Auckland chef Navseerat Kaur had her dreams come true when a chance meeting elevated her career and saw her become a business owner.
Born and raised in a small village in Punjab, India, Navseerat Kaur has turned her passion for food and hospitality into an ever-growing career.
Having learnt to cook at only 10 years old, Kaur admitted it wasn’t love at first sight, and instead, more like an arranged marriage for which she happened to find solace.
It became her safe space, and after contemplating what type of other career she could choose, she never found anything that gave her the same satisfaction as the kitchen did.
For the past decade, Kaur has worked across several different roles in hospitality. She has mostly worked for cafes as she’s a natural early riser, and has fallen in love with how diverse the cafe concept can be.
Over time, she has moved into leadership roles and gained confidence, running teams and handling the pressures that come with hospitality. In 2016, Kaur decided to pack her bags and move to New Zealand, where she trained to be a chef at culinary school.
Opening her own space was always a dream for Kaur, and achieving that goal has been by far the biggest milestone in her career to date.
This became a reality after a chance encounter with global influencer Simon Squibb. The founder of HelpBnk.com, Squibb has gained a following of over six million on Instagram and over eight million on TikTok, and after a successful career as an entrepreneur, has since made the dreams of many others come true. Most of the time, these are people he has never met before.
After being impressed with Kaur’s culinary creations, Squibb (who lives in the UK and was on holiday in New Zealand at the time) gifted her NZD 50,000 to open her own restaurant and is not asking for it back.
Kaur said Squibb was only there to have lunch with his family, and it was a busy Saturday, meaning she was playing waitress as well as chef.
“I happened to recognise him and just said hi and that I am a fan of what he does for people, and after that he asked me about my dream. Let’s just say it was a metamorphosis for me. It had changed my life completely,” she said.
Kaur added that nobody in her family owns their own business, let alone any of the women, and so this was something she couldn’t believe would ever happen to her.
“Simon believed in my vision and wanted to help to make it happen. What started as a conversation turned into an opportunity that helped bring Pink Broccoli to life. Since then, the support from people online and from the local community has been overwhelming in the best way possible.”
Beyond the social media attention, the experience reminded Kaur of how powerful kindness and community support can be.
“I’m incredibly grateful for everything that has come from it.”
Pink Broccoli, located along Remuera Road, has paid homage to its roots and has continued to serve the old menu, but this will be changing soon.
Popular dishes that customers keep coming back for include kiwi classics like mince on toast, or more adventurous dishes like chicken bacon waffles, balsamic mushrooms, and chilli scrambled eggs. Kaur said that both pasta dishes, which Squibb ordered, have remained on the menu.
Right now, her biggest focus is to continue to grow Pink Broccoli in a sustainable way and build a strong team and community around it. She said opening a restaurant is only the beginning, and that maintaining consistency and creating a great experience every day is the real challenge. She is also exploring new dishes, hosting more events and collaborations, and continuing to build the brand both locally and online.
“The support we’ve received has been incredible, and I want to make sure we continue giving people a reason to come back.”
She added that her next goal is to keep growing creatively as a chef and a business owner.
For up-and-coming chefs, Kaur said that often passion isn’t enough on its own, and that they will need resilience, patience, and a willingness to learn every part of the business. She said that hospitality can be incredibly rewarding, but it is also demanding physically, mentally and financially.
She said it is important to learn as much as possible before opening a restaurant, and that it’s essential to understand food costs, staffing, systems, and customer experience just as much as cooking itself.
“Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and don’t compare your journey to anyone else’s. Most importantly, create something authentic to you. People connect with genuine stories and genuine hospitality.”
Kaur said she is incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported her journey so far, from her local and regular customers to the people who believed in her before her dream became a reality.
“Hospitality is about people at the end of the day, and seeing customers return, recommend us to friends and connect with what we’re building means everything. We’re still very new, but we’re excited for what’s ahead.”
Subscribe to the Restaurant & Café newsletter for weekly industry updates and event coverage.
