Our Story

Amaya and I have known each other since childhood through a bond between our parents. As we matured, we grew closer and have forged a relationship over the last decade. We both share a passion for food, with Amaya's father being a restaurateur and my own family being farmers who lived sustainably foraging off their land. I completed a Diploma in Culinary Arts whilst Amaya finished her Psychologist degree, she happened to be very entrepreneurial back then even, selling lunch box salads to students from her bicycle as a side venture!

In 2011, a friend of ours told us about an opportunity to work in New Zealand, we applied and a year later we moved to the land of the long white cloud. We soon found ourselves travelling around New Zealand, working at Awaroa Lodge in the heart of Abel Tasman National Park. From there, we traveled to the Marlborough Sounds where I became Head Chef at The Bay of Many Coves which we both thouroughly enjoyed.

We found time to explore a variety of culinary styles on our many romantic vacations. Of note was our trip to the Caribbean and the Riviera Maya, followed by some time in South East Asia and the islands of Fiji. Our most recent trip included Marrakesh, Sicily, Venice and the Basque country, which was somewhat sentimental for Amaya with much of her lineage originating there.

We began our Waiheke adventure in 2015 when we both worked at Cable Bay Vineyard, I was Sous Chef and Amaya continued her front of house service in the fine dining restaurant. Fenice was the next move for Amaya while now she’s on full time mums duties. I became Sous Chef at the incredible Tantalus Estate before a Head Chef role at the Boatshed Lodge until the launch of Waiheke Chef®. We both feel we have mastered our respective crafts and are ready to offer the combined value of our experiences in the form of our own enterprise on Waiheke Island.