, who consistently go
above and beyond to create a
memorable experience for our
guests. We look forward to continuing
to push boundaries and
raising the bar in the Waikato
hospitality scene."
Ernest can be found at 30
Alexandra Street, Hamilton,
open Wednesday to Saturday
from 4pm till late.
Now there’s
just the barbie
to match with
those sauces
BY EDITH SYMES
An enterprising Raglan
couple who started out
six years ago making
their own brand of chimichurri
sauce at the Raglan Old
School Arts Centre kitchen are
now about to launch locally a
traditional style of woodfire
barbeque from their native
Argentina to help promote
their products.
The venture follows on
from an Argentinian-style
barbecue catering business
which Ben Parodi and wife Ani
have set up to push their popular
range of sauces.
Cooking with
charcoal or wood
gives a much
better flavour than
cooking with gas
“We found that more and
more people were asking
about the barbeque itself,”
Ben says.
So on a recent trip back
home Ben met with Asaparri
– a factory specialising in
products for cooking over fire
– and as a result will launch at
Labour Weekend a woodfire
and charcoal barbeque that,
he says, challenges the Kiwi
idea of summertime-only outdoor
cooking.
He decided to import the
barbecue himself because,
unlike a gas barbecue, it has
a firebox that keeps on burning
and creating the embers
on which to cook – in turn,
evoking warmth and ambience
for outdoor eating at
any time.
The fire transforms
this method of cooking
into a year-round event,
Ben insists, and continues
the South American
tradition that he and Ani
grew up with of socialising
around a woodfire barbecue
Diego Nicholson and Ben Parodi
– specialty sauces at the ready.
“The weather is not
important, it’s the experience
of being out,” says Ben. “And
cooking with charcoal or wood
gives a much better flavour
than cooking with gas.”
Ben and Ani’s business
Salsa Brava started small in
2017 with the idea of making
and selling chimichurri –
found originally in the cuisines
of Argentina and Uruguay – as
a way of sharing their culture
through healthy food for Kiwi
tables.
The uncooked sauce using
parsley, olive oil, oregano,
garlic, onions and chilli began
as something of a labour of
love – the pair growing and
chopping the parsley themselves
from their home.
Early on they travelled the
country with up to 800 jars
of the sauce stacked on top of
their campervan in search of
retail outlets.
The rest is history, a range
of their sauces now sold in in
many outlets in the Waikato.
While Ani in particular
these days is busy with the
couple’s two young children,
Ben’s been getting all fired
up about the barbeques Salsa
Brava has imported to promote
the sauces.
He and fellow native
Argentinian Diego Nicholson
are currently showing off the
woodfire barbecue at Waikato
Home & Garden Show, but
will be back at Raglan doing
demos in a fortnight.
*Catch them Labour Weekend
at The Hut in Rangitahi,
Saturday October 21 at 10am.