When I step into Etta on a grey and bitter day, the first thing that strikes me is how delicious it smells in there. The open kitchen is a hive of industry and whatever it is they are preparing, I wish I was staying for dinner. The second thing I notice is how great the music is, and the third, how lovely it always is to talk to a fellow New Zealander. Charlie is softly spoken and perhaps not someone who likes to talk about himself. That doesn’t stop him from articulating his passion for good food and cooking in a way that made me grateful for the opportunities I have to listen to and share stories of hard-working and thoughtful chefs.