Paul Hoather

1. Your restaurant/business:
Charley Noble and Whitebait Restaurants.

2. Describe your kitchen:
Open plan, natural cooking over charcoal, spacious, good use of natural light with quality kitchen equipment.

3. Favourite Chef Works item and why:
Capri Cotton chef’s jacket, cotton feels so nice and the rolled buttons have a great look.

4. First Job:
Apprentice in Nelson at the Rudderford Hotel 1972

5. Your cookbook:
N/A

6. Your awards/achievements:
Winning at Junior level hospitality shows, Gold Medal 1985 in Japan. Whitehouse (former restaurant) won Corbans wine and food awards.
Current restaurants both have a "hat" only 6 hats in Wellington and we have 2! Whitebait won best new restaurant 2015, Charley noble won the burger challenge 2015 and Whitebait won the best dish 2014 all in Visa Wellington on a plate.

7. Your cooking inspiration:
Knowing where you are-Wellington, our Whitebait restaurant is by the sea so it is seafood inspired. Both sites are very seasonal driven using local produce where possible. Also being an owner operator you need to be aware of the cost, very important.

8. Your speciality dish:
Not exactly a dish but more a style, the way and type of cooking open fire, over Charcoal, unfussy natural cooking driven by the season and ingredients.

9. Favourite dish to eat:
Snacking on live freshly shucked oysters.

10. Weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten:
The heart of a wild Quail. I shot and then roasted on hot rocks while out hunting.

11. Favourite ice cream flavour:
Liquorice or Ginger.

12. Favourite drink:
Glass of full bodied Red wine.

13. Favourite wine:
Champagne, Billecart Salmon.

14. Who would you most like to cook for:
David Bowie.

15. Who would you least like to cook for:
Someone who is Superficial, they are there more for the Chef or to be seen than the food (the food is what it's all about).

16. Favourite things to do outside of the kitchen:
Outdoors, fly fishing or pheasant shooting.

17. Your latest project:
Whitebait, creating something with a strong New Zealand identity.

18. Favourite city and why:
World cities, Tokyo, London, Paris getting a feel for their culture through the food. Through the food you can see the heart of the city.

19. Your greatest indulgence:
Eating Beluga Caviar on fresh white bread, buttered with the crust cut off.

20. Your all-time best culinary tip:
Buy the best you can afford at the time. The best quality knife, pot, pan and of course ingredients.