Continued high standards is new manager's aim

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 5, Issue 7, 14 July 1987, Page 13

Continued high standards is new manager's aim

Gavin Fletcher is the Chateau's new general manager. He took over from longserving Carl Braddock six weeks ago. Gavin, 32, comes to the North Island's central volcanic plateau after spending most of the 14 years he has been with the NZ Tourist Hotel Corporation in the South Island. His first appointment with the THC however was to a North Island location ... he joined the Corpora-

tion as trainee manager at the Waitangi Hotel in the Bay of Islands in 1973. This followed a 2-year stint in the Royal New Zealand Navy after leaving school. While serving in the Navy as a chef he gained his City and Guild's qualifications in that subject. In subsequent years he has served in various managerial capacities at Te Anau and Wanaka and he was, immediately prior to his appointment to the Chateau Tongariro, general

manager for the THC complex at Milford Sound. Two years ago he attended an intensive summer school programme on hotel management at Cornell University in New York State. Cornell University's hotel management courses are attended by some 250 people every year mostly from America but many from overseas. While there studying marketing, personnel management, leadership, motivation and other aspects of

the hospitality industry Gavin found several other New Zealanders from different hotel chains or studying privately, attending the same course. Former Chateau general manager Carl Braddock, from whom Gavin took over six weeks ago, is currently attending that course in America and when he returns to New Zealand next month it is to take over the new THC hotel in Queenstown. Gavin Fletcher, who expects his present appointment to^continue into the 1990's, aims to retain the Chateau's high standards of hospitality, comfort and service while striving to improve food and beverage turnovers. Already he has introduced a choice of different roast meats in the Carvery and established a new facility known as 'Murphy's Patch' where roast and baked potatoes are served with a variety of fillings.

Gavin, who has done most of his skiing in the South Island, is looking forward to sampling Ru-

apehu's skifields when he has settled into what promises to be a very busy winter season at the Chateau.