MIMI GILMOUR OWNS THE BURGER BURGER AND FISH FISH RESTAURANTS, AND IS A JAGUAR AMBASSADOR
So you drive a Jaguar XE? What do you like about it?
I drive a black, automatic 2015 Jaguar XE R Sport. It’s both powerful and smooth to drive and visually stunning. Plus, it’s packed full of amazing tech features that all seem to help make life that little bit less stressful. Jaguar has been synonymous with quality for over 80 years. I hope that in eight decades, Burger Burger will still be known as the best in its game.
What does being a Jag ambassador involve?
It’s a dream role where I get to collaborate on creative projects with the Jaguar team throughout the year. For example, recently we hosted an event to celebrate success and to launch the new Jaguar XE where a whole bunch of unique and creative minds came together over really delicious food and wine.
What do you always have in your car?
I am constantly running between our restaurants and our HQ, so my car is like a mini-version of home. You’ll find makeup, clothes, shoes, cookbooks, design briefs, fabric samples, menus and stacks of food magazines. If I’m on my way home, there’ll also be bags full of ingredients for whatever dinner I’m cooking that night. I also always have some hand cream, a spare pair of sunglasses and a water bottle.
How often do you clean it?
I am very spoilt and get it groomed every two weeks.
First car you owned?
A black VW Golf VR6 which I got when I was about 21. It was fast, sporty and made me feel very grownup.
Your dream car?
I get to drive my dream car. My mother owned a Jaguar when I was little so I’ve always dreamed of having my own one day.
Favourite car colour?
Anyone who knows me knows that my wardrobe is 95 per cent black. It’s no surprise that pretty much every car I’ve ever owned has been black.Simple and sleek.
Who taught you to drive?
My uncle and aunt in Hawkes Bay, zooming around their farm in a very old manual ute at the age of 14.
Most memorable road trip in NZ?
We once took a family road trip from Auckland to Invercargill, where my father’s family is from, to learn a little more about our family history and our country along the way. When my sister Sophie and I weren’t singing along to The Lion King — I was Pumbaa, she was Timon — we were quizzed about tussock grass, schist rock and other roadside sights by our mother who had devised the nifty ‘daily quick answer test’. When we crossed Cook Strait on the Interislander, there were 10-ft waves and everyone was seasick. So my father, who is a doctor, had to run around helping all the vomiting passengers ... including me!
If you could go any restaurant in the world in any car with any chef or celebrity …
I would go to Momofuku Ko in New York with Italian chef Massimo Bottura in my Jag, of course.
Do you enjoy driving or would you rather be a passenger?
I love driving, I’m one of those people who always prefers to be behind the wheel.
Can you see yourself buying a driverless car?
I’m not quite ready for a driverless car but I love the technology in cars these days. Things like the blind-spot monitor in my car only make driving feel safer and all the technology is so advanced that it’s really very user-friendly. I embrace it.
What irritates you most about other drivers?
Impatience. I’m firmly of the opinion that we will all get to where we need to go so we may as well show a little courtesy a long the way.
■As told to Donna McIntyre