Whether you’re catering for a workplace Christmas party, organising an end-of-year client function, or getting your venue ready for the busy hosting season, creating a smooth, stress-free experience is essential. In the lead-up to Christmas, kitchens work harder, menus get bigger and service expectations rise, which is why natural gas is often the energy choice trusted by chefs, caterers and hospitality operators across New Zealand.
Source: iStock image
Gas in the kitchen keeps events running smoothly
When workplaces book their Christmas celebrations, caterers and commercial kitchens often face tight turnarounds and back-to-back events. Gas helps them meet this demand thanks to instant, powerful heat and precise temperature control. Chefs can move quickly between dishes, maintain consistency across large batches and keep service flowing without delays.
Gas ovens also recover heat faster when trays are going in and out which is a key advantage when you’re feeding large groups. Whether you’re roasting trays of vegetables, poaching salmon fillets, preparing big pots of curries or pastas, or finishing baked desserts like brownies or toasting nuts, gas ensures even, reliable heat across larger cooking volumes.
Source: iStock image, a pan full of dumplings cooking over a gas stove top
Meals that work particularly well on natural gas for crowd catering include:
- Pan-fried dumplings (gyoza or potstickers), crisp bottoms plus steamed tops equals a crowd favourite.
- Halloumi bites pan-seared and served with watermelon, mint or a drizzle of chimichurri.
- Corn fritters cooked in batches that taste great with avocado or tomato relish.
- Mini meatballs (lamb, pork, or beef) simmered in a festive glaze like cranberry, BBQ or sweet chilli.
- Sausage bites in a sticky glaze which you brown on the stove, then toss with honey mustard or maple soy.
- Chicken skewers cooked in a stovetop grill pan or frypan (teriyaki, satay, lemon pepper).
- Cinnamon sugared nuts, toasted in a pot on the gas hob toasted and very festive in flavour.
These dishes benefit from gas’ responsiveness, helping chefs scale up without compromising quality.
Source: iStock image
Hot water on demand for busy venues
Whether you’re hosting staff or customers, larger groups put extra pressure on hot water systems. Continuous hot water is essential for dishwashing, food preparation and regular handwashing, particularly when several teams are working at once. Gas hot water systems heat quickly and maintain steady supply, making them ideal for high demand hospitality and commercial environments during the festive season.
Cooking with gas all year round
Restaurant and café owners are some of New Zealand’s most passionate gas users, and for good reason, gas provides the speed, control and efficiency needed for professional cooking during the busy festive season and all year round.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a safe holiday season from the team at Firstgas!
