About Malcom
My passion for cooking goes back to my childhood days on the home farm near Methven. My mother was a perfectionist when it came to food and was famous for her hospitality in our community. She was my inspiration. Occasionally people would call to the house to do ‘business’, but rather than let work dictate their schedule, they often arrived at morning or afternoon tea time perhaps drawn by aromas from the kitchen when food was being served! A beautiful table would be laden with an array of up to ten different cakes as well as beautiful scones, pikelets or muffins all fresh out of the oven that morning. I always enjoyed helping in the kitchen and often collected recipes from my Aunty Maude’s where I used to spend my holidays. After I left school, I went to work with Maurice Ashworth, a British trained chef working in Franz Joseph. Maurice spurred my interest in furthering my culinary journey which took me to the Royal New Zealand Air Force where I passed the London City and Guilds cookery qualification with Distinction. While I was in the Air Force, I worked in as many other kitchens as I could to extend my repertoire. After 20 years of culinary adventures in the Air Force, I then moved on and spent time at the prestigious Huka Lodge in Taupo, The George Hotel in Christchurch and the restaurants at Te Awa Farm and Church Road wineries in the Hawkes Bay. I was resident Executive Chef at the home of New Zealand’s Governor General in Wellington and participated at the World Gourmet Summit in Singapore in 2000. Breckenridge Lodge opened officially in December 2006 and I’ve been sharing my passion for food ever since. I have no secret recipes, I just love seeing people enjoy what I have discovered on my culinary journey.