Authors

No biography

No biography

No biography

Bevan Smith’s life has always revolved around food since his childhood growing up on a Northland dairy farm. Surrounded by citrus orchards, mum’s lush vegetable gardens and his favourite feijoa hedges. Smoked snapper heads at school, netting for flounder with his dad and boiling up pipis from the beach all helped shape a young, hungry boy’s mind. A move south at age ten revealed a very different food experience. Braided rivers with sea-run salmon, trout and long, slippery eels. Stone fruit, berry farms and tussock covered hills, speckled with wallabies, rabbits and deer. A hunting and fishing paradise. Inspired by his cousin, Bevan began his professional culinary journey by leaving home to train in Christchurch, and went on to cook in prestigious restaurants in London and Brisbane. He finally returned home to the Waitaki plains in 2006 to establish the now famous Riverstone Kitchen. Numerous awards later, Riverstone is beloved for its approach to seasonal food, simply prepared, from the stunning gardens that surround the restaurant. Bevan is the author of three previous cookbooks and a father of two. He continues to cook, travel, teach and inspire others who share his love of ethically produced food and the notion that all people can, and should, eat well.

Dr Greg Smith is a psychologist who combines an interest in empowering styles of psychotherapy with a passion for yoga, meditation and mind–body awareness. 

No biography

Originally from Oamaru, now living in Te Puke, New Zealand, Kingsley Smith completed a B.Ag.Sci at Lincoln University in 1963 and was employed by Lincoln for two years before completing a PhD in Poultry Science at Sydney University. After two years as a research scientist at the University of Manitoba and the University of Missouri he returned to New Zealand as a scientist at the Massey University Poultry Research Centre. In 1980 he took up a post at the Scottish Rural College (formerly Scottish Agricultural College) until 2001. There he specialised in physiology, breeding and genetics. Now in retirement back in New Zealand he has written books on the histories of poultry breeding companies.

No biography

No biography

No biography

No biography

Jonathan Smith was born in Singapore in the days when the jungle still existed and you could hear the howler monkeys call during the long hot evenings. Snakes were often found in the bathtub or wrapped around the car axle. It was therefore a bit of a climate shock to move to Wellington in his early years. Jonathan and his family travelled extensively throughout New Zealand in the family Hillman Hunter, and ended up in Auckland for his high school years. His English grandfather was a fireman and builder, and he was a part of Jonathan’s inspiration when he decided to become an architect at the age of 9, and his studies followed this path. From a young age Jonathan has been fascinated with storytelling in all its fantastic forms, movies, artwork, books, architecture, sculpture, and so on. In his architecture practice they always attempt to create a narrative in their projects, a thread that runs through the design. Writing this story has provided Jonathan with an amazing freedom while also securing a connection to what it once felt like to have the unconstrained mind of a child. Imagination and curiosity are superpowers that children have in abundance, holding onto these gifts can be tricky, especially in today's world of over connectivity and busyness. Jonathan’s son and wife have been the primary inspiration for this story. His son, Nic, was born while they were moving around a lot between Ponsonby and Waterview. From a young age Jonathan and his wife began the ritual of music and story appreciation during bath and bedtimes, this story was distilled during these moments.