Ashleigh Lawless is a freelance recipe developer, food stylist, writer, art director and creative living in Raglan. She talks about her creative studio ‘The Intimate Table’ and how Raglan is transforming the evolution of her work.
Describe what you do and what ‘The Intimate Table’ is all about.
Hello! I write, edit, photograph and develop recipes, a bunch of food stuff really. The Intimate Table is a culinary studio producing recipes and food content designed around brands I partner with, recipes that capture essence and energy unique to their context.
One of my guiding philosophies is that beautiful food relies on the basic premise that it is the food of the moment. A cold nectarine by the sea in summer, hair dripping with salt, a leftover chicken and stuffing sandwich 26/12, cold blue mornings of buttered toast and velvet bitter coffee.
What is your background ? How did you get involved in recipe development and food writing?
I come from a background in graphic design and visual communications but my world has always revolved around food. I come from a household where food is the love language and all great conversation and connection has always been over a shared meal.
The Intimate Table has really been the culmination of the last 7 years in the design industry and the ceaseless inspiration I derive from food. It felt very organic to turn my focus to the world of food writing, transferring my skills in brand and design to the creation and integration of ritual and recipe.
Food is a huge part of your life. How has Raglan reflected that passion?
Intertwined into the fabric of this coastal town is the unique connection the people have to community which has allowed for small and vibrant food-focused businesses to thrive. The collective here is rich with story and narrative.
As the project evolves I am finding myself increasingly drawn to the stories, places, products and recipes colouring the narrative of New Zealand’s ever-evolving food scene as well as the extended world of atmosphere, alchemy and the people behind it all.
I am currently exploring what ‘New Zealand’ means through the lens of cuisine, hopefully in a way that avoids pretension, staying clear of trends, nothing too fancy or tokenistic. The next chapter of The Intimate Table hopes to capture the stories that connect us to people, delving into the portals of tradition, the deep emotion linked to food and the symbolic layers recipe has historically held.
Raglan has inspired a pivot from simply writing recipes to exploring the stories and people behind them.
How do people get in touch?
Keep an eye on @theintimatetable for the next iteration of the project kicking off next month. To inquire about projects of any kind get in touch via my website www.theintimatetable.co.nz.
RECIPE: Sour and Celery
Serves 2 | Prep time 5min | Total time 5min
With the arrival of Autumn there comes a sparse speckling of perfect frozen mornings, all peppermint air and the most delicious pale blue smell. The sky defrosts from icy white to arctic green and finally to a breath of cobalt. A juice reflecting the refreshing, bitter-bite crisp of the middle months. This is ‘zing’ in all its glory.
Makes 2 medium-sized glasses
3-4 large celery stalks – washed and trimmed
2 medium-sized sour granny smith apples – peeled and quartered
1 juicy lime or two small
1 small handful of mint
Push the celery, apple, lime and mint through the juicer, pushing the soft mint leaves through with the crisp stalks of the celery. Serve over a generous amount of ice.
