Family before fine dining TOP CHEF'S KITCHEN RULES

The Snack Masters NZ contestant dishes on her new life in Aotearoa and how nothing tastes better than a happy home

- Rebekah Hebenton

While dealing with the constant lockdowns and everchanging restrictions has been a nightmare for those in the hospitality industry, there is one chef in Auckland who chooses to look at the positives of spending months locked in her home.

As the head chef and co-owner of Auckland's Apero Food & Wine, as well as mum to five-year-old Max, Leslie Hottiaux is constantly trying to strike the balance of being a good parent while managing a busy restaurant. But being in lockdown meant for once she was able to spend quality time with her son without worrying about where else she needed to be.

"For us, Covid was amazing because we could actually spend time as a family," says Leslie, who runs Apero with her Finnish husband Ismo "Mo" Koski. "Normally, we work every night, so I only put my son to bed two times a week. Being at home and reading him a book every night, for me that was gold. I was actually thinking how hard it was going to be to go back to work."

Though Max is always their top priority, Leslie is also very passionate about her career and knows that to be the best mother she can be, she has to chase her dreams as well.

Which is why, when Max started school earlier this year, Leslie and Mo, 45, made the difficult decision to close their restaurant on the weekends to match his new schedule.