Mealtimes at Poronui are one of the hidden treasures of your stay.
While maybe overshadowed by unrivaled fly fishing and outdoor pursuits aplenty, the food at Poronui is definitely one of the highlights. Menus change daily depending on the weather, location and seasonal produce available, so you are always guaranteed to tuck into something fresh and fabulous.
Breakfast sets you up for the day with a plethora of hearty options. Lunch can be a picnic on your travels with freshly baked goods or a feast in itself back at the Lodge. Dinner is shared among friends and always kickstarted with canapes and pre-dinner drinks.
An intimate setting below the Stables, the Wine Cellar is the perfect place for a gourmet meal. Down here you can usually enjoy at least 3 courses or a tasting menu with wine flight. Surrounded by over 10,000 bottles of wine, there is no better place.
Upgrade to a Wine Cellar tasting menu as part of your stay or book out the space for a group for a special occasion.
The Lodge is the heart of Poronui and mealtimes bring it to life. Share excitement and anticipation over country breakfasts and bond with fellow guests over an evening meal while you regale the group with tales the days adventures.
Freshly baked bread, wholesome soups, succulent salads, tender meat and supreme sides are just a taste of what you can expect when you come to stay at the Lodge.
The flexibility of Blake House means that you can make the most of our talented onsite chefs or you can whip up a storm on your own – just provide the shopping list.
The fully equipped kitchen offers space for plenty of ‘sous chefs’ and is a great way to get family and friends spending quality time together – many hands make light work!
Alternatively, ask about hiring out this impressive space for a celebratory dinner. The possibilities are endless.
One of chef’s favourite places to cook. Down here you’ll be delighted with smokey barbecues and tasty salad boxes, freshly prepared at Safari Camp. Sit back and relax around the campfire or dip your toes in the Mohaka River while sipping on a glass of house wine or beer. A sweet treat or two normally follows your meal, favourites include Poronui carrot cake, chocolate brownie or apricot slice.
Get ready for a weekend like no other and join us at the exclusive Poronui Table. With a combination of fine dining and wine discovery across a long weekend, this journey of our land ‘poronui’ will indulge all your senses.
Martin’s Friday night degustation menu promises to be exciting and innovative with wonderful flavours; perfectly paired with sensational wines from the acclaimed Mahi Wines and Brian Bicknell.
A fun and informative Saturday can kick off with your choice of a Boutique Pottery Class, creating bespoke entertainment pieces with the gorgeous Didi Chapman of Quirky Pottery – or you can choose to spend the morning touring around this fabulous property learning the history and current guardianship of the land. There will be a rolling lunch, so everyone can enjoy and refuel at their own pace.
After lunch, Brian Bicknell will be hosting a Special Wine Class, which will flow into a relaxed shared afternoon and evening of food and flavours from our land and our Poronui team. A little pick me up at 5 o’clock will surprise you with our very own local distillery 5 Mile Gin – where you’ll learn how out of covid this story began.
Sunday morning will welcome you to enjoy a leisurely breakfast to then take the opportunity while with us, to book an activity to complete a true Poronui experience. Whether you are a keen angler or experienced hunter, or if you want to explore the land by bike or horse; or if this is your opportunity to try your clay bird shooting skills – there is something to suit everyone.
“Poronui is a beautiful place to be all the time, I especially enjoy being able to provide such a variety of dining experiences for our guests. I have felt a connection to this property since working here the first time — I even loved coming back in the winter seasons over the years to temp. In a way it feels like coming home,”
Having first worked at the Lodge between 2010-2012, Poronui Head Chef, Steve Carson has fallen head over heels for Poronui.
Hailing from Hamilton, Waikato, Steve has been a chef for 23 years and has worked in luxury lodges throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. His passion for cooking and experimenting with flavours started at a young age thanks to his time spent in the kitchen with his father, and also helping the chefs at a Hamilton motel his mother managed.
With his love of fly fishing and archery, Steve fits right in at Poronui! When he’s not in the kitchens, guests may see him on the rivers with his Echo fibreglass two-handed switch rod, or at the archery range with his 2018 PSE Stinger Xtreme bow.