Simon Levy began his culinary journey at the age of 13. Since then he has been the Head Chef at prestigious restaurants such as Gordon Ramsay’s The Warrington, as well as renowned London establishments like Claridge’s and The Ivy. Here we meet the chef himself to talk about his move to Christchurch in New Zealand and to hear what truly inspires him.
Following his time in these esteemed British establishments, Simon and his wife Lisa (originally from New Zealand), made the decision to relocate to New Zealand to set up their very own restaurant. When he first arrived in Christchurch, people told him that to have a great meal, you have to go to Auckland, Wellington or Queenstown. So he was determined to prove them wrong and create a restaurant where you could come and enjoy amazing dining while having a great time.
This led to the establishment of Inati, a remarkable restaurant located on Hereford Street in central Christchurch, with the focus on openness, sharing, and showcasing local produce.
With such a success story behind him, we asked Simon what led him to where he is now? “When I was 13, one of my mum’s friends got me into a restaurant in London’s Waterloo. A Gastropub to be precise. I started working a few nights and in the weekends. I really fell in love with the passion that surrounded me, and the ability to create something special for people.”
“We want our guests to have a great experience, and a great connection to the cooking. To not only see us cooking, but to be able to walk up and have a chat with us”
Chef Simon Levy
Being a chef came naturally to Simon, where school didn’t. He remembers skipping school here and there to jump on the tube and go to work – excited, motivated and just ready to see or learn new things.
He admits it was a very different learning environment from today. The head chef screaming at you for dropping a hot tray was all too common, but certainly not something that would happen in Simon’s open plan kitchen. “Screaming at someone in full view of our guests wouldn’t be a great look. But it isn’t exactly the best way to teach either. We’re all about developing our team, so we look after them. They’re our family, our people, and we want them to grow within our business.”
Not surprisingly there’s another important reason for having his kitchen in full view of his restaurants. “We want our guests to have a great experience, and a great connection to the cooking. To not only see us cooking, but to be able to walk up and have a chat with us”, explains Simon.
Gone are the days of the kitchen being in the basement where the chefs are hidden from view. Simon wants to get to see the expression on people’s faces. He wants to be a part of the experience. “I guess the feeling we want to create is like having someone over to our place for a beautiful dinner. It should feel like an extension of our home.”
So what is it that makes someone like Simon remain so passionate about what he does? Simon’s simple answer is, unsurprisingly, that he just loves cooking. But above all, he loves cooking with fresh produce.
“I guess I get inspired and passionate by seeing the produce in its natural state. Whether we’ve got someone bringing us a beautiful whole lamb that’s been aged up in North Canterbury, or seeing fresh fish coming in from Kaikora or the West Coast, it’s about getting that first glimpse and being able to imagine what you can do with it on the day. It gets your endorphins going a little bit. And from that I try to get the team involved, so we all get excited as a family.”
When it comes to sourcing his ingredients, Simon is particular about ‘shopping locally’. He finds the best ingredients from within the closest distance. “I’m very conscious of where it’s all coming from. We want to make sure that if we can get anything from Canterbury, we will. But then if we have to go a little further afield to get the best ingredients in the country, we’ll do that as well.” For Simon and Lisa it’s important to showcase to their guests that they’re being sustainable with what they’re using. But also they’re trying to deliver the best experience they can.
Cooking with the best equipment is also hugely important to Simon. Which is why he’s so enthusiastic about the Gaggenau appliances. “Working with Gaggenau is an amazing opportunity to not only use some state of the art equipment, but to have a kitchen we can be very proud to showcase. With such an open plan kitchen, aesthetics plays a big part.”
Simon admits his favourite Gaggenau appliance is probably the induction hob. After all, he loves the hands-on feeling of cooking on a hob. So the experience is even more satisfying with the Gaggenau induction hob that gives Simon outstanding temperature control. “With its professional mode, I can have different sections on different heats and just pull my pan across to where I need it. I can either keep my pan hot or warm, or keep something tepid at just the right temperature so it’s ready for service. It’s a very smart piece of equipment.”
We finished off by asking Simon to put into words his culinary philosophy. He put it like this. “I want to use fresh local produce, and I want to hero what we’re showcasing without overshadowing it with too many flavour profiles or ingredients.”
Moving to New Zealand has certainly allowed Simon to do what he believes in and experience a more enjoyable way of cooking. “Whether you’re foraging, growing, or collecting your produce, you’re far more in touch with where it’s from and how it’s been looked after. It’s a far cry from my time in London. Here it’s on our doorstep and we can just go out and grab it.”
