General Manager’s Message

General Manager Mark Bovaird

總經理布馬克 Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful festive season and are raring to go for a fantastic 2023.

With Christmas and New Year's Eve now behind us, we begin to turn our attention to preparations for Chinese New Year and we have the perfect opportunity to see out the Year of the Tiger and prepare for the Year of the Rabbit in style. Join us in the Compass Room and Steakhouse for the Ruinart Champagne Dinner on Thursday 5 January. Ruinart is the oldest Champagne house having been founded back in 1729! This is always one of the most popular events in our wine dinner calendar so do book up early to avoid missing out.

We've got a fantastic array of events and activities for the entire family to celebrate the New Year of the Rabbit. We have several workshops to teach you how to make Tong Yuan 湯圓 (the traditional Chinese dessert of Sweet Rice Balls), Feng Shui 101, Chinese Calligraphy and Paper Dragon Making – definitely something for everyone and why not sign up for all of them!

It cannot be overstated how popular our 盆菜 Poon Choi Dinner on the Rooftop is – and this year we've got two scheduled; the first on 10 January and the second on 16 January. If you prefer to enjoy Poon Choi at home, we have a special takeaway option for you too! You can also take home our Homemade Chinese New Year Puddings and boxes of Chocolates.

The Second Day of Chinese New Year, Monday 23 January, will see Choi Sun, the God of Wealth making his annual visit to the Club and the incredible Lion Dance on the poles is making a comeback too! Make sure you are booked in to the special Chinese New Year Dinner Buffet in the Bistro or the Set Dinner in the Compass Room that night! Full details are available on page xxx or online. Also from 23 January to 5 February we'll have your favourite Chinese New Year Auspicious Dishes in the Bistro.

Lastly on Chinese New Year – please make a note of the Club's Operating Hours over CNY – you can find details on page 38 or online.

Continuing on with our series, Introducing Local Beverage Makers, we are welcoming Moonzen Brewery to the Club. Join us on the Main Lawn for a Beer Tasting Pop-up on Friday 6 January and then a Moonzen Beer Pairing Dinner in the Compass Room on Thursday 19 January.

There's a lot going on for the children too, with a Scavenger Hunt (this time a little harder) on Sunday 8 January – free of charge but do sign up and a Kids' Movie Night featuring The Lego Movie on Saturday 14 January. We also have Kids' Zumba on Sunday 29 January.

We're looking forward to a fantastic year ahead – first up on the sporting calendar is the One Global HKRNVR Memorial Vase on 7 January – see you there!

Kung Hei Fat Choi!

Commodore Lucy Sutro and Mark Bovaird wishing everyone a Happy Chinese New Year of the Rabbit! Many thanks to our friends and neighbours at the SPCA for helping us with our CNY photoshoot. A pet is a friend for life. Rabbits have relatively long lives – between 8 to 12 years or even more – they aren't just for Chinese New Year (or Easter!). In order to give a rabbit (or any other pet) a happy life, you need to think carefully about the commitment you are making and the length of time you will need to be responsible for their care. And adopt, don't shop! If you have what it takes to care for a pet, please visit www.spca.org.hk!