Brett-Chinnery Consulting

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Brett-Chinnery Consulting

Guiding hospitality teams to grow, refine, and deliver better food—together. Ready to take your food offering to the next level?

With over 30 years of experience in the food and hospitality industry, I bring a calm, practical approach to helping businesses elevate their culinary offering—whether it’s in high-end restaurants, boutique hotels, cafés, or large-scale commercial kitchens. I started my career in fine dining, working in top kitchens in the UK, including Michelin graded, before moving to New Zealand in 2004 and lea

ding some of the best kitchens, where excellence, precision, and creativity were non-negotiable. Since then, I’ve led teams in luxury resorts, overseen large-scale food service contracts, and developed menus for a wide range of audiences—from airline passengers to schoolchildren. Now, as an independent culinary consultant, I work directly with hospitality businesses to help them grow and evolve. My approach is collaborative, and I work alongside you and your kitchen team, mentoring chefs, refining operations, and guiding your business through positive, sustainable change. Whether you're looking to streamline processes, develop a standout menu using the best local ingredients, or strengthen your team’s skills and confidence, I’m here to support that journey—step by step, with real-world experience and a steady hand. Let’s have a conversation about how we can work together.

16/02/2026

One year ago, this was just an idea...
It was around this time last year - after leaving a job of 8 years -that I sat down to build what would become Brett-Chinnery Consulting.

That "pre-launch" phase was easily one of the best (and scariest!) decisions of my life. Fast forward 12 months, and that initial idea has evolved into a business that is growing and diversifying every day.

Year 1 Recap:
✨ Awesome Clients: It’s been a privilege to work with businesses that are as ambitious as I am.
👔 Strategic Partnerships: Seeing the Chef Works apparel lines become part of our offering has been a major highlight - proving that the right look is just as vital as the right strategy.

The "Massive Surprise" 👶
If the last year was about building the foundation, this next one is about adding to the legacy. My wife and I have some major (and completely unplanned!) news to share - we have our fourth child on the way!

After a near 12-year gap since our youngest, we thought we were well and truly "done." Apparently, life had other plans, and we couldn't be more excited!

What’s next for Year 2?
If anything, this surprise has given me even more focus and drive to keep scaling. I am more motivated than ever to deliver for my clients and ensure this next chapter is the most successful one yet. I already have some plans to diversify further - watch this space!

I still have space in the calendar to collaborate with new businesses. Whether you need to:
✅ Get those menus tidied up
✅ Review your food control plans
✅ Look at your overall strategy
..I’m ready to get stuck in! 👊

To everyone who has supported the journey from that first "idea" until now - thank you.

Get in touch if you're ready to level up your business this year! 📩

18/12/2025

Melbourne, you were a blast! 🇦🇺

Last week I had an incredible three days hosted by the team at .au and .nz. I spent some quality time in their test kitchen getting hands-on with the latest gear and levelling up my knowledge of the equipment's capabilities.

A few highlights from the trip:
Testing out precision cold smoking (the flavour profiles are amazing).
Diving deep into cloud-based recipe creation-sharing menus across sites has never been easier.
Seeing the BAKERTOP-X and CHEFTOP-X in the wild at some amazing Melbourne venues.

The food was incredible, the company was even better, and I’m coming home to Brett-Chinnery Consulting with a massive list of ideas to take us into 2026!

Thanks for having me, Unox!

09/11/2025

It was a privilege to be back on the tools in New Plymouth last week, collaborating with the team at Distinction Hotel New Plymouth to achieve a significant milestone: the reopening of their restaurant!

After a five-year closure, we’re thrilled to announce the dining space is officially back in service. We've started with a robust breakfast offering and are now eagerly anticipating the final approvals for the liquor license. In the next few weeks, we'll be rolling out the full lunch and dinner menus.

This project is a testament to collaborating with the hotel team and a great example of getting a long-dormant asset operating again. And, as always, the stunning view of Mount Taranaki made the hard work even more rewarding.

If you’re in New Plymouth, be sure to stop by and experience the newly revitalized space.

29/09/2025

Last Friday was truly inspirational. I had the pleasure of visiting Rescued Kitchen and was given a tour by Royce Bold, who explained their innovative solution to reducing food waste and the story behind how it all started.
I'm very passionate about reducing food waste, and seeing the innovation here blew me away. Rescued Kitchen is turning surplus food, like sliced bread, fruits, and vegetables, into new, high-quality products. It's an ingenious approach that creates a circular food economy, and it's a model we, as New Zealanders, need to get on board with.
The team were generous enough to let me sample their products, including delicious chutneys, cake mixes, muffins, and savouries. Not only are they all incredibly tasty, but the presentation is also great.
Thank you, Royce and the entire Rescued Kitchen team, for the insight and inspiration!
Go check out their website (www.rescuedkitchen.co.nz) to see their full range and support this fantastic initiative. Better yet, give their products a try, you won't be disappointed!

