6
CelebrIty ProFIle
A taste of
experience
IntervIew by Louisa Leggett
suppLied
ben was born and raised on a dairy
farm in the waikato. As a young
new Zealand chef, he was awarded
Commis Chef of the year 1999,
national youth Skills 2000, and
received the bill Gallagher scholarship
at Johnson and wales University of
Culinary Arts in th USA. He has spent
many years working in a number of
famed restaurants around the world.
ben is currently executive chef
at baduzzi an award-winning Italian
restaurant, he recently co-founded the
Grounds restaurant in Auckland where
he is executive Chef alongside Mike
“the Magic russian” Shatura.
ben was the executive chef for 9
years at the Grove restaurant which
won 4 awards including best Fine
Dining resturant. ben bayly is also
known for judging My Kitchen rules
nZ and Feast Marlborough is excited
to welcome him to our region to cook
up an indulgent cuisine experience in
the Marlborough Sounds during the
Marlborough Underground showcase
events. Check out the Marlborough
App for more details.
How did you discover your passion for
cooking?
I was always interested, I began baking with
my mum and she sent me off to a family
friend who was a baker to learn more. I also
had some great home economics teachers at
school which made a huge difference, I’m not
sure teachers are aware of how influential
they can be, but to me it made a huge impact.
What do you love most about cooking as a
professional chef?
The intensity within a kitchen, I work best
under pressure so the environment suits me.
I also love the social dynamic in restaurants,
the amazing diversity of the people you
work with, we’re all likeminded in one sense
though – we’re all working hard but we might
as well have fun with it. On the other side
of that is the difficultly balancing work with
family.
What is one of your favourite signature
dishes and why?
No signature dish as such, but favorite cuisine
is Italian. Their food culture is so steeped
in tradition and they execute simple dishes
with great ingredients. New Zealand food
culture is so young by comparison, we’re
just paving the way now. Actually one dish
I’m in love with will show up at our Seresin
and Marlborough Garlic event at Waterfall
Bay ‘Light and Shade’. The Crayfish Sausage
Roll. Its so simple, but really difficult to
execute, perfect puff pastry is really hard
to achieve, combine that with one of the
greatest ingredients and you have something
classically kiwi.
What awards have you won and what was
the reason for the achievement?
(Ben cringes) Google it!
In all of your years training, what is one
of your most memorial and influential
experiences you had?
Easy – going to France! I’ve always perceived
French cuisine as the pinnacle of cooking,
most of us could list off 20 classic French
dishes without trying. I turned up and
learned the language by ear, which was a big
achievement for me as we didn’t put a lot
of focus on languages, even Maori, in New
Zealand schools when I studied. It was just
great to be surrounded by cooking traditions,
going out foraging all the time, before it was
a cool thing to do. It’s such an ancient culture
defined by time and tradition, the experience
also made me question my identity as a
New Zealand chef. With so many outside
influences the New Zealand restaurant
scene feels like a mini New York, so it will be
interesting to see how we eventually define
our food culture.
What are you most proud of on your journey
to becoming the successful chef you are
today?
With out a doubt, my family. I’ve had an
amazing career and that’s provided for them.
Success is an attitude, if you love what you do
then you’ll be successful in your field.
What’s your favourite tool in the kitchen?
A decent knife is a necessity, plus my team –
I’ve got to keep them sharp too!
What are your favorite secret ingredients
that really ignites a dish?
At the moment I’m all about venison,
the lesser cuts like venison cheeks and
sweetbreads. As a nation we should be eating
way more deer, it’s everywhere and it’s
outstanding.
What can people expect at the Light and
Shade Underground event?
Something super delicious, we are teaming
up with Seresin who are very close to my
heart and Marlborough Garlic who produce
amazing black garlic. Guests will be taken out
to Waterfall Bay and we’ll spoil them with
some outstanding Marlborough food, plus
stunning wine. Its going to be one amazing
day.
What are you looking forward to most
during Feast Marlborough?
Having some great family time. Marlborough
is my most travelled to, favorite place. It has
everything you’d ever want and is the most
beautiful place in the country, so I’m looking
forward to enjoying it with my wife and kids
on Mother’s Day.