What's cooking: Chris Priestley

Entrepreneur, musician, singer, barista and New Zealand petanque champion (1995 and 1998), Chris Priestley set a trend when he opened Atomic in Ponsonby Rd almost 14 years ago.

The cafe quickly gained a reputation as one of the first family-friendly places to get a good coffee, and its bi-fold doors created indoor-outdoor flow that countless other eateries have copied.

The fluffies and sandpit remain a popular attraction for parents (and young children), as does the coffee.

A recent name change, from Atomic to One2One - the cafe's street number - came about when multi-national Greggs Cerebos bought the Atomic coffee roasting business last year. Priestley sold his share of the roasting business eight years ago, but retained the name.

His other entrepreneurial ventures include the co-founding of Real Groovy records with Chris Hart in 1980, followed by the Java Jive and Kerouac cafes.

In the early 80s he was an integral part of the folk music scene and he remains committed to preserving ballads and songs about this country through collecting, performing and recording.

He also plays regularly at international level in the French sport of petanque and is one of the key figures in establishing it as a family and community sport in New Zealand.

What was the first thing you cooked as a child?

Corn on the cob at my nana's house in Ponsonby.

What is your idea of the perfect meal?

My fiancee Felicity's fried fish in lime with hot potato salad.

How do you drink your coffee?

Long espresso - but not too long.

What's the secret to a good coffee?

The blend, the freshness of the beans, the grind, the machine, the setup and the barista.

What do you like about your job?

Making coffee and meeting people and being my own boss.

What do you eat when you can't be bothered to cook?

Living on Ponsonby Rd makes this easy. Pizza from SPQR, Fatima's chawarma, Burger Fuel and takeaways from Bolliwood or the Thai House.

What do you always have in your fridge?

Fresh vegetables from Bhana Brothers.

What do you always have in your kitchen cupboards?

A good single malt. And whatever is needed to flavour Felicity's fish salad.

Is there anything you would not eat?

Fa fa ru. The Tahitian delicacy of rotten fish, encountered on a petanque trip. I can't even be in the same restaurant as it.