Food & Chefs

Meet Our Chefs

Gravity Experience chefs have a few things in common. They all have proven excellence in their field, a passion for food and respect for how it’s harvested. Using the best New Zealand ingredients, these chefs know how to transform a fresh catch right before your eyes, and create something magical on your plate that will delight your tastebuds.

“For a dining experience to be full, it must ignite all senses and awaken the soul. Good ingredients, good cooking, good wine, good company, good stories. And, most of all, Good fun!”
~ Cory Campbell, Chef

GIULIO STURLA

Originally from Chile, Giulio has been living in New Zealand for 11 years. Quickly became established as one of the most relevant and influential chefs in the hospitality industry today, Giulio is also the founder and driving force of Eat New Zealand, a movement to promote New Zealand ingredients and their stories both domestically and overseas. A firm believer in the value of developing a better food system that celebrates the best ingredients out there while also representing the unique culture of the country, he has been pioneering and championing Kiwi cuisine for the past decade.

Giulio was the chef and creator of Roots, an acclaimed restaurant in Lyttleton, just outside of Christchurch. There he focused on experimentation while researching foraging and integrating local produce, inspiring many across New Zealand. Open for over six years, Roots achieved many cuisine accolades and media features, including being named the only three-hatted restaurant outside of the Auckland CBD. In 2018, Giulio was named Chef of the Year.

As Giulio continues his endeavors in the kitchen, asserting his love for New Zealand ingredients as well as and a passion for its people across multiple projects, he also has launched his latest project in May 2020. Mapu Test Kitchen is hidden away in Lyttleton, an intimate space that seats just 6 people for private and bespoke dining experiences. Continuing his passion for experiential dining and experimental cuisine, Giulio seeks to merge kiwi flavors with international styles both at Mapu and around New Zealand in collaborations with other likeminded chefs and kitchens.

CRAIG MARTIN

Award winning chef Craig Martin began his culinary journey in his hometown of Rotorua, a city famous around the world for its bubbling mud pools, natural hot springs and Maori culture. He honed his skills in local restaurants and cafes, developing a passion for showcasing the finest New Zealand ingredients before finding his niche in the luxury sector, where he has worked for the past 12 years.

Craig’s passion to plate philosophy – putting the best ingredients in their best form in front of diners – has seen him plate up in some of the most exclusive lodges in the world, such as Treetops Lodge, Peppers on the Point, Solitare Lodge and now paddling his own Waka at his New business Native kitchen.

His love of showcasing the best ingredients has been a constant theme throughout his career which has seen him work on Maori food trails with internationally renowned Maori chef Charles Royal, spend time in the Attica kitchen (ranked 32 in the best restaurants in the world), and cook for celebrities and royalty. Craig has picked up several awards during his career and you may have spotted his face on Australia’s Channel 9 with Rebecca Judd or the Asia Food Network with New Zealand food legend Nadia Lim but for now his focus is on infusing native and foraged ingredients and ideas from his overseas travels into his dishes and continuing to grow his knowledge and love of cooking.

“I often think of food as being like technology, you have to keep up with it, he says. I’m always looking for new inspiration from my incredible country and around the globe.

RYAN HENLEY

Originally from Melbourne Australia, Ryan Henley grew up with a great appreciation for food. His passion for seafood and pastry quickly became the cornerstones of his career. He strives to use whole animals and sources ethical and sustainable produce from local suppliers. Ryan works closely with these suppliers to showcase the best that New Zealand has to offer

Ryan is a former member of the New Zealand Culinary Team and received multiple international awards. He later went on to work in Melbourne at three-hatted restaurant Vue De Monde under Cory Campbell. After returning to New Zealand, Ryan became Chef de Cuisine at Pescatore in Christchurch and went on to be awarded Two Hats by Cuisine Good Food Awards.

With 20 years experience, Ryan has the foundations to take the next step in his career and is working towards opening his own place later in 2021. The restaurant will focus on quality, local ingredients, adopting a no wastage concept and using traditional and Japanese cooking techniques.

Read an interview with Ryan in Cuisine Magazine

CORY CAMPBELL

Creating a dining experience full of fun and laughter. That’s what it’s all about. I read once that when a guest arrives at your restaurant they enter into a silent agreement that reality will be suspended for the duration of their stay. It’s a wonderful feeling creating nostalgia in food, but I think it’s even more special when someone is stuck in a moment, taken back to the place that gave them such feelings and emotions.

Having worked and ran some of the best restaurants around the world, The Square London, NOMA Copenhagen, Vue de Monde Melbourne and Kokomo private island resort Fiji, it all starts with the interaction between chef, fisher, supplier, farmer, producer and Mother Nature. An understanding of a movement, of what we take, from where, how, is it for the best, does it leave an impact on us, our waters, our skies, our lands.

For a dining experience to be full, it must ignite all senses and awaken the soul.

Good ingredients, good cooking, good wine, good company, good stories.
And, most of all: Good fun!

The Food

This is a total food experience. How to harvest, look after and prepare your catch. The food prepared from your chef can range from rustic to an artwork on your plate. The most important thing is it’s as fresh as you can get, and your chef knows how to prepare it using the best ingredients for a mouthwatering result.

For multi-day experiences dinner is the main event. Lunch is BBQ on the boat, or land, and breakfast is a relaxed spread of local fresh produce and good coffee.

We cater for most food preferences, including those who don’t eat fish but still want to be part of the experience. Please let us know in advance if anyone has dietary requirements so we can plan accordingly. There may be a small cost to cover items outside of the main menu.

Here are some photos to tease your tastebuds.