New beginnings for an enterprising chef

Phillip Nordt – After his compulsory 2 years in the army he went to train at Germany’s most luxurious hotel ” Vier Jahreszeiten” in Munich with its famous (first 2 star michellin restaurant “Walterspiel”). From there he studied tourism in Vienna and Hotel & Restaurant studies in Bad Wiesssee/Teegernsee, Bavaria, only to end up as a marketing manager at Grand Metropolitan/Intercontinental hotels in Western Europe. During this time he learnt a hotels and the special cuisines from all over Europe. The first thing he did once arriving at a hotel is he would check in with the kitchens and meet the chefs to discuss menu options for incentive operators and corporate functions.

After 2 very successful years, he migrated to New Zealand to open New Zealand’s first lodge chain: “Retreats of New Zealand” and then C&E Tours, which he operated for 10 years before he re-entered the hospitality world with a series of new “inventions”, like The Dining Club in Christchurch, Panini Bar, Pan Italia Bakery.

After selling Pan Italia in 2005 and retiring for 2 years, there was this lingering question:
What next?

It was then that Nordt re-invented himself as a chef and embarked on a successful career as executive chef and food & beverage manager, working for deluxe hotels and resorts around New Zealand and the Pacific. His last position was as the executive chef and food and beverage manager at Rarotonga’s Pacific Resort, where he had to resign to attend to matters at home regarding the earth quake damage of his family home.

His return to the Cook Islands was solidified when he got a phone call from the hospitality training school, where he was offered a positiion as Culianry Arts Tutor.

This was accepted, and his cook island wife gave in and let him go back to his love of his life: RAROTONGA.