Ricky Littleton
One of Napier’s more recent Head Chefs, Ricky Littleton runs the kitchen at Mission Restaurant, bringing many new and exciting flavours to the table. After completing his apprenticeship within the Scenic Group in 2008, Ricky’s hard work and leadership skills within Scenic Group saw him promoted to Sous Chef at Scenic Te Waionui Forest Retreat. After two years in this role, Ricky moved south and became Sous Chef at the Novotel in Queenstown until November 2014. This was when he looked beyond New Zealand and began a career in Hong Kong with his Executive Chef Sebastian Comerso, to expand his skills and techniques in an entirely new environment. Ricky found his passion for international fare while Sous Chef at Relish Kitchen and DRC Group, where he diversified his style of cooking to encompass all the cuisines he came to appreciate. When it was time to return to New Zealand, he came back to his home town of Napier to re-establish himself into the industry here. After less than a year of working at Mission Restaurant, he was given the opportunity to take charge as head chef in November 2018. Since then, he has been focusing on providing excellent meals at Mission, and ensuring his own personal styles reflect in the flavours and techniques he uses.
