Shaun Dowling’s love of cooking began in his childhood kitchen. It was here he first learned to make pizza and pasta under the loving guidance of his grandmother. Growing up in a large family, food held a central place in their shared lives and Dowling’s family nurtured his love of food and creating in the kitchen throughout his youth.
Dowling never imagined he would become a chef, but a turn of events whilst travelling through the United States saw Dowling accept a job offer in a professional kitchen. He quickly fell in love with the thrill of the job, and hasn’t looked back since.
Dowling finds inspiration almost everywhere he goes. His love of food history means he strives to be as authentic as he can when creating new dishes.
“I try to be as authentic as possible and let the ingredients do the work.”
This authenticity is evident in the kitchen at Bossi, where Dowling and his team are committed to staying true to their roots and delivering an authentic taste of Italy in every dish. As the culinary world continues to push the boundaries of flavour fusions and cooking techniques, Dowling believes great Italian food will always come back to the timeless essence of Italian cuisine - simplicity.
“Great Italian food, at its heart, is all about simplicity and authenticity, and that's what we strive to uphold in our dishes.”
Dowling has carved a place for himself in both the local and international culinary scenes throughout his career. He has shared kitchens with some of the world's most renowned chefs, in some of the world's top restaurants and is thrilled to be able to pass his knowledge on to the next generation of chefs.
Dowling’s top piece of advice for emerging chefs is to carry around a pen and pad and write things down.
“As you go through this career, you have to learn as much as you can from other chefs and kitchens as you go. So writing down everything in a notebook, from old recipes and ingredients to techniques, is what will pay off in the end.”
The impact of Covid-19 on the hospitality industry has been immense and ongoing. Currently, the industry is facing a qualified chef shortage as many chefs have either moved overseas or shifted to different areas of the industry. Dowling has hoped young chefs in New Zealand will continue to bring passion and innovation to the industry.
“We need the young chefs in New Zealand to carry on the life of a chef. It's a hard job, but there are a lot of personal achievements that make it all worthwhile.”
Looking to the future, Dowling will continue to honour authenticity as he strives to put Bossi on the map as one of New Zealand’s top Italian restaurants.
