Cook the Books ends 2009 on a Masterchef high

Cook the Books - Member Profile

Felicity and Michael O’Driscoll bought Cook the Books early this year with the intention of taking the business to the next stage. They have wasted no time doing just that, moving premises to a new location in Ponsonby Road in May.

The store has fresh décor and even a well appointed kitchen, and vegetable garden at the front. The kitchen and adjacent space is used for book launches, author demonstrations and also hospitality: cosmetic surgeons sampled a Sri Lankan menu cooked by a local chef recently.

Felicity researched the customer base of people shopping at the previous Mount Eden store and found that Ponsonby, Grey Lynn, Herne Bay and Westmere were the areas from which customers came. She walked up and down Ponsonby Road several times before locating the cottage site for Cook the Books, then did the lease deal within 24 hours. There’s parking out back for two cars during the week and unlimited parking at the weekends – a great asset.

The front rooms of the cottage have been turned into a bookstore for books of every kind of cooking, along with cooking memoirs and culinary-related travel, extended to include wine. Shelving is simple with vibrant shades on the walls and Felicity’s colourful collection of vintage flour sifters on display. The couple formerly lived in Hawke’s Bay, and pieces of their art from regional artists Martin Poppelwell, Dick Frizzell and Leanne Culy add atmosphere. (You can also buy tea towels here, designed by Martin and Dick.)

Former banker Felicity and retail consultant Michael were frequent customers at the Mount Eden store, and Felicity helped out when one of the owners was overseas. One thing led to another and it was “bye-bye banking” and “hello baking” for Felicity – she uses the kitchen to cater for events.

So have the move and innovations paid off?

Well and truly, says Felicity. While the O’Driscolls are coy about actual turnover, it seems business has significantly increased and is still growing.

Felicity knows her market so well that she confidently ordered a very large initial order of Al Brown's Go Fish (Random House, 9781869791766) – an order so big even the rep questioned her sanity. “I knew there was a market for a book dedicated to New Zealand fish,” she told The Read. “Rick Stein's books on fish cooking are popular, but there has been nothing local or so well produced on this subject previously.” Let it be noted that even the ‘very large’ initial order has all sold, and like the rest of the book trade she is waiting on the reprint.

Cook the Books finds no resistance to people paying relatively high prices for books they truly want and value. But that is not all that makes Cook the Books’ business year so special: they are just now able to announce that they are the official bookseller for the Kiwi version of ‘Masterchef’. Felicity’s contacts with the production team led to her creating a book supply package for the contestants. Producers had found dealing with individual cookbook publishers time consuming for the Australian version, so Cook the Books filled the gap, becoming official supplier of cookbooks to the television series. It was especially pleasing that all regular suppliers were able to support the venture. Publishers HarperCollins, New Holland and Random House, who represent local food writers, were especially helpful. Felicity has been on set several times, and some lucky publisher’s reps are about to visit also.

The huge bonus for Cook the Books is that when TVNZ viewers click on the website for ‘Masterchef’ program information, they are only one click away from Cook the Books’ own website. So, in preparation for the anticipated influx of attention, www.cookthebooks.co.nz is getting an upgrade for the series launch!