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Cosmopolitan might not be the first word that springs to mind when you think of Warkworth, but the town certainly punches above its weight when it comes to finding food from all corners of the globe.
As well as an impressive range of modern and traditional Kiwi cafes throughout the town and beyond, plus most of the big chain takeaways, Warkworth is also home to a rich mix of international flavours and cuisines, including French, Turkish, Indian, Chinese, Mongolian, Italian, Japanese and, until recently, Cambodian, and the same goes for its chefs.
Between the town centre and the Grange development, there are not too many takeaway desires that can’t be met these days, and even the local butcher offers ready-made dishes. Lunchtime diners are also well catered for, with an above average number and range of cafes offering everything from Kiwi classics to gluten-free vegan fare.
Evenings can require a little more effort to find what you’re looking for – while the takeaways are all still there, dine-in options are relatively few and far between, with The Bridgehouse and Wharf Street Bistro the two main specialist licensed restaurants. However, there are other choices if you dig a little deeper – the RSA’s Gunners Restaurant opens from Thursday to Saturday evenings and Bowls Warkworth opens its Dinner Bowl restaurant on Thursday and Friday nights. Venture just outside of town, and The Cider Shed is open for dinner from Wednesday to Saturday, Warkworth Golf Club has fish and chip meals Fridays and Ascension Wine is open Fridays and Saturdays.
Paul Yau, Chocolate Brown
How did you get into cooking professionally?
It’s just a passion of mine. My parents had a restaurant in England, in Manchester. I had my first professional job when I was 16.
What are your most popular dishes?
Green Eggs, which is Eggs Benedict with bacon, smoked salmon or mushrooms, and Mince On Toast the old-fashioned way with a poached egg on top. And cheese rolls and sausage rolls – classic Kiwi food.
What are the best and worst parts of the job?
I enjoy meeting different people every day, from all walks of life.
Sometimes people want things very fast and think we just take it from the cabinet and churn it out, but it’s not like that – we make everything fresh, every day.
What inspires you – how do you decide on new menu items?
I read the local cooking magazines like Dish and Cuisine, plus books and the internet. We’re looking at a new menu here at the moment, so I come up with ideas and sit down with the team to make sure everyone is happy. We’re doing a lot more vegetarian and vegan food, healthier food with less refined sugar, and that’s because of the influence of the whole team.
Do you cook much at home, or is it too much like work?
I do all the cooking at home, my wife does all the housework. As she says, “Why marry a chef and do the cooking yourself?”
What is your favourite comfort food?
An English pork pie.
Agustin Roveta, The Cider Shed
How did you get into cooking professionally?
I come from a family of chefs. My father was a chef, my Mum loves to cook, my grandmother was the cook for the school I was going to, so it’s kind of a family thing. My father gave me my first job.
What are your most popular dishes?
Our Smoked Barbecue Ribs and the Buffalo Chicken Wings.
What are the best and worst parts of the job?
My own theory is if you ask any chef, they will give you the same answer for both: The best thing is the long hours and long days, but it is also the worst thing.
What inspires you – how do you decide on new menu items?
I like to do a lot of research, but these things can come from anywhere – from movies, from paintings.
Do you cook much at home, or is it too much like work?
Right now I’m just renting a room, so there is not much cooking at home for me, but usually I always cook at home, I really enjoy that.
What is your favourite comfort food?
Anything made by my Mum.
Ben Bhandari, Butter Chicken Box
How did you get into cooking professionally?
My father was a chef in New Delhi, and I trained as chef at five-star hotels in India before moving to New Zealand 15 years ago.
What are your most popular dishes?
Everything! The people here buy everything we do.
What are the best and worst parts of the job?
Warkworth is a nice place with friendly people. I look out the shop window and see trees and a river, that’s something I really love.
I start early in the morning at 8 and finish at 10 at night, seven days a week – I have no time off.
What inspires you – how do you decide on new menu items?
I make always fresh food, prepare everything fresh, and I don’t use too much oil. We are keeping the same menu now, but I am applying to have a small restaurant here, then I will make something new for that and change a little bit.
Do you cook much at home, or is it too much like work?
My wife cooks for me at home; cooking is work for me.
What is your favourite comfort food?
Anything I have at home. For the last 12 years I was working in New Zealand and my wife and family were in India. They came here in September, so whatever my wife makes for me is comfort.
Matt Macfarlane, Wharf Street Bistro
How did you get into cooking professionally?
I just ended up in it … I started as a kid washing dishes, then ended up working on the next section and worked up from there. It wasn’t something I intended doing, not when I first started, but then the people I was working for saw there was potential for me to be a chef and pushed me to go to training college. I went to AIT in Auckland.
What are your most popular dishes?
Our slow-roasted Free Range Pork Belly– I couldn’t ever get rid of that. And our Smoked Kahawai with lemon and pea risotto, that’s a bit of a standard now.
Favourites alter slightly, but people pretty much go for the same flavours. It just changes with the seasons.
What are the best and worst parts of the job?
I guess the best is working as a team and the camaraderie in the restaurant and kitchen – that’s the fun part. And the rush and excitement of cooking for a restaurant full of people, that never goes; it’s an adrenaline thing.
The worst thing is not being at home and not seeing the kids as much as I should, being here every night. We’ve started doing lunches in the last three months, but I squeeze those into two hours so I can rush off and get the kids from school and see them then.
What inspires you – how do you decide on new menu items?
I guess from books, magazines, TV shows and going out. I don’t try to do things that other people are doing, but prefer to turn them into things I’d like to do instead.
Every couple of months, something will change subtly. A lot also depends on supply and the price of produce – when something becomes just too expensive or unobtainable, you look for something else.
Do you cook much at home, or is it too much like work?
I do do the cooking at home, but I’m only there two nights a week. I just try to cook simple things at home. I like cooking outside – after being in a hot kitchen all week, going out and cooking on the barbecue is quite refreshing. But I just keep it simple.
What is your favourite comfort food?
A plain beef schnitzel with mashed potato and peas. Or a really good pie.
Leona Braithwaite, Fresh Café
How did you get into cooking professionally?
I’m self-taught. I trained as a town planner, but have always been into food, working on various food-orientated jobs since I was 12. On my O.E. I found myself in charge of the kitchen in a bistro, then returned home to work at The Beach House lodge on Kawau Island.
What are your most popular dishes?
At Fresh, more than 50 per cent of our dishes are gluten free, including most of our salads, soups and sweets.
What are the best and worst parts of the job?
One of my greatest challenges is producing gluten free (and other allergy-free) food that everyone can enjoy, because in the past gluten free food could be unappetizing. Putting smiles on the customers’ faces and showing people that gluten free food can be delicious is a real pleasure.
Worst? Early morning starts in the winter are a bit of a challenge.
What inspires you – how do you decide on new menu items?
I love browsing cookbooks and magazines for ideas and recipes, and seasonal and local produce influence my menus.
Do you cook much at home, or is it too much like work?
Cooking is a joy for me, so I do all the cooking and besides that I get to cook what I feel like and eat what I enjoy most.
What is your favourite comfort food?
Soul food, lamb shanks and anything with dark chocolate.
