Planning a party, event or a casual get-together? Make it extra special with Stony Creek Dining. We offer a unique, high-quality service that you can enjoy in the comfort of your home.
Whether you’re planning an intimate dinner party with a few friends, a company Christmas event or a casual get-together, Stony Creek Dining can help ease the stress involved with this and add a touch of luxury to your next event.
We take pride in providing an exclusive, personalised experience for you which takes the pressure off your hands and brings the restaurant to your home.
About Stony Creek.
Stony Creek was founded by me, Joe McKenzie.
Growing up in the Mackenzie District of South Canterbury, I spent many holidays camping and hunting with my family at Stony Creek, in the Mackenzie High Country. When I left to travel overseas for 10 years, I always held on to those memories to remind myself of where I came from.
I spent 4 years working in Sydney at acclaimed restaurants Marque and Saint Peter. I then moved to Japan for a year where I really learnt the meaning of hard-work and attention to detail working at the Michelin-starred Gordon Ramsay Tokyo and gaining experience at other Michelin resturants, Takazawa and Narisawa. Living and working in Japan taught me the importance of using quality seasonal and local produce which is firmly established in Japanese culture and which heavily influences the way I cook and design menus, to this day.
In Canada, I branched out to work for an Organic Flour Mill, experimenting with baking various sourdough breads in their wood-fired oven. I worked for a local food company as their chef for catering events and also spent time at a restaurant in Montreal.
Following this, I fulfilled my ambition of working at a Michelin star restaurant in Europe by getting a job at Mirazur in the South of France, which in 2019 was named the best restaurant in the world by San Pellegrino. I then spent a year at Studio restaurant in Copenhagen working for Chef Torsten Vildgaard before heading home to New Zealand to start a family with my wife, Bo.
I’m passionate about cooking real food, that tastes good, not only looking nice, while incorporating quality New Zealand ingredients that are in season and produced locally. While I’ve trained in mostly fine-dining restaurants, I also enjoy preparing more simple meals like barbecues and seafood dishes that are designed to satisfy and complement good drinks and good company.
Stony Creek is my creative outlet for all the experience I’ve gained and the food that I enjoy to cook and eat.