Cooking with intention: Hanmer Springs
Most of us know and love Hanmer Springs’ unique setting and stunning vistas. Let Metropol writer Zoe Fenton introduce you to a restaurant in the alpine town offering a dining experience that more than matches its surroundings. All thanks to Scott Buckler – head chef of No. 31 Restaurant and Bar.
Hailing from the Southwest of England but now based in Hanmer Springs, head chef at No. 31 Restaurant and Bar, Scott Buckler, is taking food to new heights in the famous alpine village.
Last year, he and his team received a Top-Rated Dish award for their duo of Merino lamb loin and croquette, black garlic Agria potato gratin, honey-roasted carrots, broccolini, pea puree, garden mint and pinot noir jus – paired with Terrance Edge St Laurent. The dish showcases Scott’s dedication to local ingredients, using Middlehurst Station lamb cooked two ways, Hanmer Springs Gold honey, and black garlic from Dunsinane’s.
The recognition follows on from his achievement in the 2019 Beef and Lamb Ambassador Chef awards. Scott was picked as one of five New Zealand’s top chefs chosen to be an ambassador for grass-fed beef and lamb in foodservice.
“What a great achievement that was in my career,” Scott says. “This brought great attention to me using exclusive beef and lamb brands, which led to using premium Greenstone Creek Beef – chefs are handpicked to use this beef.”
Scott first arrived in New Zealand after a nudge from a friend. “I moved here as my next-door neighbour of many years came over for a working holiday and insisted I join him
to see something new,” he recalls.
Fifteen years later and Scott has settled into his life in Hanmer Springs with his wife and two young children. “I like the quieter way of life and the ease of driving not too far to go to the mountains or to the sea.”
Since stepping into his role as head chef at No. 31, Scott has rethought how he wants customers to experience food.
“We have changed the menu concept to be more unique, unlike anything else you’d find in Hanmer Springs,” he says. By moving away from à la carte style, No. 31 has curated a set menu that changes weekly. “This gives us chefs more flexibility on what we use and it brings fresh ideas for our customers.”
Scott cooks with intention and personally curates wine matches for each dish, adding to the experience. “We offer a wine match choice with each dish to complement the dining experience, which I personally choose for the dish,” he said. “Having a wine matched to your choice of dish makes the dining experience that much more pleasant.
“No. 31 Restaurant and Bar is one place that you will enjoy a great food selection, matched with fantastic local and New Zealand wines, along with local beer,” Scott says.
For Scott, his cooking has been guided by experience and a clear sense of purpose. The food he creates reflects where he has been and what he has achieved.
