Alex Gimenez is recognized as one of Queenstown’s most accomplished South American immigrants. When he first came to the town 24 years ago, he had just $20 in his pocket and spoke little English.
Now 58, Gimenez, along with his wife and fellow Argentinian, Lorena Giallonardo, established Patagonia Chocolates 21 years ago. From a young age, he was passionate about both hang gliding and cooking, beginning his culinary journey as a pastry chef.
At 17, he took to the skies, and by 18, he and his siblings had opened a bakery in Buenos Aires, which grew into a chain of three. With a workforce of 25 to 30 employees, Gimenez eventually told his siblings, “look, I don’t want to do this any longer, I want to fly”.
He then moved to Florida, USA, where he taught hang gliding and learned to fly small aircraft. Later, he worked in Sydney with hang gliding pioneer Bill Moyes before returning to Argentina to open a flight park with friends.
In 2002, faced with Argentina’s financial turmoil, Gimenez decided, “I’m over this, it’s always the same thing over and over”. Seeking a safer environment to raise a family, he and Lorena relocated to Queenstown, where he had secured a pilot position with Antigravity, a hang gliding company.
Shortly after arriving, Queenstown’s resemblance to the Patagonian resort Bariloche, known for its chocolates, inspired him to search for a chocolate shop. Finding none, he resolved, “if one day I get residency, I want to open a chocolate factory”.
After two and a half years in aviation and obtaining residency, the couple launched Patagonia Chocolates in a quaint Arrowtown courtyard, featuring chocolates that reflected Gimenez’s Argentinian roots and his Italian and Spanish heritage.
The venture was an immediate success, prompting Gimenez to suggest to his wife, “we probably need to open a store in Queenstown” just six months later. They proceeded to open a lakeside restaurant, introducing a novel dessert concept.
Initially sourcing ice cream from Dunedin, they soon began producing their own after securing a bank loan for the costly equipment. Gimenez recalls working around 19 hours daily, with ice cream now accounting for half of their sales.
The business expanded to Queenstown Airport and Wānaka, where they began roasting coffee. A decade ago, they opened their flagship store on Rees St, following the launch of an online store.
Today, Patagonia Chocolates employs up to 120 staff in the summer and regularly wins awards. Notably, they received the supreme champion boutique award for their Hazelnut Cremino at the 2023 New Zealand Ice Cream and Gelato Awards.
Gimenez emphasizes his “obsession with perfection, especially when it comes to food”. This dedication is evident in their Cocktail Bonbons, which won gold at the NZ food producer awards after a year of recipe development.
He told Radio NZ: “I never give myself 10 points when I cook anything” and is known for purchasing expensive equipment for single ingredients.
Gimenez attributes his innovative thinking to his hang gliding experience, saying, “I think this is what the hang glider gave me — the ability at looking at everything from up above”.
Among his most unconventional ideas was acquiring an 8-hectare orchard in Central Otago, which supplies cherries, apricots, and nectarines for their products and provides space for a new factory.
“The factory is going to be 100% electric, all the company will be electric,” he states, aiming for Patagonia to become the first carbon-neutral producer of ice cream, roasted coffee, and chocolates.
Gimenez has long been committed to sustainability, driving an electric car for nine years and living in a self-sufficient house with 80 solar panels and three Tesla power walls.
The family also owns a home on the Otago Peninsula, convenient for their son’s schooling in Dunedin, which led to the orchard purchase.
With plans to expand to Auckland and Christchurch, Gimenez remains rooted in Queenstown, affirming, “I absolutely love this place”.
Despite his demanding schedule, he finds time for fly boarding, e-foiling, and boating, and he and Lorena try to visit their homeland annually.
Reflecting on his success, Gimenez believes, “you can achieve whatever you want as long as you have the right attitude and you work hard”.
scoop@scene.co.nz
