Chef Peter Gordon 'still grieving' from Auckland restaurant Homeland closure

Celebrated chef Peter Gordon says he's still grieving the closure of his Auckland restaurant and cooking school Homeland.

The news of the closure earlier this year came amid a wider redevelopment plan for the area and the restaurant's lease not being renewed. That was not part of Gordon's plan for the restaurant, which he established with partner Alastair Carruthers in 2020.

"I feel like I'm still grieving from the Homelands closure, because it wasn't what we intended, it was supposed to go on for many, many years but that just didn't happen," Gordon tells Culture 101.

"So I'm looking forward to getting through, probably 'til the end of January and not thinking too much about it. And then thinking what is the plan, what is the future, what are we doing."

But his vision continues regardless, and he can be found around the motu leading and guiding from the kitchen with his signature manaakitanga - something that he misses from Homeland's community initiative to teach people how to cook.

"When a community is in trouble, financially or whatever, what sustains people, all of us, and people through sadness and all sorts, is the being together and cooking.

"What was lovely with Homeland is that we had community days … sometimes we had to skip one, but generally every fortnight.

"They were so good. I really miss those."

Celebrity Treasure Island offers insight into NZ

Speaking to Culture 101 for the Fast Favourites segment, Gordon says he loves Celebrity Treasure Island, which he started watching two seasons ago. He would consider competing on there but prefers watching it.

"I was describing it to someone today actually in Amsterdam … and [they said] 'it sounds like some terrible big brother type of thing' and I said 'no, it's a really interesting insight into the New Zealand psyche, contemporary New Zealand'.

"You're getting people who you would assume would never really meet each other or Carmel Sepuloni this year with Spankie, the drag queen, and all getting on and collaborating and doing stuff.

"It just shows that there's always something in someone that you're going to like so just put more effort into it."

Introduction to the food chain with a family pet and favourite meat

Gordon recalls they had a family pet sheep in their Whanganui Castlecliff home as a child, named Lamb Chops after the sock character on the Shari Lewis TV show.

"And then Lamb Chops disappeared which was good because we didn't have to pick up its poop from the back lawn … and then one day we're having lunch and Dad said 'hey remember Lamb Chops? And we were like 'yeah', and he said 'well you're eating it'."

But his favourite meat does happen to be lamb, although he prefers mutton.

"In fact, I had a lovely lamb shoulder yesterday at Williams Eatery which was delicious on a flatbread with yoghurt and it's versatile - it's Middle Eastern, it's British - any nation that has lamb cook it really well, you know, India, Pakistan, beautiful."

If he had his way of cooking some lamb, he conjure up a salad with some loin cooked to rear, add feta, pine nuts, grated mandarin zest, lots of rocket, some peppery spices and a bit of chilli.

A 'beautiful' place that touches the soul

Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery is a place of fond memories for Gordon, who would visit the "beautiful and calm" gallery once a month as a schoolkid.

He went to school with artist James Kirkwood and his brother went to school with artist Pratesh Patel, both of whom have works up there now.

"I guess my professional life has been all about the expression of me turning flavours into something that people find attractive and that they want to eat. And I think artists, when they present something that you just look at and you go' this is just incredible, it's just something I can't imagine doing and I really respect and I really find beautiful', so I guess it's the visceral 'does it touch your heart, does it touch your mind'."