June 30, 2026 • 10 mins
Chef and co-owner of Christchurch's popular fine-dining restaurant INATI Simon Levy joined Canterbury Mornings after his restaurant won a Michelin star on Tuesday evening.
He told John MacDonald about his beginnings as a young chef under Gordon Ramsay, and what he reckons won over the judges when they anonymously visited his central city restaurant.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald.
From News Talks, the'd.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Be nineteen to mddaniews Talks, there'd be Cannoby Mornings with
John McDonald to last night in Auckland, the first Michelin
Stars were awarded in New Zealand and two christ Church
restaurants were recognized. One of them is Anati and Simon
Levy is the co owner and chef and he's with
us now, good Simon, good day.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
How are you all.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Yeah, I'm very well. How are you congratulations?
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Yeah, we're pretty buzzing. We're flying at the moment, that's
for sure.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Now. I know that they invited you up to the
event last night, and they invited a few people from
around town. They said, just because we're inviting you, doesn't
mean you've won anything. How confident? How confident did you
feel on the plane up to Auckland?
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Not at all. I think you know, we were the
you know, growing up around this and working in the
kitchens and moving to mugm. I think when we were
flying up we were just happy to be invited. And
if we got to mention in the book, that would
have been amazing.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
So where have you worked overseas that basically inspired you
to get to the level of being a Michelin Star
restaurant only yourself.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
I think it's working. It's working around the people with
culture within the restaurant's bit with Gordon, around with Pierre Kaufman.
That it was just like just you know, being nurtured
through to learn.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
That and you and you worked with those guys.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Yes, yeah, yeah, yep, directly with him. Yes, yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
I remember reading White heat by oh what's his name,
the guy who trained Gordon Ramsay Marco pre White. Yeah, yeah,
and the book was was fascinating, but it made me
think the last last job that everyone would do would
be a shift. It just sounded such hard work. Is
that what it's like?
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Look, there's there's always ten times, and it's in peace,
I think with any job, but especially in the kitchen obviously,
but it's it's how we work through it and grow
and learn to create the next the next I guess,
the next dish, the next thing, the next inspiration that
we're really moving forward for.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
What is it do you think on your menu that
might have got the Michelin Star Secret Diner so impressed?
Speaker 3 (02:26):
I hope it's the team. It's the Without our team,
we're you know, we can have the dreams that they
make it a reality. But I think hopefully it was
the whole experience, from the moment you booked, where you're greeted,
where you come in, to the cocktails and the lounge,
you know, how you sit down. And we believe they
came in at least four or five times minimum throughout
the law.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Oh really, okay, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
So they're come in quite a few times, and it's
different inspectors each time as well, so it's so they're
checking consistency through different sets of eye So I hope
it was a bit of everything, and I hope they
felt I guess, our love and passionate in the food
as well.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
How are we or how how cognizant were you? Every
night you opened there was a chance that that would
be the night the inspector would turn up. Did you
think about that?
Speaker 3 (03:14):
It was, yeah, you think about like lots. But actually
I so when it all got to announce, I remember
them saying about how they've already been in the country assessing.
So I took that as that everything had been done.
So we just continued every day like we do so
for us, it was about making sure we had the
consistency and keep doing what we do and love and passion.
(03:35):
And it was probably the best way forward because I
wasn't worried about inspectors coming in because I was on
the impression they'd already been and there was nothing more
you could do. Well, then we found out later when
they were still coming through, and it was a really
nice way because I wasn't I wasn't worrying about that.
I was just making sure the people in front of
us were having the best experience that we could possibly offer.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
What's what's the deal or the big deal with the
Michelin start, what's the what makes it so special?
Speaker 3 (04:06):
So we before before we go in to have the
awards last night, you go in and you have a
briefing about what's going to happen, how it's going to be.
And I think this is one big thing I've taken
away that Michelan So Michelin's there's just over nineteen thousand
restaurants they recommend around the world. Now those nineteen thousand,
only four thousand and six hundreds have a star bit one,
(04:31):
two or three. So to be to be in in
that I guess that that group of people, you know
of restauranteurs that delivered this experience around the world and
for us, you know, so not out of nineteen thousand
odd restaurants in the world, one hundred and ten of
our you know, establishments in this country join that elite group.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Because they people say that having a mission start will
attract people from you know, venues that restaurants that do
people come from overseas to try the food. Is that
is that true?
