Hats off to chef Simon Levy
Chef Simon Levy is not only a long way from home, he is a long way from the 13-year-old boy who worked London’s Harringay market stall with his father. Metropol writer Céline Gibson recently caught up with the 2024 Hospitality Awards finalist.
Now founder and executive chef of Christchurch’s Inati restaurant, Simon is a finalist in the hospitality awards Outstanding Chef, and Outstanding Wine & Beverage List categories. That’s partly thanks to his teenage years, and his initial interest in cooking, and great work ethic.
“My first work experience was at the Fire Station restaurant in Waterloo, for which I was paid £120. The wages didn’t cover all the tube travel, but it didn’t matter. I loved it.” From small beginnings, big things can happen, and for Simon, it was progressing from the Fire Station to Claridges and then to The Ivy.
“I really learnt my craft at The Ivy. Everything I thought I knew before then, I realised I didn’t know.” Next up were four years at Rules, where he met his wife-to-be, New Zealand-born Lisa, a human resources manager. Rules had been out of the British Good Food Guide for 11 years, and part of Simon’s contract was to restore its name in the guide. “We did it in the first 18 months and got fantastic ratings.” 
A move to the Admiral Coddington eventually segued into a chef position at The Warrington Hotel. Simon recalls his first meeting with its owner, Gordon Ramsay. “You get butterflies meeting somebody of his stature. We started talking – it was like I’d known him for years. It was a great experience working for Ramsay. That starts your journey as well. The journey and the experience, because that’s how I learnt – how we all learnt.” After two years at The Warrington, Simon worked with restaurant legend Pierre Koffman (whose protégés include Ramsay and Marco Pierre White) at Koffman’s in The Berkeley Hotel, and following that, Simon opened the iconic Isle of Wight restaurant, The Hut. It was here that Simon created a burger that became so popular, its fame spread to major United Kingdom newspapers, The Independent, and The Times.
By now, Simon and Lisa had moved to New Zealand; the family arriving at Christmas 2013. Not one to sit around, Simon worked at Pegasus Bay Winery on the odd occasion, followed by two years at The Harlequin, the latter being awarded one Hat (as prestigious as Michelin stars) in the Cuisine Good Food Guide during Simon’s tenure. Inati opened for business on 5 July, 2017, and recently celebrated its seventh birthday. Simon says it has been a hard-earned labour of love. Inati is a Māori word that means “to share a portion of food or to be exceptional and exciting”. And that is what Simon and Lisa strive to deliver. 
“We want people to come and experience a great night out – to feel welcomed, that when they’re here, they have left their troubles behind.” Simon describes the cuisine as Modern European; its tapas style comes from his desire to replicate what we all grew up with. “That sitting around the family table, having good conversation. The concept of sharing food is so popular now.”
Simon says alongside their focus on delivering an incredible experience is to challenge people’s ideas around food.
“For me, breaking down those barriers at the beginning of the meal, we’ve already formed a bond and a relationship to start that conversation going, which can only add another layer to the experience.” Inati has been awarded two Hats in the past four years, the ultimate proof that the young teen who worked the London markets with his dad all those years ago, truly has come a long,
long way.
