Born in New Zealand and mentored by chefs such as Peter Gordon and Al Brown, Miles Kirby has Aotearoa culture coursing through his veins. And caffeine. Lots of it. For someone who stumbled into hospitality when his sister called him in the uni holidays to help at a restaurant she was working at, he has come a long way. Miles trained at the Wellington School of Culinary Arts and, as a young, keen chef, relocated to London with a couple of mates in the early 2000s. Now, as the co-founder of restaurant and coffee roastery Caravan, he has eight outlets (with a ninth in the pipeline) – a mini empire built on our café culture translated to the Northern hemisphere. The secret is an all-day menu, easy-going Kiwi hospitality and, of course, great coffee. Miles champions the ‘flat white’ experience to the Brits but is also credited with refining the brunch scene in the capital. The Caravan group is now B Corp certified and involved in several social initiatives. And the roastery, which operates from a Victorian warehouse, sells to other cafés, restaurants and online. His brand is on the rise, but Miles never forgets his roots. Being a New Zealander gives him the confidence to know that whatever the challenge, he’ll work it out.

caravanandco.com