If an army marches on its stomach, then Wanaka caterers Crissy and Mark Langford know exactly how to support their troops.
Every year for at least 12 years, the Langfords have been providing food for the Anzac Day Diggers Breakfast.
The Langfords have been in the hospitality industry for more than 30 years.
They are presently the proprietors of the Hammer and Nail bakery but used to have a pie factory at Luggate before moving on to other food outlets.
Yesterday, the Wanaka Returned and Services Association honoured the Langfords by presenting them with a certificate of appreciation for helping the Wanaka and Districts Lions Club cater for Anzac Day.
Mr Langford said he was first approached by Lions to provide savouries about 12 years ago and thought: "We are not going to charge those guys for savouries ... If it wasn't for you guys, history would be different from what it is.
"We are very appreciative," Mrs Langford said of the presentation.
Wanaka long-timer Myrtle Whittington (94), who worked as an occupational therapist in New Caledonia for five years during World War 2, said she had never missed a Wanaka Anzac Day ceremony.
The catering for the ceremony was always "wonderful", she said.
In earlier times when the breakfast was held at the old town hall over the road, the returned services men and women were served a full bacon-and-egg breakfast plus two tots of rum. Now, the bar is still open but an ample morning tea of scones, savouries, sandwiches and Anzac biscuits is offered instead.
Mrs Whittington and her late husband Archie were hotel managers for the Tourist Hotel Corporation and worked in all the hotels in the THC chain except Waiatoto and Waitangi before being appointed to run the former Wanaka Hotel many decades ago.
They loved Wanaka so much they stayed and Mrs Whittington has resisted community living.
"I am an Elmslie House escapee. I live in my own house on Manuka Crescent and the kettle is always on. I always go to the Anzac Day services and I am so pleased people can take me because I can't see very well ... Everyone is so kind and helpful and it is nice to be all talking like this," Mrs Whittington said.
She was delighted there were many children at the ceremony and said the occasion was a "great community effort".
"And the food is lovely. It is always nice food. Thank you to you both, too. We don't go home hungry from this affair. But we have to be polite and not take too much, though," Mrs Whittington said.
