Whakapapa aims for great ski & dining experience

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 585, 9 May 1995, Page 5 (Supplement)

Whakapapa aims for great ski & dining experience

Gone are the days of a ski ing lunch beingameat pie and a can of drink — unless that's what you want — when you ski Whakapapa these days. The ski field company aims to provide food as good

as that available in any city area. And catering manager Mark Wignal's personal goal is to have people think "where shall we eat today" when they get to the Top O' The Bruce as well as "where shall we ski today". He aims to have an information board at the ticket booths alongside the lifts information board telling people what each restaurant has to offer. Bistro meals with a glass of Chardonnay are now available right on the snow in the restaurants including the Knoll Ridge — at 2000 metres, New Zealand's highest restaurant. Or there's quick burgers and chips available at easily accessible takeaway style outlets for the kind of skier who wants a quick refueling stop so they can keep skiing. Different stvles Each of the mountain's food outlet has a different style, starting with the Happy. Valley Bistro which offers a fun, family oriented menu. They also have a mountain breakfast menu for the increasing number of people who are choosing to get up the mountain first thing, have a few runs before the crowds arrive, then sit down for a late breakfast mid-morning. Other folk are choosing to have a late morning snack, ski through the lunch time when there are often shorter lift queues and then take a late snack after the cafe populations have thinned out. The main restaurant at the Knoll Ridge offers food such as pizzas, char-grilled food and brautworst sausages along with licensed bar facilities with spacious indoor area and outdoor decks. In keeping with its envi-

ronment, the West Ridge cafe offers something different with the emphasis on game food such as venison, game food pates and smoked meats. Mark' s goal is to provide dining experiences to complement the settings of each of the cafes.

Lorenz' s Bar and Cafe at the Top O' The Bruce, being at the base area where everyone passes by, offers a general range of food to suit a wide variety of tastes. They also have evening entertainmentuntil 10pm each night. It's warm and cosy with an open fire place.