As a child Sarah Searancke stood beside her mother as she planned meals for the week or prepared hors d’oeuvres for guests at their home, and imagined a time when she would do the same. “That’s how my love of cooking really started” says Sarah.
That early love of food set the course for a distinguished career. After completing training in her hometown and refining her skills in London’s five-star hotels, Chef Sarah returned to New Zealand to co-found Sarah Searancke Catering (SSC) with her husband Nigel.
Full circle: Back to the joy of cooking
What began as a small operation, soon evolved as the business grew. Over time, Sarah shifted her focus from hands-on cooking to overseeing the organisational and operational side of the company. SSC grew to manage catering for major venues across Wellington, producing restaurant-quality food at scale.
Despite the success, Sarah never lost her love for hands-on cooking. With the opening of Zephyr Café in the Takina Convention Centre, she returned to the kitchen full-time, delighting in crafting every item—from scratch-made breads to relishes. “There’s a lot of enjoyment that’s come back into what we’re doing now,” she says.
Designing a kitchen with a purpose
Sarah’s vision extends beyond flavour. She meticulously designed Zephyr’s open-concept kitchen, collaborating with Moffat dealer Neil Thomson from BCE to select the ideal commercial equipment. The setup includes a Turbofan combi oven, Waldorf oven range, griddle, chargrill, fryers, and a Merrychef high-speed oven, allowing her team to deliver high-quality dishes efficiently and safely—including options for coeliac guests.
Over the years, Sarah has navigated industry shifts, from gastronomic trends to pandemic challenges, always focusing on flavour, presentation, and the guest experience. Her advice to aspiring chefs is simple: be passionate, work hard, and be patient—it takes time to master the craft.
Today, Sarah continues to combine her love of creative cooking with meticulous planning, ensuring every guest at Zephyr enjoys an exceptional, memorable café experience in Wellington.
To learn more about the equipment that brings Zephyr’s kitchen to life, get in touch with us or our local Moffat dealer today!
