Cuba Street: a cookbook

Cuba Street: a cookbook is a self driven project for the team at Fortyfive Design. This book offers a unique insight into Wellington’s best-loved district, its heritage, hospitality, and the people who make it so special. 

This book, as with any new baby, seemed like a good idea at the time but the reality, while rewarding, has been hard work! But like every parent, we are proud of what we’ve created. This book was a shameless excuse to be involved in an exciting, juicy and creatively unique project.

So why a book about Cuba Street restaurants and cafés? A long-time love affair with Cuba Street’s cafés may have something to do with it. One thing is for certain: it was a great idea and we had a blast making it happen. We saw this book as a social documentary beautifully wrapped up with amazing recipes. The book is not a marketing exercise for the hospitality industry: no one has paid us to make it. Its stories are the result of visiting the places we feature and talking with the people who work in them. It has taken us over a thousand hours of interviewing, writing, photographing, illustrating, typography, book design, recipe-testing, brainstorming, begging, food and beer-tasting, and much more.