It also gave 23 students from the Southern Institute of Technology and Southland Boys’ High School the chance to experience a busy commercial kitchen while learning from top chefs. Flack, who had resettled in his hometown of Invercargill, said his culinary idols had taught him about the importance of cooking with locally sourced, seasonal food. “There’s a connection between the plate of food and what's happening around you,” he said, adding that campaigns like Savour the South encouraged people to get to know their local producers. The luncheon meant students could learn from five different chefs with different experiences and mindsets,” Flack said.