Raised in Hawkes Bay, Adam Cushing, now Head Chef at Mt Maunganui-based cafe Special Mention, would spend his school holidays picking grapes and cleaning dishes at Clearview Winery to earn some money to buy Bad Religion and NOFX CDs.
"That would've been my first taste of cooking and hospitality. At the time, I thought the chef there was a bit of a rockstar. At least that's how he presented himself," said Cushing.
After high school, Cushing went to Brazil, where he learned Portuguese. There, he found a liking to typical Brazilian comfort foods, specifically the lunches prepared by his housemaid, Claudia, who cooked with such ease and expertise that it felt like ASMR.
However, he still believes his mother is the best cook in the world, praising her veggie soup and scones.
"That, with the smell of the stone-riddled Te Awanga beach, will be forever etched in my nostalgic noggin, along with my dad's raw fish."
"And my father-in-law's roast lamb."
"And my mother-in-law's pavlova."
"And my wife's ramen she made from scratch in Melbourne once enraged me and blew my mind of respectful jealousy."
Known for his motto, 'catering to intolerances without compromising flavour', Cushing tries to eliminate dairy and gluten whenever possible, describing his ever-evolving style as 'uniformly rustic', citing the Martin Nordic as an example.
Cushing's current inspirations include chefs like Francis Mallman, who he admires for his ability to cook on a sizeable caveman-like scale throwing carcasses into the bonfire. He mentions that he is equally fascinated and frustrated by Mitch Orr and Josh Niland. He also agrees with the cliche that travelling helps broaden the mind and palette.
"Earlier on, I leaned towards the rustic cooking style of Hugh Fernley Whittingstall and shared a lot of inspiration from Rick Stein. Now Rick Stein and I share the same hairline."
In today's day and age, Cushing feels that the primary and most obvious challenge is the price and availability of produce, which also provides an opportunity to be somewhat inventive and produce savvy.
"$8.99 for eggplant in the supermarket is absurd. Even the poor lad at the checkout couldn't look me in the eye, simply saying "obscene aubergine" while scanning the barcode."
About his achievements, Cushing received a positive review from a London-based food magazine in 2010, when he was supplied at the NZ Women's Business Forum in London. He has also catered at Action Bronson's Melbourne show, Hamish Blake's son's second birthday. In 2015, the Australian Red Agency contracted him to work with the Royal Elixir Tea Company to open Melbourne's first 'blend your own tea' concept shop.
Cushing's future plans include delving into his hollow chopstick idea while enjoying the cafe and beach life as part of the Arataki community at present. He advises people to surround themselves with challenging people and encourages self-questioning.
