UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL Franck Ridon
Franck Ridon describers himself as “a food, tech and sports advocate.” He is a director at WOOP - a startup in fast, healthy, food home delivery - and a commercial lead in a cloud digital advisory company called Fronde. “I like to bring a different spin, fresh thinking and a bit of French flair to (these) conversations. In addition to WOOP, I’m also working on the French Festival on 26 August, and on ‘Dans Le Noir’, an innovative dining concept where guests dine in total darkness. But the most important dimension to what I do is charity work, directly related to my Kiwi-French culture - I am involved with bilingual education charity ‘FRENZ School’. It’s an association committed to enabling Kiwi kids access to a French and English bilingual education. My kids (I have three children, two girls and a boy - nine, 10 and 14) and have the good fortune to be immersed in their dual heritage culture right here in New Zealand.” Where do you live? By Richmond Road on the Westmere side. Do you have any pets? Yep, we’ve got the neighbours’ cats, they always roam around on our property.
What’s your favourite Ponsonby cafe? Craft Kitchen, I like the atmosphere and their service.
Where do you spend your holidays? Whangapoua, Tawharanui and Bethells Beach.
Favourite Ponsonby restaurant? Jervois Steak House is top of my list.
What's your perfect Sunday? A long lunch with family and friends.
Favourite Ponsonby fashion label? Working Style.
How do you keep fit? Going around the good bistros in Ponsonby is a serious attempt to stay fit. I try to mix this with a bit of running over the weekend. From Coxs Bay there are some really nice jogging options. Surf is on the agenda at times but I spend far too much time under the water so it happens only during warm summer days.
Your best-kept Ponsonby secret? Ma Chérie on Ponsonby road is a discreet yet awesome cafe, where they make some of the best pastries and macarons in Auckland.
Your best friend would say of you... He and I are living a world apart, and he’d say that I am not sharing enough news. Your mother would say of you... My mum, who lives in the French Alps, would say that she is thrilled that my kids are bilingual and that she can fluently communicate with them in French. What are your virtues? A philanthropist and an epicurean at heart. Your vices? Yes - love a nice foie-gras on toast with a Burgundy red wine from Aloxe-Corton as an entrée, followed by an oyster platter with a Roederer Champagne for the main and a Boulette d’Avesnes cheese with a Bandol red from Domaine Ray-Jeanne... that is pure decadence! Who's your ultimate rock icon? Dire Straits and Muse are right up there. What’s your secret passion? Probably alpine skiing. I’ve raced competitively in Europe and attempted to qualify for the 1992 Olympic Games. There were just a few more talented skiers than me for only four spots in the downhill French national team. Even if skiing is hard to practice in Auckland, it remains my passion. What's your secret talent? I grew up surrounded by snow in the French Alps so as a kid during our winter after -school free time, my brother and I kept ourselves busy by building igloos... good times. Not a very handy talent in Auckland.
What has inspired you recently? The recent No. 8 wire idea from Team New Zealand at the Louis Vuitton America's Cup, who innovated by installing Olympic cyclist athletes to power the hydraulic systems of these incredible boats! That is a total brilliance. Kiwi ingenuity will never cease to amaze me. Your desert island distractions: One of my playlists on Spotify, which I listen to when I am off skiing. The house is on fire and your family is safe - what do you save? If our house was on fire I will take a special frame that is on the wall. This belonged to my grandma, and has meaning to it related to old ties of love and friendship. When translated from French, it would probably signify something like this “who comes at my home as a friend, arrives too late and leaves too early”... “I'd be lost without my...” Cork bottle opener. One thing you have learned about life is..? Carpe Diem, that resonates a lot with me - seize the day. Life is too short so make the most of it. Your advice to Ponsonby people interested in bilingual education? As Kiwis in an increasingly interconnected world, it is a smart investment by parents to let their kids explore and discover bilingual education. Ponsonby holds at its heart one of the world’s best bilingual programmes. I have been privileged to witness the extraordinary cognitive benefits for these kids as they enter into their professional careers. Your advice to young Ponsonby people wishing to "do an exchange"? Oh, that sounds like a rhetorical question!? PN www.en.frenzschool.org.nz
What were you going to be when you grew up? A stage comedian. Thankfully for my kids, it didn't eventuate.
42 PONSONBY NEWS+ July 2017
PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)