My Work
No matter what task I am asked to do, whether it be a volunteer work or consultancy projects, I approach all aspects of the job with a deep understanding and respect for my craft. This is my signature.
Branding & AmbassadorMy role as a chef ambassador ranges from charity work as well as working with various producers and boards for advisement on current industry practices and needs. I also work within these companies on representation of their products at various events and promotions.
I have been involved in a number of charities in the past, the most recent being The Dunedin Cancer Society and Foodshare Dunedin. In the role as Ambassador chef I have been able to advise on menus and event concepts and setups, but most importantly I have been able to use my chef profile to influence other chefs and suppliers to get behind and give generously to the various fundraiser events that I am involved with. I have endorsed and written menus for black tie charity balls, encouraged and organised ten restaurants and their chefs to all stand in one room and prepare and serve their food to 250 paying guest. As well as this, I have donated my own time for numerous charity auctions offering " chef in your home experiences" This, requiring me and my team of volunteers to go into a total strangers home and cook and serve a 5 course luxury dinner. As a Brand Ambassador I also get called upon to endorse and advise on product development. My main area of expertise is with with meats cuts and their quality points. I also work with various product development teams to develop and write recipes, style food for photographic presentation and host any filmed informative media that is required. There are a number of videos on you tube that were filmed for Venison New Zealand website and countless other media out there on the world wide web showing this work. Clients such as Silver Fern Farms, Beef & Lamb NZ and currently, The Provenance Meat Co (NZ) offers the challenge and excitement of being involved with up to date trends, innovative chefs, which in turn, allows me to build on my brand and what I can offer other customers in the future. |
Restaurants & CookingEvery morning for 36 years, I would button up my well ironed, pristine white chefs jacket, then mentally prepare my self for the challenges and curve balls that would be thrown. In fact, I would have to say I was addicted to the rush and enjoyed the feeling of satisfaction awarded for surviving this organised chaos.
Despite all those unforeseen moments, it never prevented me from performing at my highest level and it never stopped me from demanding the same effort from my team members. Stepping Out, Bell Pepper Blues, Olivers of Clyde and Pier 24 were all setup and run with the same principles and values that I will never loose "if it's worth doing, then do it properly", there is never any excuse for having a bad day. Yes, mistakes can happen, but a good chef will always identify and resolve them before the customer ever gets any notion that a crisis was about to happen on their plate. The food and menus developed for these restaurants had a common theme, they all expressed a moment in time or snapshot of my culinary journey, they reflected peaks and troughs, as I waded through the many different techniques and trends to find my own style that I felt best reflected me and my values. It didn't matter were my mind or where my inspiration was leading me, my style of cooking has always held my signature. I explain this as using flavours and textures to elevate naturally great ingredients into a memorable experience. Brazillian Chef Alex Atala of D.O.M, voted 4th best Restaurant in the world, sums it up the best "the human capacity to transform food into and emotion" When a quote like this is voiced by some one else and especially some one that you admire, it becomes a profound statement. But to conclude, This is me, this is what I do, this is who I am. |
Cafe & BakeryHaving a passion for patisserie and bread makes it a pleasure to guide, mentor and teach baking to other chefs and cafe owners.
Having owned 2 bakeries in Central Otago of my own, that not only had retail shops, but supplied wholesale to supermarkets and caterers throughout the region kept me very busy indeed. It allowed me to hone my production & baking skills as well as develop a natural and passionate feel for Baking. It came as no real challenge when I moved to Clyde and back to Olivers, the goal was setting up the bakery and kitchen that would supply the newly built delicatessen and bakery, known as 'The Merchant of Clyde Store' Developing and bottling a range of jams, pickles and relishes and training the team to produce a range of Artisan style breads was enjoyable. This completed the owner David Ritchie's vision of having Olivers of Clyde being a hub for local food and provenance. My latest projects, assisting and advising in the set up of Faigan's Cafe in Millers Flat and The Fix Coffee Shop in Dunedin, were at different levels in pricing and customer environment. Faigan's Cafe is offering heat & go food options, but primarily wanted an environment that locals and tourists could sit down either day or night and experience the story and vision the owners wanted to tell. The Fix Coffee Shop, however, already had a base of corporate and working clients, which the owners wanted to provide a more extensive range of grab and go options. So coming up with a range of items that had to be quick to heat and quick to serve, pretty much in the same time as it took for the customers daily espresso to be extracted. Regardless of pricing or speed my main focus on both environments was effective costings and production methods, and not to allow price or timing to dictate any decline in quality. |