An evening with Louise Ayling & Giulio Sturla - Monday 12th November 2018 6.30pm

Come and find inspiration in the stories of these skilled practitioners of necessary traditions; shoe-making & cooking.

On Monday 12th November 2018 from 6.30pm we have Louise Ayling & Giulio Sturla speaking in the beautiful old Gym at the Arts Centre. Tickets are $8, or $5 if you have a ticket to the main Necessary Traditions event.

Louise Ayling - Shoemaker

Bespoke shoe making is the celebration of making a pair of shoes, one pair at a time, by hand. Traditional skills used in the handmade shoe making trade contrast to the modern world where volume is valued over craftsmanship and creative integrity. The skills Louise holds have taken years to acquire, and are rare to find in Aotearoa New Zealand. Finding a way to uphold these skills in her practice as LA Shoemaker, at this place & time, is not without a unique set of challenges. Louise will reflect on what’s behind her drive to practice her shoe making skills & why she believes these skills are a necessary tradition.

Louise trained and worked as a bespoke shoemaker for ten years at James Taylor and Son, Marylebone, London. Upon returning to New Zealand in 2009, Louise has continued to make bespoke footwear under the name LA Shoemaker while working in the footwear trade in Christchurch.

Giulio Sturla - Chef & Founder of Roots Restaurant

When Giulio describes the evolution of his award-winning restaurant Roots, he talks about a series of unexpected relationships and connections that formed as he followed his vision. He describes the necessity of cooking and it’s role as a resourceful means of connecting to place and others in this place. 

Giulio Sturla, the chef-owner of Roots Restaurant, was born in Chile and raised in Ecuador. His passion has been cooking and eating good food since he was a young boy; he has travelled extensively and worked in many different countries such as the world-renowned restaurant Mugaritz in Spain before coming to New Zealand.

Giulio and his wife Christy opened Roots Restaurant in Lyttelton after the earthquakes in 2011. Roots was created with a belief that a restaurant can start up from passion, commitment and determination. The main emphasis is the quality of ingredients, the stories behind the food and presenting the true flavours. Roots Restaurant has received numerous accolades and awards and has sustained a three-hat status. In October 2018 Giulio won the New Zealand's Chef of the Year award.