Suppliers & Partners

We are fortunate to work and live in one of the most beautiful valleys in New Zealand surrounded by majestic mountains and the mighty Kawarau River. Gibbston Valley Lodge & Spa is committed to sustainabilitydoing our part in protecting this precious asset and working with our local community to make a difference.

VENDELLA BEDDING & TOWELS

Vendella is a Kiwi company who support Keep NZ Beautiful. Their pillows, mattress toppers and duvets are made from recycled plastic bottles.

  • Each pillow uses 24 bottles
  • Each mattress topper uses 107 bottles
  • Each duvet inner uses 76 bottles
  • Therefore, one villa set up uses 327 bottles

And for every 8 pillows we buy, Vendella plants one NZ native, so our initial pillow run contributed to 18 natives being planted.

MONARCH TOWELS

Monarch Green Earth Eco towels are made from super fine, Extra-Long Stables (ELS) cotton, which is known for contributing to the sustainable consumption of cotton. Laundering these towels saves up to 30% in water consumption, uses less detergent and takes 10-20% less drying time. Monarch Green Earth towels are manufactured in an agri-waste powered, zero discharge facility that produces no emission of effluents into the local water tables. The process also incorporates eco-friendly dyes and chemicals which are control union-certified and sustainable, to reduce impact on the environment.
You will find no paper towels in our bathrooms.

FOREST AND BIRD ROOM AMENITIES BY HEALTHPAK

A percentage of all Forest and Bird products is given back to the non-profit conservation group Forest and Bird - an NZ conservation organisation covering land, ocean, rivers and lakes. All packaging is biodegradable, recyclable, and non-toxic.

QUEENSTOWN SOAP COMPANY

Our soap bars are sourced from Queenstown Soap Company which is a small local business where Ella hand makes her own natural soap bars. We feature French clay and lavender scents.

LEFT OVER SOAP BARS ARE SENT TO SOAP AID

Soap Aid is a not for profit organisation who recycle and send critical soap to communities facing major hygiene challenges. Our left over soap bars are collected and sent to Soap Aid for repurposing.

IN ROOM COFFEE AND TEA

We supply Pukka tea. Pukka works with over 5000 growers across the world. Pukka Herbs is a totally organic business (certified by the Soil Association). All products are free from synthetic flavours and colouring. The company actively seeks Fairtrade and FairWild certified ingredients for its products and FSC certified materials for its packaging. It invests in climate change and resource conservation projects.

Each villa is also supplied with freshly ground Allpress coffee. By not choosing to put coffee pods in each room we cut down on packaging waste.

FOR THE BETTER GOOD WATER BOTTLES

Our villa mini bars are stocked with For the Better Good water bottles. For the Better Good started locally and uses bottles made from plants, that are made in New Zealand.

Every 24 bottles sold plants a native seedling so a full property room turnover is two seedlings.

Used bottles are returned to, and recycled by, the company.

ECOWISE HYGIENE CLEANING SUPPLIES

We use EcoWise, a new cleaning range of environmentally conscious cleaning products, designed specifically for the hospitality sector and formulated and manufactured locally here in New Zealand.

SPA PRODUCTS

Both our suppliers, TheraVine and Nellie Tier, have amazing sustainability policies and use organic ingredients. Nellie Tier is a multi-generation family owned and run business, based in the North Island. Their products have no silicones, volatile alcohols, propylene or butylene glycols, parabens, sls, kojic acid, hydroquinone or petrochemicals, and are not tested on animals.

TheraVine’s grape and grapevine based products are from South Africa. The packaging is FSC approved, recyclable and uses soya based links. There is no testing on animals and the suppliers of the ingredients used are evaluated first to ensure sustainable and ethical practices.

Candles for the Spa are from a local Gibbston Valley resident, Lucy King. The candle holders are collected and refilled. Lucy King also makes our room fragrance and reeds.

PACKAGING

We use Stone Paper Packaging – a NZ paper packaging company. Their bags are made from quarry waste and building site rubble, and are 100% non-toxic. They look to achieve low energy manufacturing and the bags can be broken down and put in the garden after use.

