EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY SOMETHING OLD TURNED INTO SOMETHING NEW SUE FLEISCHL WAS ELEVEN WHEN SHE FIRST TOLD her father she wanted to be a Chef and when she was fifteen, he wrote letters to big hotels around Europe asking them to employ his daughter. At just seventeen, Sue flew to London to work at the Savoy Hotel, the only hotel that had replied to his letters. She returned to New Zealand at the end of two years and gained more experience in various restaurants before relocating to Bangkok where she was introduced to Asian food. At the end of the 80s, Sue and her family moved to Melbourne where she discovered catering. It was something she could do during the day with a young child in day care and ‘Sue-Chef Catering’ quickly became popular. After returning to Auckland in the mid 90s and working with Ray McVinnie and Julie Le Clerc at their Kingsland cafe, Crucial Traders, Sue knew catering was what she wanted to do. She bought a stainless steel bench, put it in her living room and called herself The Great Catering Co. There was nothing like it in Auckland at the time, word of mouth quickly spread her reputation and she couldn’t keep up with demand. “I moved into an old bakery in Sandringham and when the America’s cup came to Auckland we took over the butcher shop next door. By 2003 when the next America’s cup was here I had a massive contract looking after several super yachts and needed a new building so in three weeks we built what we have now.” “Around 2005 I was asked by a business friend if I saw myself as a businesswoman or a Chef. When I answered a Chef they replied “you’ll never be a successful businesswoman.” I lost a lot of sleep thinking about that and changed my direction, slowly moving myself out of the kitchen and allowing my business to grow. I have fantastic staff, we’re like a big family and many of them have been with me for years. They all call me Ma and if someone isn’t working to our standards, they will let me know.” One of Sue’s first weddings was for a high profile Auckland couple and she says she had no idea of how powerfully it would affect her business. “One good wedding can transform your business. By doing a good job it is the catalyst to other functions – christenings, birthdays, engagements – you become part of that family and their friend’s families too. “I love weddings, they are one of the things that gives me the most joy about catering. When I meet the brides, many have a folder with their ideas and pictures with what they want it to look like and they’re giving us the job of transforming their ideas into their day.”
48 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2012
There is so much that goes into an event, the logistics and organisation are planned weeks in advance. “We ask questions like ‘can we get our equipment to the venue; is there a steep drive; have they got running water; what happens if it’s a rainy day and will we need a generator’? It’s a visual job, we see what it looks like, living and reliving the event over and over again in our minds before it even happens and this is part of what makes us stand out. We make it as personal as possible and I try to be at all the events, I check the food and scan the waiters, I have combs, razors and hair ties ready and we launder and iron all the uniforms so everyone looks the same. Attention to detail is important because we’re making someone’s day special. Our tagline is ‘serving amazing anywhere’. This is a good catchphrase to set our targets by.” Sue uses a number of facilities including the beautiful Brick Bay vineyard which has a strong New Zealand focus using products that are locally sourced. Abbeville Estate is her newest project, a 150 year old country estate surrounded by farmlands that has been newly renovated in Manakau. The property is owned by Auckland Airport and with Sue’s help it has been transformed into a spectacular venue where weddings, concerts and wine and food festivals can be held. There is a barn that is licensed for 380 people, the beautiful homestead, a church and gorgeous grounds that can take marquees for up to 400 people. When Sue was first shown the property, it was run down and overgrown, the church was badly in need of renovation and they had to redo all the plumbing and drainage and install a new power plant. “I saw what it could be and it has been transformed into something beautiful. I feel like I’m going home every time I go out there, the builders and contractors have done a superb job, and I don’t want to leave because it makes everyone feel so good when they’re there. The focus is on opposites ‘old and new, business and pleasure, him and her’. There is a lot of greenery and beautiful old trees; we’ve planted gardens where flowers will bloom all year round; fruit trees and vegetables we can use on our menus and there’s a pigeon coop where Mr Hoo the very fat pigeon lives. It is a beautiful venue and everyone who has seen it has fallen in love with it.” Abbeville Estate adds an exciting new dimension to the facilities Great Catering Co. can offer. And as her business continues to grow, expand and develop with a focus towards healthier eating, Sue Fleischl is taking catering to a whole new level. (REBECCA JONES) PN GREAT CATERING CO., 12 Putiki Street T: 09 376 1424 www.greatcatering.co.nz
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