Ever since [my husband, chef Josh Emett,] and I met, we talked about opening something on our own. We had been looking at sites in Auckland for a really long time. Once the kids were settled at school and needed me less, we stepped up our efforts to look for a site. We narrowed down our options to two sites: the one we ultimately chose for Onslow, and the site that is now Gilt Brasserie. The area resonates with us, reminiscent of London with its rich history and architecture. 

For as long as I can remember, I have loved food, dining out and cooking. Growing up, many of my school holidays were spent in France, where we got to eat in charming bistros and try new and exciting dishes. This had a lasting impression on me. I then worked in hospitality throughout my studies where I got the bug — making people’s day by going the extra mile. [Josh and I] work really collaboratively. 

I’m primarily focussed on marketing, sales and the people side of things, but I do love to work with Josh on the menu and contributing ideas. It’s rewarding when an idea I’ve pushed makes it to the menu. There’s a psychological aspect to menus which really interests me — understanding the decisions people make and tapping into what they crave. 

Being collaborative allows us to merge our strengths, and balance business and the culinary aspects of the restaurants to enhance the overall dining experience for our customers.

I think when you have confidence and the clear vision that Josh and I had, you feel pretty fearless. 

But as the countdown to launch approached, concerns and worries naturally crept in. The enormity of the investment made in opening a restaurant felt pretty terrifying, yet the thrill of seeing everything fall into place was satisfying, exciting and addictive. 

[A pivotal decision] was during the second lockdown, we engaged a business coach who helped really dig into every corner of our business, from establishing our company values, scrutinising our financials and cost management, improving processes and staying on track with our key priorities. One of our core values is continuous improvement — this is how we get better. We want our team to be inquisitive, ask questions, explore creative ideas and continually seek ways to learn and improve. I think time is my biggest challenge — I don’t have enough hours in the day to get everything done.