Speaker 3 (05:05):
I think yes, yes, that there are people that literally
travel the world via that book via and it's held
to such high esteem that I think we're going to
see so much tourism right now. This has been announced
that the next few years it's people are going to
plan just to come and visit this amazing country we
all live in and we get to showcase the abundance
(05:26):
of beautiful produce.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
I remember that. I remember reading some stories about chefs
who got the Michelin start and then they found that
it was such a burden on them to maintain the
standard or to even get another start. How are you
feeling about that today? Just the night after all, the
day after.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
I'm living I'm living today and can't wait to come
back to christ Shirt, see the team and thank them
all for their hard work, and then continue our journey.
I'm not saying it would be amazing to get to
next year, but we just want to be happy with
what we've got and just love, breathe, and enjoy what
(06:04):
we do and keep pushing forward.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Just before we go, we've been talking with people about
meals that were particularly memorable in their lives. Can you
think of a meal that you've enjoyed outside the kitchen,
you've been setting at a table that you will never forget.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Ah, there's a few. I remember being as a kid
going to Portugal and going to one of these little harbors,
a little fishing harbor, and it was the first time
and it's my favorite fish, first time ever trying John
Dory as a little kids with my family, or whether
it be you know, sitting in the Square in London,
which is two star restaurant with Phil Howard Cookings, a
(06:46):
very accomplished, amazing chef who came in to cook for us,
especially that day when I was working for some very
renowned chefs back then. So there's always something right, you know,
that we take away. But the food for me has
such a place in my heart and sometimes it can
be it could be anything that could take me back
to that memory.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
And that's and probably the best compliment, as you will
have people going to a Nati and still remembering the
meal they've head at your restaurant years later.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
This is it we try. We try and create that journey,
that experience. For me, cooking takes me back to being
a bit of my childhood. And what we love to
do is when if I were am someone else of
their childhood or a fond memory they had, and it
takes them back in a moment, there's there's a really
lovely rapport between that and I think that that means
so much because it just it brings you back to
(07:39):
a happy place and a happy time that you you know,
you're obviously your brain remembers and you're fond to remember
and enjoy it.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
What age were you when you started cooking?
Speaker 3 (07:49):
I was thirteen when I went into my first kitchen
school probably wasn't my forte And one of my mum's
friends used to work for a company that had a
few pubs and bits and pieces, and I ended up
going in and just sort of doing a few days
here and there, then quite skipping school to do a
couple more days and just have I've had the bug
(08:12):
ever since and never left.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
So the fact you were skipping school, you're basically you
fell in love with it, was it?
Speaker 3 (08:18):
Right? Yeah? Yeah? Just just the there is there's something
the energy, the culture, the vibe, like the rush of
a service, just something I love is just you know,
it's ingrained in me now.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
And hospitality has been having a pretty rough time. What
is it that that keeps you you going?
Speaker 3 (08:42):
All right? It's like the journey we've been on and had,
especially since we've opened an arty, the people we meet
and the friends we've now formed is huge. It's it's
unparallel that you you would never meet this before, and
to watch, especially on the chef's table, to watch people
who will never meet again connect and start a conversation
(09:03):
over a piece of food that then leads into sharing
a dream and spending the evening together. And we get
to help share and create those moments. But then you
go back and you tell someone else about.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Do you get to go out for a millionself? Much?
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Not often? Not often, but we try and we try
and we always try and go out with the team
the family always always for a young Chile or something
every sort of four to six weeks, and then it's
it's just has some downtime and have some fun with
our team. But otherwise it's it's you know, we're there
five nights a week. I'm there five nights a week,
(09:39):
and we work as one team, one family.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
What was the food like last night at the doo oh?
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Pretty amazing? They like, you know, that was all kept
very quiet. They flew the chef from Providence over who's
just got he just won three mission stars last week,
and he looked like he'd been an amazing journey and
been hidden in the basement for three days cooking. You know,
we had Ben Bailey was cooking as well. There the
(10:05):
guys from Logan Brown that they had stay there. I
think there's six different stations and it's just the most
phenomenal food from all around our to ah, just just showcasing,
you know, all its abundance of beautiful produce that we have.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Hey know, I've just got an inquiry from Steve. Before
I'll let you go, he says he's got a voucher.
He's been given a voucher to a Nati will He
still be able to get a seat at a table.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
There's always we always make room. We never like to
use the words no. It's all about welcoming people in,
so we'll make sure we find a space.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Rill I can tell you the co owner of the
place with that attitude. Hey, Simon, congratulations once again and
really appreciate your time today. Stay travels.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
Thank you very much, love you to speak to you.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Thank you. Simon Livy, co owner of a Nati restaurant
on christ It's right in the central city. Brilliant place,
brilliant place.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
For more from Caterbory Mornings with John McDonald, listen live
to news Talks It'd be christ Church from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald.
