London chef relishes Bay

RACHEL PINDER
The diversity of Hawke's Bay food has fuelled chef Andy Glover's passion for creating exciting menus, after taking up his new position at Sileni Estates winery.
Andy has swapped the bright lights of London, after finishing as head chef at London's Cuckoo Club, an exclusive private members' club and restaurant in Mayfair.
He has spent several years working with both Jamie Oliver and Australian Chef Ben O'Donaghue of Surfing the Menu fame in his restaurant, The Atlantic Bar and Grill in Piccadilly, London.
He has also worked with Ben and Jamie Oliver in Montes Restaurant in London, another private members' club with a focus on producing great food using the best ingredients and produce available. Andy, 36, says fantastic food comes from dedication and enthusiasm.
"I want to create exciting and different flavours in my menus. A lot of food these days is all about presentation, it is important for food to look good, but not at the expense of flavour in a dish.
"In London, you can pretty much get any ingredients all year round, but over here it is very seasonal, which makes it more exciting for me.
"So now I'm having to rely on seasons and always having to know what's coming in. I'm still sourcing suppliers, and I often stop at food stands on the way to work to check out the fresh fruit and chat with the producers.
"There's so much great food you can get here in Hawke's Bay and I think a lot of locals take it for granted.
"Pretty much most of the ingredients I'm using on the new summer menu are sourced in Hawke's Bay and I'm always keen to try out things which are new and interesting.
"I'm looking to take things forward at Sileni, and I'm lucky to have a great team at front of house, headed up by restaurant and functions manager, Catriona Morgan," he said. All the dishes on the menu are made entirely from scratch in the Sileni Estates kitchen. Andy last worked in New Zealand in 2003 where he held the position of Senior Sous Chef at one of New Zealand's top restaurants, The Bach, in Taupo.