50-50 restaurant named finalist in Electra Business and Innovation Awards.

50-50 owner and head chef Helen Turnball.

"Amazing, wonderful, overwhelmed, I couldn't believe it," was 50-50 restaurant owner Helen Turnball's response to finding out 50-50 was a finalist in the Electra Business and Innovation Awards.

"I was 100 per cent surprised, it's amazing - really, really cool."

Entering the awards in 2018 was an eye opening experience for Helen, who is also the head chef, and the experience left her with lots to consider for her business.

"Entering and being a finalist in 2018, it was a really great experience.

"What I enjoyed about it was the business support and business knowledge I gained.

"I received a lot of feedback and over the last two years I've been working hard on applying the advice they gave me which is why I decided to enter again this year.

"I just thought, 'I've done a lot of the stuff now and I'm feeling good about it'.

"So I thought I'd give it another shot.

"It was a different process this year, but I still found it a very valuable experience."

Employing three full-time staff, including herself, and three part time staff, Helen has been focusing on creating a solid business along with her unique cuisine.

"The whole experience of having to sit down and really focus on where your business is at and then talk to somebody about it is such a great opportunity to meet those industry leaders and get the feedback and have that discussion."

Helen has been working on creating a more "sustainable, trainable, measurable and communicable business".

"I've been working on making it not so heavily reliant on me, making it easier for me to delegate."

Including Helen, there are three full-time and three part time staff.

50-50 differs itself from other restaurants in Kāpiti by regularly changing its menu and creating dishes from unusual ingredients.

Post-Covid they are changing their menu every month with each dish being unique.

This means new dishes for their loyal customers.

"I'm very lucky that I have lots of regular customers from all over Kāpiti, but also customers who regularly come up from Wellington."

Operating at Paraparaumu Beach since 2017, 50-50 offers modern New Zealand cuisine with a global twist thanks to Helen's experiences travelling the world.

"Having done a lot of travelling, I like to use those techniques and flavour combinations from overseas, and to celebrate those with the local produce we have in Kāpiti.

"Kāpiti already had an incredible sense of community and support local and post-Covid everyone has just doubled down on their natural tendencies to support local and get behind the small businesses.

"I couldn't be more grateful or more honoured that people have done that at 50-50."