From News Talks, the'd.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Be nineteen to mddaniews Talks, there'd be Cannoby Mornings with
John McDonald to last night in Auckland, the first Michelin
Stars were awarded in New Zealand and two christ Church
restaurants were recognized. One of them is Anati and Simon
Levy is the co owner and chef and he's with
us now, good Simon, good day.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
How are you all.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Yeah, I'm very well. How are you congratulations?
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Yeah, we're pretty buzzing. We're flying at the moment, that's
for sure.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Now. I know that they invited you up to the
event last night, and they invited a few people from
around town. They said, just because we're inviting you, doesn't
mean you've won anything. How confident? How confident did you
feel on the plane up to Auckland?
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Not at all. I think you know, we were the
you know, growing up around this and working in the
kitchens and moving to mugm. I think when we were
flying up we were just happy to be invited. And
if we got to mention in the book, that would
have been amazing.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
So where have you worked overseas that basically inspired you
to get to the level of being a Michelin Star
restaurant only yourself.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
I think it's working. It's working around the people with
culture within the restaurant's bit with Gordon, around with Pierre Kaufman.
That it was just like just you know, being nurtured
through to learn.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
That and you and you worked with those guys.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Yes, yeah, yeah, yep, directly with him. Yes, yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
I remember reading White heat by oh what's his name,
the guy who trained Gordon Ramsay Marco pre White. Yeah, yeah,
and the book was was fascinating, but it made me
think the last last job that everyone would do would
be a shift. It just sounded such hard work. Is
that what it's like?
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Look, there's there's always ten times, and it's in peace,
I think with any job, but especially in the kitchen obviously,
but it's it's how we work through it and grow
and learn to create the next the next I guess,
the next dish, the next thing, the next inspiration that
we're really moving forward for.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
What is it do you think on your menu that
might have got the Michelin Star Secret Diner so impressed?
Speaker 3 (02:26):
I hope it's the team. It's the Without our team,
we're you know, we can have the dreams that they
make it a reality. But I think hopefully it was
the whole experience, from the moment you booked, where you're greeted,
where you come in, to the cocktails and the lounge,
you know, how you sit down. And we believe they
came in at least four or five times minimum throughout
the law.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Oh really, okay, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
So they're come in quite a few times, and it's
different inspectors each time as well, so it's so they're
checking consistency through different sets of eye So I hope
it was a bit of everything, and I hope they
felt I guess, our love and passionate in the food
as well.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
How are we or how how cognizant were you? Every
night you opened there was a chance that that would
be the night the inspector would turn up. Did you
think about that?
Speaker 3 (03:14):
It was, yeah, you think about like lots. But actually
I so when it all got to announce, I remember
them saying about how they've already been in the country assessing.
So I took that as that everything had been done.
So we just continued every day like we do so
for us, it was about making sure we had the
consistency and keep doing what we do and love and passion.
(03:35):
And it was probably the best way forward because I
wasn't worried about inspectors coming in because I was on
the impression they'd already been and there was nothing more
you could do. Well, then we found out later when
they were still coming through, and it was a really
nice way because I wasn't I wasn't worrying about that.
I was just making sure the people in front of
us were having the best experience that we could possibly offer.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
What's what's the deal or the big deal with the
Michelin start, what's the what makes it so special?
Speaker 3 (04:06):
So we before before we go in to have the
awards last night, you go in and you have a
briefing about what's going to happen, how it's going to be.
And I think this is one big thing I've taken
away that Michelan So Michelin's there's just over nineteen thousand
restaurants they recommend around the world. Now those nineteen thousand,
only four thousand and six hundreds have a star bit one,
(04:31):
two or three. So to be to be in in
that I guess that that group of people, you know
of restauranteurs that delivered this experience around the world and
for us, you know, so not out of nineteen thousand
odd restaurants in the world, one hundred and ten of
our you know, establishments in this country join that elite group.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Because they people say that having a mission start will
attract people from you know, venues that restaurants that do
people come from overseas to try the food. Is that
is that true?
