Mercedes-Benz New Zealand is excited to announce that Simon Wright, executive chef and founder of The French Café restaurant, is the newest ‘friend of the brand’. The partnership sees New Zealand’s number one luxury automotive brand aligning with New Zealand’s number one restaurant.
Globally, the Mercedes-Benz brand is synonymous with high-end lifestyle and sport partnerships, following dedicated support and involvement in the worlds of Fashion, Golf and Formula 1. The brand’s alignment with Simon Wright continues the philosophy of partnerships with the very best in-class; in addition to receiving outstanding local critical acclaim, The French Café has been recognised by millions of independent reviewers as Trip Advisor’s number one Australasian fine dining restaurant in the 2015 Traveller’s Choice Awards.
Mr Ben Giffin, General Manager, Mercedes-Benz Cars New Zealand said “We are extremely proud to welcome Simon Wright of The French Café into the Mercedes-Benz family. Simon is undoubtedly one of New Zealand’s most highly acclaimed and skilled chefs, whose dedication to outstanding cuisine, and consistency over many decades has seen him recognised internationally as one of the finest chefs in the world. The partnership sees Mercedes-Benz enter into the realm of food for the first time in New Zealand, and as a passionate car enthusiast himself, we couldn’t think of a better fit than Simon. We are truly delighted to align with The French Café brand, one which perfectly embodies our own ethos of ‘The Best or Nothing’.”
As a friend of the brand, Wright’s culinary expertise and knowledge will be shared across a number of exclusive ‘money-can’t-buy’ Mercedes-Benz customer events, incorporating bespoke menus, outstanding fine dining, and the opportunity to engage with one of New Zealand’s premier chefs.
“I cannot even begin to express how honoured I feel to be working with Mercedes-Benz as their latest friend of the brand”, said Wright. “I’ve always been a huge fan of their product, but it’s their philosophy, attention to detail and customer focus that I feel really captures our two brands. Like The French Café, Mercedes-Benz is a company that is constantly evolving in the pursuit for excellence and offering a holistic, personalised customer experience.
“Personally, my love affair with cars started long before my love of food. To now have the opportunity to combine both my passions is incredibly exciting for me. I’m really looking forward to seeing how our partnership develops in the coming years, but for now I would really like to thank Mercedes-Benz because I’m having the drive of my life!”
