A Fresh Chapter for Bellamy’s: Tradition Meets Modern Kitchen Innovation

07/Oct/2025

Highlights

Bellamy’s, one of New Zealand’s oldest restaurants, has been serving dignitaries and guests since 1854.

Now located in “The Beehive” building since 1975, it remains one of the few government-run restaurants open to the public—offering diners a rare taste of Parliament life.

Bellamy’s restaurant is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday to Friday and can serve up to 90 people each sitting, whilst the production kitchen, in charge of the cafeteria, functions and trolley service for meetings, operates Monday to Friday. Alongside Joshua is a head chef in charge of the production kitchen, as well as a team of 14 other chefs.

“In Bellamy’s we’ll have a wide range of guests including the general public, MPs, foreign ministers and delegations, through to Prime Ministers and sometimes royalty,” says Joshua. “For many of these visitors, this might be the only meal they’re having in the country, so the product and food must shine.”

In collaboration with Neil Thomson from BCE, the Bellamy’s team began a strategic upgrade in 2022, focusing on energy efficiency, reliability, and flexibility. A key consideration was ensuring any replacement was absolutely necessary to the business, and cost-effective.

In the kitchen

The principal replacements took place in early 2023. In the main production kitchen, one of the three Convotherm 24-tray wheel-in rack Combi Ovens replaced like-for-like; one will be upgraded to a bigger oven when it is due for replacement in the next few years; and the third was replaced by two smaller ovens, for flexibility and efficiency of a 7-tray combi stacked on top of a 11-tray combi oven.

The Bellamy's restaurant kitchen also features the Waldorf commercial cooking range, including a chrome griddle and chargrill in the main kitchen. Downstairs, is also home to the pressurise 150-litre Jump multipan, the benefit of which both kitchens share.

The project is an ongoing one, with another 24-tray Convotherm combi oven scheduled for replacement within the next 12–18 months as the project continues.

With refreshed facilities and trusted brands like Convotherm and Waldorf, Bellamy’s continues its long tradition of excellence, representing the best of New Zealand hospitality and cuisine to the world. To discuss how Moffat can suppport your next production kitchen upgrade, contact us or your local Moffat dealer today.