The Plating Game: Emma Lewisham

We asked one of our favourite Kiwi celebrities to share her food loves so we could create a dish especially for her.

With her flawless skin and elegant features Emma Lewisham could be the poster girl for her own products. When she launched her eponymous beauty brand in 2019, she revolutionised the industry with her call for circularity. Customers are encouraged to buy refillable pouches and pods or return any unwanted packaging for reuse or recycling in exchange for reward points that can be redeemed for new products.

This initiative, alongside third-party certifications and a stringent use of natural, non-toxic ingredients throughout her scientifically lead formulations has led to a B Corp certification. Emma Lewisham also claims being the world’s first environmentally friendly beauty brand.
To encourage other brands to do the same, Emma Lewisham shared their intellectual property around the circularity and carbon positive certification.

Clean beauty was the driving force behind creating the brand. Emma was looking for a product that would be safe to use while pregnant while still being effective. The first product, Skin Reset Serum uses a combination of plant stem cell extracts, vitamin C and niacinamide. Since it’s launch it has become something of a star and reportedly sells 185,000 units per year.

The beauty circle programme is resonating well with customers especially those from Australia and New Zealand where 14% are returning packaging and a significant 28% of sales is from refills.

The brand is focusing on global expansion, more recently in the UK and has successfully launched into Space NK, Liberty, Harvey Nichols, Harrods and Net- A-Porter. There are 55 stockists globally.

Prior to being a disruptor in the beauty industry, Emma was a senior executive for Brother International Group. Following her BCom from Otago University she completed her final year of her honour’s degree at ESADE in Barcelona. She's also joined Zonta and Global Women, organisations with a focus on raising women's rights. Her team describe her as driven, inspiring, hardworking and kind.

She lives in Auckland’s Cox’s Bay with her husband and daughter, who she loves to bake with.

Tell us about your journey with beauty and how food might have impacted this as well?
Emma: When it comes to skin health, what you put on your skin is only part of it. You are nourishing your body with what you choose to eat, so healthy, well-balanced meals and lots of water are essential to your skin looking and feeling its best. You can’t underestimate the power of nourishing your body from the inside out. Fresh fruit and vegetables and eating the rainbow really helps to keep my skin healthy. I enjoy eating nuts and prioritising food other than meat on my plate. I find diversifying my food, and drinking a lot of water also contributes to my skin health.

Describe an early food memory that has stayed with you.
Emma: When I was younger, I used to love watching my grandmother make the most delicious plum jam. We would eat my grandmother's jam on fresh bread and scones, I loved watching the process, the smell and enjoyed the time spent together. My Mum’s pavlova is also one of my earliest food memories. My Mum’s pav was a crunchy mid-rise with fresh berries and cream, and yes I did like to eat it. 

What sort of food did you eat growing up?
Emma: I grew up in small towns in the Waikato and Nelson. I was one of four children, so we ate pretty traditional meals such as roasts and meatloaves.

Do you like to cook?
Emma: I like to bake with my daughter. She's still young and learning but she enjoys being able to crack the eggs, see butter melt and all those simple things. Over the weekends we bake, and I bring things in for the team at work.

What's a signature dish that you like to make?
Emma: If I'm making dinner for someone, I like making a seafood paella. When I lived in Barcelona, I learnt how to make them, and they are the perfect dish for a dinner party. It takes quite a few hours, making sure you have good quality saffron is important. Plus, fresh seafood and vegetables.

Which dishes do you like?
Emma: I like any Asian fusion dish, roast veggie salads, or brownie (if that counts as a dish). There's a delicious roast veggie salad from Miss Polly's Kitchen that I like to make. If I'm feeling like Asian-fusion, I like to go to Mekong Baby in Ponsonby.

Do you have any favourite cookbooks or food writers?
Emma: I've had Ruth Rogers, "The River Café' book for a long time. We recently did an event with the River Café in London and having Ruth cook for me was a real ‘pinch-me’ moment. We had burrata, broadbeans, roasted capsicum and fish. It was served in a sharing plate style and we finished with the most beautiful lemon tart. Simple with high quality, fresh produce.

What would be your last meal?
Emma: Chocolate brownie or my Mum’s pavlova. I realise those are both desserts so if I had to choose a main meal, I think I would go with a simple spaghetti bolognaise.

Do you have any tricks for when you are entertaining at home?
Emma: A trick I learnt was to heat olives in a pan with olive oil, fennel and cumin seeds. It creates a beautiful aroma; I serve them heated in a bowl. Otherwise, I roast some delicious nuts before guests arrive which also creates a wonderful, welcoming aroma. Also, when serving champagne, I put the glasses it the freezer before serving.

What’s always in your shopping trolley?
Emma: Lemons, apples, lots of fresh fruit and veg, Little Bird muesli, Whittaker's almond-milk chocolate and Almighty drinks.

Is there anything you don’t eat?
Emma: I don’t eat a lot of meat and no heavy fried food. I just don’t like how fried food makes me feel afterwards, a fresh food lifestyle gives me more energy.

What’s a treat that always lifts your mood?
Emma: Chocolate brownie.

Who would your dream dinner guests be?
Emma: This is such a tough question. Not all at the same time, but I would love to have dinner with Michelle Obama, Elon Musk, Rafael Nadal and Stanley Tucci. I would also love to have dinner with my family members who have passed way. If Adele could provide the entertainment, that would be a true dream dinner.

What are some go-to weeknight meals when you need something quick?
Emma: Vegetable stir-fry is my go-to.

Favourite tipple – alcoholic or non-alcoholic?
Emma: A small glass of champagne or prosecco.

Do you have any favourite restaurants in Auckland?
Emma: I love both Daphnes and the Oyster Inn. At Daphnes the food is delicious and unique. I like the atmosphere and how thoughtful everything is. The Oyster Inn has a great atmosphere. I also recently tried Gilt which was outstanding and one of my favourite meals I’ve had this year. The food is delicious, I love the bistro style and the food is exceptional. I recently went there with my husband to celebrate our recent launch into Harrods, Liberty and SpaceNK.

Which city is your favourite foodie destination?
Emma: Barcelona. I haven’t been back in a few years, but on my next trip, I would love to visit Lando which sounds really quaint and authentic. Bar Mut would be wonderful for people watching.

If you could teleport to any restaurant in the world for dinner where would you go?
Emma: The River Café - simple, yet delicious. Ruth is one of the kindest people I have met, she is incredibly humble and a simply wonderful person. Her chocolate tart is so dreamy and all their seafood is amazing – fresh and pure.

Any favourite flavours or ingredients?
I love lemon and paprika.

Is there a dish that you’ve always wanted to conquer but have never quite been able to?
Emma: I would love to master the perfect spaghetti alle vongole. It’s so simple, yet not super easy to execute.

Are there any cuisines that you are keen to try / countries you’d like to visit to experience the food and culture?
Emma: I would love to visit South America; their food and culture is so rich. I would love to visit Peru to try their ceviche and Colombia and Brazil are also high on my list.

Click here to find the recipe that Sarah made for Emma.