No.4 Bar & Restaurant's Chef Jayden Mitchell creates food that feels like home, with a modern twist and local produce.
“I started out washing dishes at Plato in Dunedin 11 years ago and saw the fun, creativity and fast pace of a working kitchen. I spent four and a half years there before moving to Christchurch to take on a sous chef role at Casa Publica. I then joined the Maestro Hospitality group where I was sous chef at Fiddlesticks for three years before they offered me the head chef job at No.4 just recently."
What’s your pro tip for really good food? Take your time, taste everything and enjoy the ride. Making the perfect dish can be as fun as eating it. It’s all part of the journey.
RECIPE: Learn to make Chef Jayden's sticky date pudding with ginger caramel sauce
I can’t leave the house without… My motorbike.
If you could invite anyone, living or dead, to a dinner party, who would it be? Definitely Anthony Bourdain and David Bowie, bloody legends.
Who is your culinary hero? Anthony Bourdain – he had absolute passion for the experience of food.
What’s the next great dish you’re working on? Sticky pulled brisket sandwich with pickles and smoked cheese in a soft bread roll. Lunch is served.
What’s your go-to meal to cook for yourself? Anything I can get outside and cook on the barbeque.