Located in the heart of Milford on Auckland’s North Shore, Bunty’s is a popular restaurant for burgers, fried chicken, in house smoked meats, and much more.
Head chef and owner, Blake Allnutt told Restaurant and Café Magazine that he got into cooking from a relatively young age, after realising that school wasn’t really for him.
“My career as a chef has allowed me to travel the world and live and work in some amazing locations, including large scale catering in London and to private fine dining in the French Alps. Along the way, I’ve worked with lots of really interesting people and made some lifelong friends.”
With experience in various cooking disciplines, Blake discovered that cooking with charcoal and smoking meat was a favourite way for him to cook.
“I love the flavour that charcoal infuses into food, there is nothing like it.”
After the closure of his previous business, opening Bunty’s was a big accomplishment for Blake. The catering and frozen meal business he had before was simply not what he saw himself doing for the long haul.
“I designed and renovated the space over a three-month period to create Bunty’s, the local neighbourhood casual burger bar that was missing from Milford. When we opened in December, the local support was overwhelming and we’re so grateful for everyone who has come in for a drink or a meal.”
As the current situation for the hospitality industry is in recovery after the impact of COVID-19, Blake Allnutt admits the biggest challenge that he can forecast is staffing.
“We need to think about how to get more young people into the industry and consider hospitality as a career choice. Other issues are the rising cost of food and staff we are facing, along with the general cost of running a business increasing.”
Having enjoyed success in Milford, Blake Allnutt said that his next step with the business would be to open a new location in the future.
