The opportunity to become a chef came to Liam Fox as a teenager, who took up an NCEA cookery level 3 course and has been in the industry for over two decades.
His interest in baking was ignited at a very young age when he helped his mother and aunties in the kitchen, doing small tasks such as bread baking. However, he only started to take baking more seriously once Fort Greene was opened, where Fox is now the head baker and executive chef.
Fort Greene has been known for its unique mashup of well-established concepts, particularly its cardamom bun, a combination of a Scandinavian-style cardamom bun and a French Kouigne Amann.
It has almost always been the first thing to sell out, with customers routinely asking what kind of black magic it is made with.
Another famous pastry at Fort Greene is its almond croissant, which has remained consistent with its traditional method.
“This Easter at Fort Greene is looking pretty chill. We're selling our sourdough hot-crossed buns, and we're open all through the Easter long weekend, but apart from that, you'll have to come by and find out,” said Fox.
When asked about his favourite baked goods, Fox found it challenging to choose between croissants and traditional sourdough. He emphasised that controlling every aspect of either product to exceptional standards tended to yield gratifying results.
“Four am starts are not rewarding to think about on the surface, but they are part of a complex series of processes that allow me to see things through to their natural conclusions.”
He added that being involved throughout is a reward because it allows for identifying issues and hopefully avoiding them or learning from them.
Fox has approached baking by ‘sweating the small stuff’, which means examining products under a microscope and questioning what can be improved.
“Be focused on what you do. Don't compare yourself to others. Try to innovate constantly, even in small ways.”
He has observed that artisan baking has recently experienced a renaissance and has come a long way in less than a decade. He added that grain culture in Aotearoa has improved, and although there might be a long way to go, the future seems bright.
“It's not long ago that Kiwis largely considered bread the enemy. Now, there are several similar but, at the same time, unique small owner-operated bakeries pushing things forward.”
Running between Fort Greene and being the chairman of the body corporate committee at housing development while balancing family time with his wife and two daughters has not allowed Fox much free time. However, he occasionally enjoys gaming and would love to travel in the future when he has the time and budget to do so.
He has also made some minor changes behind the scenes at Fort Greene, hopefully leading to growth and development.
“My biggest advice regarding bakery and patisserie is patience. It's a long game. If you want instant gratification, you might need to reassess some things.”
He also encouraged learning from mistakes and not giving up on failed recipes, as sometimes tweaking one variable can lead to tremendous success.