23/09/2025

Many people ask what I love most about my job, and honestly, coming up with new recipes and testing them out has to be at the top of the list! It’s where creativity meets culinary art.

This is a very simple dish: slowly braised lamb shoulder with rigatoni pasta. The ingredients are great, but the real magic is in the technique and patience. A really good sear on the lamb, slowly cooking out the tomatoes and red wine, and letting the pan simmer for as long as possible builds those deep, rich flavours.

The result is a tested recipe for a client and a delicious reward.

Would you like the recipe for this braised lamb pasta? Let me know in the comments!

15/09/2025

Even though the weather's being a bit unpredictable, there are little signs that spring is well and truly here! I was so happy to spot the first of the season's beautiful, fresh New Zealand asparagus at the supermarket this week. It's a proper mood booster and a great reminder that summer isn't far away!

My favourite way to enjoy it is nice and simple: just chargrilled and served with a zesty lemon hollandaise and a fresh rocket salad. Simple, but oh so good.

Now over to you! What's your favourite dish to make with fresh NZ asparagus? Share your best recipes and ideas in the comments below!

31/08/2025

What a busy, productive, and inspiring week it's been!

It's been a whirlwind of a week that started with a trip to Christchurch to visit some sites. It's awesome to see how much the city is growing and changing.

But the real highlight was getting to judge the National Secondary Schools cooking competition at MIT. The skill and creativity these young students showed was absolutely amazing. Having been a part of these competitions myself, I know how much time and dedication goes into getting to that stage. The future of our industry is in great hands!

The week ended with a great session with a new client to help them streamline their systems. More on that soon!

A big shout-out to my son Owain for playing his last game with Bombay Junior Rugby in a final. Not the result we wanted in the end but I'm so proud regardless!

Enjoy your Sunday, everyone!

11/08/2025

Ever wondered what it takes to launch a brand-new hotel kitchen from scratch? We helped the Distinction Hotel Invercargill make it happen!

Opening a new restaurant or hotel kitchen is a huge undertaking, but with the right preparation, it can be a smooth and successful journey! We're thrilled to share a glimpse into our pre-opening work for the fantastic Distinction Hotel Invercargill.

Our mission was clear: get their kitchen perfectly set up for success, especially with a talented new Head Chef joining from overseas! Here's how we helped:

✅ Smart Sourcing: We handled all supplier setup and price negotiations, making sure they got the best deals from day one.

✅ Digital Food Safety: We developed and digitized their Food Control Plan (FCP) to run seamlessly on the Chomp app - making food safety management super-efficient and paperless!

✅ Collaborative Menu Magic: We assisted the new Head Chef in creating a delicious and practical new menu. The chef owned the culinary vision, and we helped bring it to life, ensuring it was profitable and efficient to execute!

✅ Kitchen Fully Stocked: From high-tech Unox ovens and Moffat induction stoves to every single paring knife and piece of serve ware, we ensured the kitchen was completely stocked and ready for action.

This comprehensive approach meant the new Head Chef could hit the ground running, focusing on creating incredible food without getting bogged down in the logistics of setting up a new kitchen in a new country.

Huge congratulations to the Distinction Hotel Invercargill team on a successful opening!

Curious to learn more about how we help hospitality businesses thrive? Check out the full story on our website!

26/06/2025

In the fast-paced world of hospitality, mentorship isn’t a luxury - it’s a necessity.

It’s how we build better kitchens, stronger teams, and a more resilient industry.

Yes, there are formal programmes - but often, it’s the informal, chef-to-chef, “master-apprentice” moments that have the deepest impact.

Here’s why mentorship matters now more than ever:

🔹 It nurtures new talent
🔹 Boosts retention & morale
🔹 Creates safer, more inclusive kitchens
🔹 Builds lasting professional networks
🔹 Empowers individuality – not carbon copies

A great mentor doesn’t just teach technique - they build confidence, inspire growth, and know when to stand beside you, and when to allow expression.

✨ Let’s keep lifting each other up and passing the torch forward.

👋 What’s the best mentorship moment you’ve had (or given) in hospitality?

👇 Share your story - and let’s celebrate the leaders shaping the future.

18/06/2025

Properly costed recipes and menus to me aren’t optional - they’re essential.

Lately I’ve been working with clients to review their systems (or lack of), and honestly… its mind boggling how many kitchens still aren’t costing recipes correctly or at all.

The benefits of properly costed recipes and menus are massive:
✅ Less waste - know exactly what’s needed, when and why
✅ Data-driven decisions - no more guessing what’s profitable
✅ Control over margins - especially crucial with rising costs
✅ Consistent recipes - blueprint for consistently great food

Whether it’s cloud-based software, spreadsheet systems, or integrated POS tools - the right setup gives you visibility and control.

Profitability starts with knowing your numbers. Without accurate food costs, you’re making decisions in the dark, and pricing menus without good data.

If you're ready to stop flying blind and start running a smarter, more sustainable kitchen - let’s talk.

Address

Pokeno
2471

Website

http://www.brettchinnery.co.nz/

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