Q&A with Geoffroy, Front of House

Q&A with Geoffroy Bringeon, Front of House

Q) Where are you from and how did you end up in Taupo?

A) I’m 28 years old, French/Swiss from France. I’ve been in NZ since 2019 and chose Taupo as my new home because it is like Geneva with the lake, mountains and nearby vineyards.

Q) What’s your restaurant background?

A) The previous 8 years I have worked in luxury hotels and Michelin star restaurants throughout Europe.

Q) What excites you?

A) Creating a unique customer experience, it’s not about just smiling and serving food. Also, learning brings passion, so training the team at Sorrento on wine, food and culture, and increasing our knowledge of the local region and Italy is rewarding. For example, we have been extending our wine knowledge by visiting Hawkes Bay Wineries and meeting the winemakers.

Q) What changes you have been involved with at Sorrento?

A) With Matthew, our head chef we have recreated our menu to include fresh Italian Starters, improve our Sorrento Italian pizza base, and make the most of traditional pasta mains while keeping a Kiwi inspiration with our pork belly and beef cheek mains. We purchased a Coravin wine system to enable us to offer an extensive range of wines by the glass. No need to finish the bottle. We’ve also extended the cocktail list, including dessert Cocktails.

Q) What’s next?

A) I’m continually improving and changing our wine list. Keep an eye out for wines of the month! My favourites at the moment are Domaine Armand Rousseau Pere & Fils Clos Saint-Jacques Gevrey Chambert Premier Cru, 2011, France.