THE LODGE BAR GROUP’S EXECUTIVE CHEF

09 May 2022

Internationally venerated chef, Matt Lambert, is one of New Zealand’s top culinary talents and synonymous with Rodd & Gunn’s, The Lodge Bar Group.

At age 11, Lambert had an appetite to become a chef, and it wasn’t long before his foray into the cooking world began at his local restaurant. Lambert applied for an apprenticeship at Michaels restaurant, to test out his skills and quickly realised what it would take to earn his chef ’s whites.

10 years later, at age 21, Lambert opened a café in New Zealand called Sun Seair. From there, he ventured to the United States opening The Musket Room in New York in 2013 and earned a Michelin star within the first four months of operation – an accolade he proudly maintained for seven years.

From the start, there was a natural synergy between Lambert and Rodd & Gunn. Lambert first approached our brand to create uniforms for The Musket Room in a quest to bring a piece of his hometown to The Big Apple. Following a fruitful relationship, he officially joined the Rodd & Gunn team as Executive Chef of The Lodge Bar Group when we opened our lakefront doors in 2016 in Queenstown, NZ.

What drew Lambert to Rodd & Gunn was our family-oriented approach, our clear vision, and our strong embodiment of New Zealand’s rich heritage. Rodd & Gunn’s core values of simplicity, honesty and playfulness neatly aligned with Lambert’s own: each are qualities he likes to express in his culinary creations.

When it comes to the kitchen, Lambert lets his creative energies flow; he believes a flexible approach is the core ingredient to any good meal. Testing out new flavours and exploring hard-to-come-by produce also gives him great joy and is reflected in every dish he develops.

Attention to detail and flawless execution is what Lambert looks for in a meal and he is celebrated for his ‘art of plating.’ This considered approach is at the forefront of his food offering at Rodd & Gunn x The Lodge Bar & Dining James St – open 19th May. In addition to his quality cuisine, Lambert has also been recognised with the world-renowned Best Chef award for Best Food Artist in 2019 and travelled to Milan to receive his award.

Lambert also competed on the Food Network’s Chopped and appeared on CBS New York and NBC New York while cooking in NY.