How did your food journey start out?
My professional career in food started when I left school.
I was always interested in art at school and that creative bent led to an interest in food and food as an expression of that creativity.
Food was something that was always part of my life as a child growing up in the Pacific.
• Why become a chef?
I was always interested in working in a creative field, and food has always been a part of this for me — and something I enjoyed and was good at, too.
Yes, I would do it again — but maybe not the hours!
• How has your food philosophy developed?
I would say it has shifted focus from placing an importance on technique, to now leaning into seasonality and locality.
I think that is something that comes with age in a way.
When you’re starting out and developing your skills, you tend to push technique more and really focus on mastering certain skills.
These days, I feel like I have the freedom to look more at what is seasonal and local, focusing on flavour profile and pairings rather than being technical.
Learning that simplicity is best, is part of the process of being a chef.
• Why combine unexpected ingredients?
Experimenting and exploring with different flavour pairings are all part of development.
My palate has always been open in terms of exploring different flavour profiles, and how different cultures use different flavours.
I see it as a melting pot and representative of what New Zealand is.
We don’t have our "own" cuisine as such, there was never a set food to follow, which meant I was free to roam and try different pairings.
In my early days we did a lot of savoury and sweet together, which is common now but quite unusual at the time.
One favourite was a beetroot macaron we paired with liver parfait that had slices of smoked duck in the middle.
• What is the key to a successful restaurant — Merediths, Mr Morris and Metita all being recognised as top of their game?
Passion. Staffing and the people you work with play a big part in the success of anything.
But you have to have the passion, because it can be hard.
If you’re not passionate then the drive isn’t there to keep going through the dips.
• What was it like when you opened your first place compared to opening Metita?
Back then the market was relatively small, people tended to only go out for special occasions.
The market has changed a lot — people are going out casually a lot more, but there is also a significantly larger amount of restaurants.
• Where do you get your inspiration from?
Lots of places — I try to read and eat from a variety of different places.
I also take inspiration from the seasons — sometimes just looking at what’s available at any one time drives inspiration, as it gives you a seed of an idea and you can create something around the ingredients that are available.
• How important has creating Metita been for you?
A lot of the inspiration for Metita came from growing up in the Pacific, and how food was cooked.
The food industry always teaches you to hero things like caviar, truffles, chocolate, which is totally different to the food we cooked in the Pacific.
As the food scene has become more locally focused, it planted the seed of why couldn't we celebrate this part of the world.
I wanted to create something that honours the Pacific and the food growing there. Food played a big part of my childhood growing up. My mum was a cook and I have a lot of food memories created through her.
The vibe is Pacific food, slightly elevated in how we create it, and the service that surrounds it.
• What drives you to keep achieving in the industry?
I've been in the industry for a long time and I've seen a lot, but creativity is my driver.
Running a business is a necessity, but having the opportunity to be creative in the kitchen and keep pushing the expectations around food is what keeps things interesting for me. That's the exciting part.
• What have been the sacrifices and challenges?
There has been a lot of personal sacrifice, which can make it challenging, and this looks different for everyone.
Time would be the most obvious one.
• What future do you see for hospitality in NZ?
Right now, it's exciting.
We're lucky to have great produce, great suppliers and passionate young entrepreneurs coming through.
The industry will keep growing and I'm excited to see what new blood and fresh thinking will come through as a lot more people are getting involved.
I think it's important to support the local businesses, particularly those that are owner-operated.
They're the ones with great ideas, the creatives with an immense amount of passion and who keep the industry going.
• What do you look for when you go out to eat?
I look for something that will inspire me, or something I've never tried.
Ultimately if I'm dining out, I just want a great experience — atmosphere, food, service.
When I'm travelling, I look forward to trying new pairings, new ingredients and new ways of cooking.
• What is your go-to family dinner to cook?
Lasagne.
• What would you most like your children to learn about food and cooking?
Vegetables are good food too!
Feast
Autumn Fireside Feast with chefs Chris Scott and Michael Meredith, Friday, May 30, 6pm-10pm, Sherwood Queenstown.
