Just because you can, doesn’t mean you have to. Yes, Al Brown headed fine-diner Logan Brown for more than 10 years then went on to win multiple accolades at Depot and Federal Delicatessen. But when he is at his bach in the far north you’re just as likely to find him making toast. “I’m as proud as punch to grab a packet of hot-smoked salmon, put that on Vogel’s toast and serve it with a cup of coffee for breakfast in the morning. My lord, it doesn’t get any better. And it’s so simple.”

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After breakfast, it’s time to go fishing. As a fisher, he thinks a lot about sustainability. Only take what you need, he says. “I always put the first fish back for tomorrow when I go out there. Sometimes it’s heartbreaking because it’s a great fish.” The lesser-known species such as yellow-eyed mullet are a good option, he says, easy to catch off the wharf or using a drag net and a whole fish barbecues beautifully. At the fish shop try something new: porae or blue warehou are great substitutes for snapper (and easy on the wallet, too) and don’t dismiss kahawai, mullet, trevally and the various mackerel as only being good for smoking; all of them are wonderful raw in a sashimi or ceviche. “For me, it doesn’t have to be a snapper. It can be a kahawai. It can be a trevally. It can be any fish,” Al says. “I’m lucky I know how to cook it. I’m the everyday New Zealand chef and I’m proud of that. My food is simple, it’s not complicated and it’s cooked with a heart and a soul. So the fish will be looked after but will be prepared fairly simply.”

As brand ambassador for Regal Salmon, Al brims with zeal about the company being leaders in the best practice of farming fish, pride that New Zealand salmon is among the best salmon in the world, the myriad health benefits of eating salmon and his undoubted gusto to help show us how easy it is to cook. But he sums all this up very plainly, “You are simply eating goodness. You’re nuts if you don’t eat it. It’s so good. This is a New Zealand product. This is eating local. It’s delicious and it’s good for you. You can’t say that about doughnuts.” Tracy Whitmey