About us

Carsten Blutner completed his training at the Olof-Palme Vocational school in 1985 and then secured his first position as a qualified chef at the prestigious Restaurant im Reichstag in Berlin. Over the next two years he rose from his position of junior chef to become chef saucier before leaving to travel the world and expand his culinary horizons. During this time he visited New Zealand and fell in love with the country.
On returning to Berlin Carsten again secured employment at the Reichstag but this time as executive sous chef, responsible for a staff of twenty chefs; also the planning and implementation of menus for a lot of the political banquets held there. In this period Carsten would have personally prepared food for most of the worlds political leaders.
In 1996 Carsten returned to New Zealand to stay, working in a variety of restaurants including a four and a half year tenure as head chef at Waiheke’s Mudbrick Vineyard Restaurant.
Carsten’s Kitchen is the culmination of his years of culinary passion and dedication – an opportunity for patrons to savour truly exceptional food prepared by a master chef.

Peter Leenstra started his career in hospitality in 1983 and at that time was trained by long-time friend and mentor Shane Learwood who himself had completed a six-year apprenticeship as a waiter at the Mayfair hotel in London.
Peter has worked in many top restaurants including Verandah Bar and Grill, Vinnies, Mails (5 stars, Metro magazine 1986) and Christine Manfield’s Paragon Restaurant in Circular Quay, Sydney to name just a few. More recently he has held the position of restaurant manager at the Mudbrick Restaurant on two occasions.
Nearly half of his career has been spent in the kitchen, working as a chef under some of New Zealand’s best and this all round experience leaves him perfectly suited for his role at Carsten’s Kitchen – both assisting with the preparation of food and providing polished service for the guests.

The Philosophy

Time and care have become increasingly scarce commodities in modern cooking but at Carsten’s Kitchen you will be treated to a sumptuous feast that is slow-cooked and nourishes the spirit as well as the body.
Peter and Carsten feel that it is possible to create great food that need not have a negative effect on the environment. As such they endeavour to make their cuisine guilt-free. Where possible, products used will be organic and sourced from local suppliers. Furthermore they will never use factory farmed meat, eggs or other animal products choosing instead to find pork, chicken etc. from reputable suppliers of free-range goods. Needless to say that veal and foie gras will never be found on any of their menus. Finally, they are committed to using only sustainably or traditionally harvested food from the sea.

The Menus

Carsten and Peter have devised menus to suit most tastes with dishes ranging from French and German classics through to Asian and Pacific delights. Vegetarian options will be made available with prior notice and similarly, special dietary requirements can also be catered for. Options range from standard three and four course meals through to twelve course extravaganzas.
Although we won’t cook commercially caught fish, we feel that if you have caught a fish you have earnt it. Therefore we have come up with a menu in which the highlight of the meal is a main course featuring the fish you have caught, either on your own boat or with one of the local charter operators.
A full list of menus and prices are available for perusal at our Menu Page !

The Cooking Classes

As well as private dining Carsten’s Kitchen also offers day tours that are both fun and informative. The tour includes a return ferry ticket (if arriving from Auckland), a drive around some of the Island’s scenic spots, a stop at one or two of the local vineyards for a tasting and the opportunity to purchase – then on to Carsten’s Kitchen. Once there, guests will get the chance to learn a few tricks of the trade from two of the best. Peter will instruct the class in some of the finer points of cocktail making, the results of which can be enjoyed while Carsten imparts some of the knowledge he has gained in a lifetime of professional cooking. The demonstration will turn into a leisurely lunch after which there will be transport provided to the ferry terminal or accommodations.