Across the site you will see no individual milk cartons (we use small 200ml bottles which we refill), no single use preserve packaging (breakfast spreads - homemade chutneys and jams - are served in ramekins and jars), no sugar packets, and no individually wrapped mints.

ART

Across the property we feature a range of artworks (paintings, photographs and pottery) from local artists including Jackie Ranken, Rachel Walker and Renee Boyd. We are proud to be supporting these individuals who are all personally committed and passionate about making our community a better place through their works.

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Factors such as locality, organic practices and fair trade are taken into account when selecting food and beverage products and suppliers. Currently 95% of our ingredients are produced in New Zealand.

For example, our beers are sourced from local breweries; we use local juice and soft drink companies as much as we can; wherever possible we use local spirits such as Cardrona Distillery gin; our olive oil comes from Cromwell; we use local lamb and beef suppliers; and our seafood is sourced from the South Island.

Practices

TAP WATER

Still and sparkling tap water on tap is available for free in the Lodge to cut down on plastic.

ROOM SERVICE

We look to minimise packaging and waste wherever possible. As result, our villas are not stocked with supplies unnecessarily but we have all the possible required amenities (even bamboo toothbrushes!) available at Reception, so simply call us and we will deliver!

Where bags are required, such as bathroom bins for hygiene purposes, we use ‘green’ bags.
Villa ‘signage’ also encourages guests to consider using towels more than once by placing them on the towel rail after use.

RECYCLING

We utilise multiple recycling practices and divert over 150,000 litres of rubbish from land fill each year.
Each villa has an in-room recycling bin and all used bottles are shipped for recycling. We also donate bottles and cracked crockery to Smashit.

All cardboard is recycled and any metal that comes from the Winemakers goes to Wanaka Metal Works.
We do not use any single use straws on site.

SUSTAINABLE GROWING

At Gibbston Valley our food philosophy is to keep it simple, uncomplicated and local. Our Chef’s Gardens allow us to do just that, by producing the ingredients we use. Executive Chef Anthony Gradiska’s ultimate goal is to have something from the garden on every dish.

The Chef’s Gardens feature home grown herbs, fruits, vegetables and edible flowers; all of which feature in our dishes. Throughout the year the garden evolves, each season bringing a different focus on growing crops that will thrive during that time. During the warmer months all of our herbs and edible flowers thrive, together with courgettes, cucumbers, tomatoes, fennel and the like. In the colder months, more hardy crops like rosemary and thyme are the staple, as everything else falls by the wayside. These seasonal differences influence the dishes on the menu and give them a unique Central Otago flavour.
Our Chef’s Gardens are free from chemicals, fertilizers or pesticides and achieve good quality soil.

KITCHEN WASTE

We deal with all organic food waste in three ways. The majority goes into our worm farm or our onsite compost (which then goes back into our soil). The remaining organic food waste supplements local farmers organic feed.
No coffee grinds go into the bin; they all go into compost.

THE WIDER GIBBSTON VALLEY PROPERTY

ORGANIC VINEYARDS

Gibbston Valley began its organic programme in 2010. Since then we have achieved BioGro organic certification on our School House, China Terrace Pinot Noir and Le Maitre (Home Block) wines. We are also now underway with the conversion of our Red Shed vineyards. Once the Red Shed conversion is
complete, all of our Gibbston Valley owned Bendigo vineyards will be farmed 100% organically.

BIODIVERSITY

Biodiversity within our vineyards is an essential component of our winemaking philosophy. Cover crops, and even flowering weeds, play a crucial role in supporting vibrant life in and around the vines.

In viticulture, cover cropping refers to planting between and under the vines. Cover crops not only increase the biodiversity of the vineyard, but they also protect against soil erosion, improve the water-retention of the soil, and help to control the yield and quality of grapes. Cover crops consist of a plethora of wildflowers such as California poppies, lupin, viola, cosmos, marigolds, soapwort and cornflowers, as well as a mix of native grasses and flowering weeds such as vipers bugloss, clover and mallow, all selected for this specific purpose. Flowering cover crops are planted late spring and mowed at the end of Summer, then another cover crop of soil nutrient enhancement species is planted after harvest and cultivated into the soil early Spring. House-made compost from winemaking waste products is also applied to the vines in Spring.

