CHEF OF THE MONTH – SIMON LEVY
Simple flavour combinations showcase NZ food stories
Simon Levy on the job at Inati
get.” His parents always encouraged him to work and to choose a career that suited him. “I didn’t want a desk job and when I did my first work experience in a kitchen I knew it was where I wanted to be,” he says. “I loved the fast pace, the noise of the kitchen and that I could put my creativity to work on a plate.” All of that inspired a young Simon to head to culinary school in London and work his way up the ranks, learning under two of the world’s top culinary masters, Gordon Ramsey and Pierre Koffmann. While they both had very different cooking styles and personalities, Simon says between them they had trained many of the chefs worldwide who hold Michelin stars. Simon may have learned two very important principles from these two cooking greats – ‘you must be proud of what you put on the plate’ and ‘you are only as good as your last dish’, but a very successful Simon has now carved out his own unique cooking style. Laughter is important with every good meal and Simon loves to be a bit quirky with his menu. Inati’s Duck Trumpets are one of his signature dishes – duck liver parfait inside home-made waffle ice cream cones. “I like to test food boundaries, take risks and trial things, but it’s important to have the whole Inati family (team) behind me. I consult all of my staff on new ideas.” Duck Trumpets were inspired by a trip to the dairy for an ice cream with son, Harry, and daughter Ivy . “It’s a good way to break the ice,” he says. “My ‘Boeuf Nuts’ are not
Inati’s Duck Trumpets are one of Simon Levy’s signature dishes – duck liver parfait inside home-made waffle ice cream cones.
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he son of a London fruit and veggie market trader, Inati owner Simon Levy grew up with a passion for good food and fresh produce. With almost thirty years clocking up excellent cooking kudos – some of them in the world’s leading kitchens, Simon has never shied away from sheer hard work. It shows. He was recently awarded the prestigious accolade of Outstanding Chef of the Year at the Canterbury Hospitality Awards, for the second year running. One of his Inati team, William Chase, also won Best Emerging Front of House. Simon, who owns Inati in Christchurch with wife Lisa, also 18 APRIL 2021 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS
very experienced in hospitality, says winning a second time has been “pretty awesome”. It makes all the hard grind that he and Lisa have put into Inati, which opened four years ago, worthwhile. He grew up with an enterprising spirit and a great role model for hard work in his dad. From a young age Simon and his brothers worked with their father at the family fruit and veggie stall in the Old Covent Garden Markets – wonderful inspiration for his career as a chef. “It’s given me that drive and work ethic,” says Simon. “I loved the market life, the banter and the different types of produce and products that you could
