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Providing for tens-of-thousands of hungry sports fans at a stadium requires a lot of planning, organising and — of course — a lot of food. From crowd favourites in the retail stands to reimagined favourites with a Pasifika influence in the corporate suites, Executive Chef Anton Hazelman leads the kitchen teams at Auckland stadiums North Harbour and GoMedia-Mt Smart. This past month’s three high-attendance games in one weekend upped the challenge(Black Ferns vs USA —now viral for the clips of the choir performances of the national anthems; the high profile Auckland FC vs Melbourne Victory semi-final; and NZ Warriors vs Dolphins). Anton’s career has seen more than half his life in stadium kitchens. Here he shares his seven hard-won lessons – part logistics, part legacy, all heart.

The Seven Rules from the stadium kitchen

1. Plan carefully – details matter

“You can’t get there on game day and then find things are wrong. You’ve got to get out there a couple of days earlier. Check the fridges, ovens, hot boxes. It’s the small things you don’t think of that’ll trip you up on the day.”

2. Cross off your jobs – or get buried under stress

“À la carte taught me you have to cross off every job as it comes. In hospitality, the list gets longer and longer. If you don’t cross them off, nothing gets done and you’re left with a whole lot of worry and a whole lot of things that could go wrong.”

3. Know your crowd. Then feed them properly

“Warriors fans want quality��and��quantity. Auckland FC are higher quality, smaller portions…�� more grazing table and canapé service. You’ve got to understand your crowd.”

4. Create dishes with connection

“Our staff all have Pacific Island backgrounds. When we did palusami for the Warriors, the guys were keen because it was something they knew, something they’d prepared at family gatherings – but done in a new, relatable way.”

5. Help people grow – don’t hold them back

“I’ve always been one to say… if you can push someone to go to higher things, you gotta do that, you can’t hold him back. It’s selfish to want to keep them here just because you’re here and they know how to do things. If there’s growth for them, and if they can grow somewhere else, then you gotta push it.”

6. Manage your team like a good coach

“The best coaches manage each person differently. Some require stern talking to, some just a little chat outside, some need space. You adapt your style to get the best out of everyone.”

7. If the home team’s losing, everything matters more

“Nothing goes wrong when the home team’s winning. Everyone’s in a better mood. But when they’re not, every detail matters. That’s when the emphasis is on making sure everything goes really well.”

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Get in touch: In addition to our partnerships in the stadium sector, we love working in the education space –where our food fuels learning, connection, and community. Ovation is proud to be a platinum sponsor of Independent Schools of New Zealand. To find out more about what Ovation can offer your school, please contact our Business Development Executive, John Rippingham (ph: 022 135 8951 or email john.rippingham@ovationhospitality.co.nz).

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