The crops that we plant are chosen specifically because they attract, feed and shelter beneficial insects and animals, and help to control the levels of pests. We are creating a balance of life in our vineyards that helps to support the health of our vines and eliminates the need for chemical inputs.

BEES

We have two local apiaries on the property; one is tucked away near the idyllic Tom’s Creek, carefully placed to support the environment by providing bees a home to pollinate the area, and the other is up above our Wine Cave, readily available for guests to view from a distance before they start a Cave Tour. Harvested honey offers local sustainable honey for use in our Winery Restaurant.

NATIVE FLORA & FAUNA

We regularly plant native trees, plants and wildflowers for sustainable landscapes and creating habitats for wildlife, including pollinators and native birds. Flower and grass breeds are selected to increase the biodiversity of beneficial insects such as rye grass, which attracts wasps that control leaf roller caterpillar in the vines, and lupins, which increase nitrogen in the soil.
Take a stroll along the Gibbston Valley Trail and enjoy the plethora of native plants found in the crevices and bluffs along the way. Listen for the birdsong of Bellbirds & Tui or catch a glimpse of a Silvereye, Blackbird, Skylark or Grey Warbler.

SKINKS & GECKOS

Central Otago is known as a showcase for New Zealand’s two lizard families, skinks and geckos, both of which live in Gibbston. Patches of shrub land associated with schist outcrops include native plants that enjoy the hot summers, cold winters and dry conditions of this valley, much like the vines we grow in in this region. A conservation area has been created on the northern side of the property above the river’s edge, to allow the population to thrive.

TRAPPING

Gibbston Valley runs a small trapping program in Lodge Gully, Tom’s Creek and around the Lodge/Winery. The first stage focused on laying chew cards and recording results in order to identify predators. We then began with two small trap lines, with eight traps in total. Throughout the first six months we continued to lay chew cards and began bird mapping to record bird movement and song. The next phase of our project will be to publish findings in order to support the development of a public assisted funding program in conjunction with the Wakatipu Wildlife Trust and Gibbston Community.

SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY

Gibbston Valley is committed to respecting and promoting the social, cultural and historic values of the Queenstown Lakes region. In this vein we are ongoing contributors and supporters of a plethora of local community organisations and groups.
Some of the organisations/groups/events that we have supported over the past few years include:

  • Sustainable Queenstown Women’s Summit
  • Real Journeys Birds of a Feather Fundraising Ball
  • Holy Family School Charity Event
  • Black ZQN Quiz Night
  • Hilton Queenstown Room to Room Charity
  • Anderson Lloyd Cow Lane Art Charity Project
  • St. Joseph School Fundraising Events
  • Queenstown Trail Trust Silent Auction
  • Wakatipu High School Fundraising Events
  • Arrowtown School Quiz Night
  • Wakatipu Toy Library Fundraiser
  • Fork to Forest Fundraising Dinner
  • Wakatipu Youth Trust Events
  • Altrusa Charity Quiz Night
  • Remarkables Primary School Golf Tournament
  • Wayfare Birds of a Feather Ball

We have also supported localised business initiatives for:

  • Daffodil Day
  • Cure Kids
  • Breast Cancer Cure
  • Mental Health Awareness
  • Pink Ribbon Breakfast

Additionally, we provide continued support to the Queenstown Ice Skating Rink’s Ice Hockey program and support the Wakatipu Wildlife Trust trapping program; as well as supporting several of Queenstown’s major events such as Winter Pride, Queenstown Winter Festival and the Arrowtown Long Lunch.

Our current major sponsorship relationship consists of a five-year sponsorship agreement with The Wakatipu Community Foundation, for whom we are a Founding Partner.