“Growing up my father was often in the kitchen making Chinese dishes and other meals he learnt from his travels abroad.  One of his favourite dishes to make was pork pies like the ones he used to eat when he was a lad in the UK. Because of my father’s influence I learnt that it was OK to be a male in a kitchen.  I started cooking with the Edmonds cookbook making hokey pokey and other sweet dishes to impress my friends.  I also have an incurable sweet tooth.
I started The White House in 1992 in Willis St, after 21 years in kitchens having started formal cooking at The Rutherford Hotel in Nelson when I was 15.  After the Rutherford I headed overseas to the UK and Australia before returning to Wellington.  I’ve been in Wellington since the 1980s and was Head Chef of iconic restaurants such as Plimmer House, Champerelle and La Spaghettata.
When I opened The White House I took a very pragmatic approach to the name.  We first opened in a little old cottage which was painted white – hence The White House Restaurant.
I love what I do, cooking, giving our guests a wonderful memory, working with great produce and being part of an enthusiastic team in the kitchen. I love that we are a small business, a small family if you like. It’s always been family supported, all on the back of hard work. It’s how we like to work.
I put a lot into every meal at the restaurant and I take it to heart when something doesn’t work.  Sometimes things go wrong, and it cuts me, I get upset. But the buck stops with us. What tells me are the plates coming back to the kitchen, if there’s something left over I always question it. I can’t help it; it becomes a habit from a life of working in kitchens. For me every night is a live performance.
My biggest pleasure at the restaurant is going out to see our guests, to talk with them and hear what they have to say about their experience with us.
When I’m not at the restaurant you can find me at home in Brooklyn with my wife and two English Pointers or out riding my Ducati 1198 motorbike.  The motorbike is my time alone and a chance to clear my head.  I am a passionate hunter and gatherer and have spent many years fly fishing around NZ, white baiting on the West Coast and bird shooting in Central Otago.
If you ever have any questions about cooking, the ingredients we use, need a recipe or you just want to visit our restaurant kitchen please don’t hesitate to drop me an email at info@whr.co.nz.  I look forward to continuing to serve you wonderful culinary memories.”