press kit
Chef Jonathan Rogers has wowed diners for over a decade at the lakeside hideaway Rosewood Matakauri with his exquisite take on modern New Zealand cuisine.
Totally passionate about his homeland, his aim is not just to show off the best of the local region, but to grandstand the best of New Zealand produce, particularly for the many international guests of the resort. Rogers is fortunate to have the bounty of South Island New Zealand on his doorstep. He and his team curate daily changing menus from the produce grown, foraged, harvested, and caught in the region, showcasing the ingredients at their freshest.
| “It’s an incredibly rewarding way of cooking,” says Rogers. “What I cook is dictated by my local community - the farmers, the growers, the purveyors I have personally cultivated to supply the lodge”, he added. |
On a constant rotation are such delicacies as Aoraki Salmon, Little Neck clams, Wild Fiordland venison, and locally grown vegetables and produce from local favourites Goodies from the Gorge, as well as from the resort’s own garden.
Everything is made on site – from bread rolls to ice cream, even the walnuts in a standout dish of “Smoked Easterbrook Farms Duck, Rosehips Marinated Beetroot, Goats Curd, Pumpkin and Walnut dressing”, are pickled in the kitchen.
Growing up in South Auckland, Rodgers concedes that skateboarding was his first love, not cooking. Snowboarding was also a passion, taking him to Whistler, Canada in 2004-06 seasons, where he afforded his leisure by cooking in a restaurant helmed by one of Canada’s leading chefs, Melissa Craig.
“It was here that I became hooked on the ‘farm to table’ approach, becoming aware of the importance of using top-quality ingredients from the best available suppliers”, said Rogers.
Upon returning to New Zealand, Rogers worked as a chef under Rex Morgan at The Spire Hotel where he soon rose to Executive Chef when Morgan eventually left.
Rogers was recruited in 2011 to cook at Matakauri Lodge under then Executive Chef Dale Gartland. When Gartland moved North a year later, Roger’s became Executive Chef, quickly earning praise and trust and thus, given the freedom to create menus with his own passion and creativity.
In 2019, Rogers self-published a stunning and aptly named cookbook, South, a love letter to Queenstown and its extraordinary produce and suppliers. He cites favourite dishes from the book as ‘Fiordland Venison Tartar with Nettles and Quail Yolk’, specifically for its emphasis on wild and foraged Central Otago produce.
Another favourite he mentions is a ‘Quail Confit and Ballotine with Potato and Nasturtium’, adding “the nasturtium flowers are a colourful garnish, and the leaves have a slightly peppery taste”. Rogers has done much to prove that Queenstown is not just the adventure capital, it’s also an adventure for the palate.
Rogers admits to a disdain for cliches, especially when talking about his food style but says it’s the simple things that are important. “It has to be flavour first. Dishes can look amazing and be conceptual, but it also has to taste amazing”, he professes.
Rogers likes to hit the road a couple of times a year to visit South Island farms and orchards to discover new and unusual ingredients. It was on one of these explorations that he came across an owner near Alexandra with pear trees around 150 years old – inspiring a new dish.
The vegetable garden at Rosewood Matakauri is small, however it is used to grow ingredients that are hard to source locally, such as broad bean flowers and heirloom varieties. “I might pick something from the garden, or a new ingredient arrives and I’m like “What can I do with this? That gives me a huge boost”, Rogers shared. A champion of seasonality, this is cooking with a very strong sense of place. “It’s all about supporting local. “There are some great people doing really cool things”.
As such, Rogers is also being recognised for doing exceptional things. In 2023 Rogers was tapped by Pernod Ricard to collaborate on the launch of their MUMM Central Otago sparkling wine. Rogers co-hosted events for media and influencers in both Sydney and Auckland, showcasing the wines as matches to exquisite dishes of local Queenstown origin.
