Brian Campbell on Dessert, Dining Out and His New Eatery Miann
Score a $50 dining voucher to try the goods of the reigning dessert king.
After months of anticipation, Brian Campbell’s own dessert destination, Miann, has finally opened its doors on Auckland’s Fort Street. Known for his work at iconic Auckland eateries such as The French Café, Bracu and Milse, Campbell hopes that his latest creation will be known as the best in the dessert business. Campbell took a few precious minutes out of his busy opening week to answer a few questions about the opening and what Auckland diners can expect from Miann.
Sophie Edmonds: Firstly could you tell us a bit about yourself? What made you decide to bring your talent to New Zealand?
Brian Campbell: I’m Scottish by birth and have worked my way through some of the best restaurants and country house hotels in the UK, as well as stages in Spain's best restaurants and Alinea in the USA. I was offered a position at The French Café ten years ago. With no previous intentions of coming to New Zealand, I figured why not try it out and see what happens. I haven't looked back since.
SE: You started off Milse and have recently delighted diners with dessert pop-ups around Auckland, what have you learnt from those experiences and have they impacted the formation of Miann?
BC: Milse was a natural stepping stone for me, I've always improved and stepped up when changing jobs, and this is no different as we intend on making Miann the place to come for dessert in the city. The pop-ups were great for meeting our followers and creating a large repertoire of dishes and recipes.
SE: What makes Miann stand out from other purveyors around town? What do you want Miann to be known for?
BC: We want Miann to be recognised as the best in NZ in it’s field. Great service, interesting menus, delicious desserts and a great place to hang out . We will be spending many hours at Miann so we just want to make it feel fun and enjoyable for our staff and all our guests.
SE: Where and how do you get your inspiration for all the wonderful new flavour combinations? The possibilities in your menu appear to be endless.
BC: Many trials and a couple of errors. I have over 16-years experience and I think I have developed what chefs know as a mind palate, where you can picture the taste of different combinations together before you make it.
SE: What do you think or what do you want to be the upcoming trends in the realm of dessert?
BC: Lighter, desserts with lower sugar content, and please god no more desserts surrounded by biscuit crumbles.
SE: When you're the one eating out where are your favourite spots?
BC: Meredith's, SidArt, Ima and Orphans Kitchen. I love them all as well as BannSang on High Street.
SE: I have to ask this, what is your absolute favourite item on the menu that you can't get enough of?
BC: Anything with fruit in it. I love all types of fruit. Also anything with Valrhona Bahibe chocolate.
To mark the arrival of Miann we have a $50 voucher to give away.
To enter the draw, all you have to do is tell us what 'Miann' translates to in Scottish Gaelic. Email your answer and contact details to [email protected] with the subject line: ‘Miann’.
T&Cs: Only one entry per person. You must be a Concrete Playground subscriber to win. R18 only. The winner will be chosen at 10:30am on November 24.
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