1 What do you think will be the biggest food trend in 207?
Sourcing as much sustainable food as possible. We would like to know where our meat and fish come from.
2 What are your goals for the coming year?
More time cooking and less time on a computer! I’ve been joking a lot lately that in the old days chefs used knives and now we use Instagram and laptops.
3 What are your five pantry essentials?
Tamari (wheat-free soy sauce), extra virgin olive oil, miso paste, lemons, ginger.
4 What’s your go-to dish for a summer barbecue?
Miso sesame glazed lamb chops, par-boiled kumara sliced 1cm thick, sweetcorn and asparagus – all cooked on the barbecue.
5 How do you think the Kiwi restaurant scene compares to those you have experienced when overseas?
Fantastic! Diverse, high quality, a mix of cheap to posh, great talent and fabulously designed. If I can be picky, we do need to improve our front-of-house quite quickly. There are some real gems out there but also some waiters who make me cringe.
6 It’s 10 years since you opened Bellota and it’s still thriving. Why do you think tapas is so popular?
It suits our lifestyle. You can have as much or as little as you want. It’s communal, fun, relaxed and varied.
7 What is the biggest mistake most home cooks make?
Being too complicated or making too many dishes. Better to do a few simple things than a lot of ‘not quite on the button’. Build up your repertoire as you gain more confidence.
This article first appeared in Food magazine.
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