9 August, 2021

//Media Release

 

With 400 guests, around 5,000 plates of food and matching wines and over 100 live and silent auction items, the 24th Harbour Hospice Vintners’ Brunch held yesterday saw $362,000 raised for the local charity.

Proceeds from the iconic event, co-hosted by Hospice patron Judy Bailey and wine expert Vic Williams, will go directly to the Harbour Hospice Inpatient Unit on the North Shore, which is soon to be reopened as phase one of its major redevelopment project comes to an end.

Twenty-six of Auckland’s most popular restaurants and wineries brought their best to the table, with each food and wine match competing for the title of ‘food & wine match of the year.’ The winning match, voted by the guests, was Takapuna based nanam with its six-hour roasted crispy pork belly lechon with lemongrass stuffing served with Tohu Gisborne Chardonnay.

Harbour Hospice Chief Executive, Jan Nichols, is deeply humbled by the support of every restaurant and winery involved who have remained committed to supporting the event despite navigating their own recovery after the financial impact of Covid. “They’ve given up so many hours to be here and we’re very grateful,” Nichols said.

Alongside the 2 ½ hour 12-course feast, were live and silent auctions which included a Tara Iti golf round and lunch for seven, two-night stay for four couples at Ben Nevis Station, five-night stay in Rarotonga, a high end kitchen makeover, Tim Wilson painting and more.

Nichols said the success of this event would not have been possible without the support of many individuals, groups and local businesses. “Special thanks to Babich, Coopers Creek, Pandoro and Vic Williams who have been with Vintners’ Brunch for more than 20 years, and Café Hanoi who has been part of this event for 10 years. We’re also grateful to our loyal sponsors and to Bartercard who came on board as our Platinum sponsor for the first year.” “And, of course to all our guests who opened their wallets and hearts to support Harbour Hospice, a massive thank you. Your overwhelming generosity means that we can support the growing number of patients and their whānau in our community who need specialist, compassionate end of life care.

“We could not offer the range of services that we do, free of charge, without the support of our community and through special events like this one. We look forward to doing it all again next year,” Nichols said.

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