New cookbook serves up the dish of the nation – in more ways than one!

With all of the ink he’s been receiving, you’d be hard-pushed not to be aware that Michelin-starred chef Josh Emett has his first cookbook just out.

He’s even graced the cover of this month’s Next — a rare move for a women’s magazine to put a bloke on the cover but Random House publicist Jennifer Balle laughs: “And why wouldn’t you put him on the cover?”

Jennifer says that she certainly can’t take the credit for all the coverage: “Josh is hugely respected both in food and media circles and everyone’s wanted a piece of the action. The swooning emails started early on so it’s been more a case of managing the coverage roll-out and keeping everyone happy rather than knocking on doors. I think we managed that without too much blood on the floor.”  

Given Josh’s pedigree chef credentials, people have been genuinely enthusiastic in the lead-up to the publication of the cookbook, Jennifer adds.

“People were also excited about what a collaboration between Josh and Kieran Scott, one of our leading food photographers, would deliver. Kieran’s stunning, Old Master still lifes-inspired styling and atmospheric photographs have been singled out for special mention in all the review coverage so the book really does feel like it’s a celebration of two creatives at the top of their game. The Sunday Star Times, Sunday magazine ran with this photography back story at the weekend.

“There’s also a big country heart at the centre of it which has also struck a chord with the media. Josh hails from a happy, Waikato farming background and it’s this spirit and sense of place that people are also responding to. There’s a lovely interview coming out in the Australian Women’s Weekly in a couple of weeks with Josh and his mother, Raewyn, reminiscing about family life on the farm and this pretty much wraps the Cut publicity campaign.” 

Illustration from CUT - the opening of the Duck section.