Beyond the Pass – Cody Nicholson

Denise Irvine grills some local chefs about their work and their love of hospitality.

Cody Nicholson

About: I’m head chef at Gothenburg Restaurant in Hamilton. I’ve been at Gothenburg since 2014, working first under head chef Kylie Pettersen. I met Kylie when we were both at Zinc in Queenwood, cooking with owner Chris Scott. I’d earlier done an apprenticeship at the L&P Café in Paeroa, with training courses at the then Waiariki Polytechnic in Rotorua, and work experience at Puka Park Resort in Tairua.

First job?

An after-school position at the Lazy Fish in Paeroa (now closed), working for a friend’s father. It had a Mediterranean-inspired menu, and I was the salads and dessert boy. So I’ve been in the kitchen since I was 14; I knew this was what I wanted to do. And I’ve been very fortunate in my career as a chef.

Cooking style?

I really enjoy Asian-inspired flavours and tapas. I first got into tapas when I worked at Clarence (then the night-time incarnation of Mavis & Co in Hamilton East). So Gothenburg’s fresh, tapas-style shared plates were a great fit for me. It gives customers a chance to try a bunch of different dishes. It is an inter-active way to eat, and much more fun than meat and three veg!

Best thing about the job?

 Teaching the younger chefs coming through, watching them grow, and this helps grow our team. I pass on what I’ve learned, we brainstorm and we develop ideas. I’m also inspired by chefs from diverse cultural backgrounds. We have a strong team of 10 chefs and four kitchen-hands and we learn from each other. We are super-fortunate to have a great work environment here at Gothenburg.

Key life lesson from the kitchen?

You have to get the right work-life balance or you can’t perform at your best. And you have to manage stress. But the environment is super-exciting and I’ve spent more than half my life in the kitchen. It definitely takes a certain breed of person.

Favourite Waikato ingredients?

We always keep our eyes on local food and local markets. BidFresh is our main vegetable supplier and they source their produce locally. To name a couple of things at present, we’re using edible flowers from CityGardens in Hamilton and coconut yoghurt from Raglan Rood Co. The yoghurt is in a lentil dahl dish inspired by one of our chefs who is from India. And we always have a local Meyer cheese on the menu.

 After work drinks?

This is maybe a bit cheeky because Craft (on Hood St) is part of the Gothenburg group but I love chef Lani Lemaua‘s food. I walk in and – every time – I order a beer and Lani’s beef tartare. It is so good. We also go to Ernest on Alexandra St. That’s really great too.

A word for customers in these challenging times?

Support your local! Be cautious but don’t be scared. We are really spoiled to have so many great places to eat in Hamilton.