Matt Lambert is a breath of fresh air. For all his accolades, awards and success, he’s very down to earth and open. It helps that he has retained an excellent kiwi accent. At least, it helps for me. Matt is one of those chefs who always knew that’s what he wanted to do. At 11 years old, he asked a chef if he could start his apprenticeship then and there. Once he did get started, there was no holding him back. When you read about Matt, you read phrases like “internationally acclaimed Michelin star chef”, “sought-after fixture of New York’s legendary culinary scene” and “top culinary talent. These are absolutely accurate. Matt started his own restaurant, The Musket Room, in New York in 2013 to showcase New Zealand food and wine. Four months in and he had a Michelin star. When he moved back to Aotearoa in recent years, he was welcomed back with open arms, and he is still spruiking New Zealand to those overseas. Except that overseas for now is here in Australia. Matt is based in Auckland but oversees the Rodd & Gunn Lodge Bar Group which fuses good food and hospitality with kiwi clothing brand, Rodd and Gunn. There’s a venue in Auckland, Queenstown, a smaller bar iteration in Chadstone and this month, Matt is in Brisbane to launch the global flagship The Lodge Bar and Dining in the James Street precinct.
