Diva wears Levi’s ‘Storia Volume Sleeve’ blouse, $99. All other items her own.
Opening a restaurant three weeks before our first Covid lockdown might strike you as the worst possible luck, but as the pandemic tore through her industry, Diva Giles of Auckland eatery Beau emerged as a bright young innovator, bringing the very meaning of hospitality back into focus.
“Taking a tikanga Māori approach to running the restaurant has both grounded and guided me during the tough times,” she says.
“Through my own journey as a wahine Māori, a daughter of Te Uri o Hau, I’m still learning how to do that best for us, but it’s perhaps been the most important touchstone when making decisions that differ from the advice in all the business books.
I’m constantly examining myself, acknowledging when I’ve made mistakes, forgiving myself, and striving to improve myself and be the change I wish to see.”
Giles doesn’t see herself as an agent of change. However, her duty of care to her staff, customers and wider community — not to mention Beau’s tight food and wine list, friendly service and unpretentious atmosphere — has set a high bar for others in hospitality to follow.
The proof is in the very personal moments that demonstrate the impact of Giles’ leadership and vision.
“Looking back on the past year, it’s [moments such as] when our customer’s mother passed away and they came straight to Beau to be in their safe space,” she says. “It’s when a man with dementia walked in at 11pm and our manager didn’t leave his side until they found the people who’d been searching for him since midday. It’s the email from a woman of colour who expressed her joy at coming into Beau and feeling safe and valued, which is so often not the case for our Māori and Pasifika communities.
Realistically, I can’t change the whole industry, but I can change what happens in my restaurant, and trust in the power of the ripple effect.”
Words: Phoebe Watt
Photography: Guy Coombes
About FQ’s Class of 2022 Changemakers
As the sun sets on 2022 and rises on another year ripe for change — be it individual or collective, domestic or global, big or small — Diva Giles is one of seven remarkable women from around Aotearoa who have affected positive change in fields as varied as journalism and the creative arts through to beauty and sustainability. Through their mahi and vision, the lives, legislative rights and legacies of our people and our planet have been changed for the better. Let their challenges and triumphs inspire you to identify a change you wish to tackle in your career and personal life, and motivate you to take that first important step.
Learn more about our FQ Changemakers in our Summer 2023 Issue.