Speaker 3 (05:05):
I think yes, yes, that there are people that literally
travel the world via that book via and it's held
to such high esteem that I think we're going to
see so much tourism right now. This has been announced
that the next few years it's people are going to
plan just to come and visit this amazing country we
all live in and we get to showcase the abundance
(05:26):
of beautiful produce.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
I remember that. I remember reading some stories about chefs
who got the Michelin start and then they found that
it was such a burden on them to maintain the
standard or to even get another start. How are you
feeling about that today? Just the night after all, the
day after.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
I'm living I'm living today and can't wait to come
back to christ Shirt, see the team and thank them
all for their hard work, and then continue our journey.
I'm not saying it would be amazing to get to
next year, but we just want to be happy with
what we've got and just love, breathe, and enjoy what
(06:04):
we do and keep pushing forward.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Just before we go, we've been talking with people about
meals that were particularly memorable in their lives. Can you
think of a meal that you've enjoyed outside the kitchen,
you've been setting at a table that you will never forget.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Ah, there's a few. I remember being as a kid
going to Portugal and going to one of these little harbors,
a little fishing harbor, and it was the first time
and it's my favorite fish, first time ever trying John
Dory as a little kids with my family, or whether
it be you know, sitting in the Square in London,
which is two star restaurant with Phil Howard Cookings, a
(06:46):
very accomplished, amazing chef who came in to cook for us,
especially that day when I was working for some very
renowned chefs back then. So there's always something right, you know,
that we take away. But the food for me has
such a place in my heart and sometimes it can
be it could be anything that could take me back
to that memory.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
And that's and probably the best compliment, as you will
have people going to a Nati and still remembering the
meal they've head at your restaurant years later.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
This is it we try. We try and create that journey,
that experience. For me, cooking takes me back to being
a bit of my childhood. And what we love to
do is when if I were am someone else of
their childhood or a fond memory they had, and it
takes them back in a moment, there's there's a really
lovely rapport between that and I think that that means
so much because it just it brings you back to
(07:39):
a happy place and a happy time that you you know,
you're obviously your brain remembers and you're fond to remember
and enjoy it.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
What age were you when you started cooking?
Speaker 3 (07:49):
I was thirteen when I went into my first kitchen
school probably wasn't my forte And one of my mum's
friends used to work for a company that had a
few pubs and bits and pieces, and I ended up
going in and just sort of doing a few days
here and there, then quite skipping school to do a
couple more days and just have I've had the bug
(08:12):
ever since and never left.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
So the fact you were skipping school, you're basically you
fell in love with it, was it?
Speaker 3 (08:18):
Right? Yeah? Yeah? Just just the there is there's something
the energy, the culture, the vibe, like the rush of
a service, just something I love is just you know,
it's ingrained in me now.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
And hospitality has been having a pretty rough time. What
is it that that keeps you you going?
Speaker 3 (08:42):
All right? It's like the journey we've been on and had,
especially since we've opened an arty, the people we meet
and the friends we've now formed is huge. It's it's
unparallel that you you would never meet this before, and
to watch, especially on the chef's table, to watch people
who will never meet again connect and start a conversation
(09:03):
over a piece of food that then leads into sharing
a dream and spending the evening together. And we get
to help share and create those moments. But then you
go back and you tell someone else about.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Do you get to go out for a millionself? Much?
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Not often? Not often, but we try and we try
and we always try and go out with the team
the family always always for a young Chile or something
every sort of four to six weeks, and then it's
it's just has some downtime and have some fun with
our team. But otherwise it's it's you know, we're there
five nights a week. I'm there five nights a week,
(09:39):
and we work as one team, one family.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
What was the food like last night at the doo oh?
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Pretty amazing? They like, you know, that was all kept
very quiet. They flew the chef from Providence over who's
just got he just won three mission stars last week,
and he looked like he'd been an amazing journey and
been hidden in the basement for three days cooking. You know,
we had Ben Bailey was cooking as well. There the
(10:05):
guys from Logan Brown that they had stay there. I
think there's six different stations and it's just the most
phenomenal food from all around our to ah, just just showcasing,
you know, all its abundance of beautiful produce that we have.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Hey know, I've just got an inquiry from Steve. Before
I'll let you go, he says he's got a voucher.
He's been given a voucher to a Nati will He
still be able to get a seat at a table.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
There's always we always make room. We never like to
use the words no. It's all about welcoming people in,
so we'll make sure we find a space.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Rill I can tell you the co owner of the
place with that attitude. Hey, Simon, congratulations once again and
really appreciate your time today. Stay travels.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
Thank you very much, love you to speak to you.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Thank you. Simon Livy, co owner of a Nati restaurant
on christ It's right in the central city. Brilliant place,
brilliant place.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
For more from Caterbory Mornings with John McDonald, listen live
to news Talks It'd be christ Church from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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