In this episode of Bacon Butty, Daniel sits down with Max Gordy — the chef-owner of Graze Wine Bar in Kelburn, Wellington, and one of the city’s most exciting voices in low-impact, locally driven dining.

Max takes us through a life less ordinary: growing up in Chicago, moving to New Zealand as a teenager, and finding his way from washing dishes at Hummingbird to cooking at Shed 5, Matterhorn, and top restaurants in the US and Argentina. Along the way, he broke bones skateboarding down Wellington hills, DJ’d late nights, and discovered a love of cooking that could take him anywhere in the world.

Now, with his partner Stina Persen, Max has created Graze — a 22-seat wine bar built on sustainability, zero-waste thinking, and deep ties to local farmers and fishers. We talk about the philosophy behind his food, the challenges of running a neighbourhood restaurant, and why butterfish and produce-on-yogurt might just change the way you look at a plate.

Want to see Max’s bacon butty creation? Head to www.ripplmedia.co.nz for photos.

Special thanks to our sponsors:

Upstock – Get your first month free at upstock.app/bacon

Woodys Free Range – Get 15% off at woodysfarm.co.nz with the code BACONBUTTY

Bacon Butty is made by Rippl Media – Daniel Todd, Karli Mitchell (Get Content.nz), Helen Lea Wall (Get Content.nz), and Sofia Wenborn.