Monica Galetti

Monica Galetti (née Faʻafiti, born 26 August 1975) is a Samoan-born New Zealand Chef. She is a judge on the BBC competitive cooking programme MasterChef: The Professionals and chef proprietor of Mere in London.[1] She was senior sous-chef at Le Gavroche in London. As well as appearing as a judge on MasterChef: The Professionals from 2009 to 2021 and again in 2023, she has presented Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby with Giles Coren and Rob Rinder since 2017.

Monica Galetti
Galetti (left) assisting Michel Roux Jr. while Olly Smith narrates MasterChef Live 2009
Born
Monica Faʻafiti

(1975-08-26) 26 August 1975
Pago Pago, American Samoa
SpouseDavid Galetti
Children1

Early life

Galetti was born in American Samoa, and was initially raised by two aunts in Upolu as her mother had moved to Auckland, New Zealand, for work.[2] At the age of eight, Galetti moved from Samoa to Wellington, New Zealand, and lived there with her parents and five siblings.[3][4][5] She attended Naenae College[6] In the early 1990s she studied for a diploma in hospitality at the Central Institute of Technology, Upper Hutt.[5]

Career

After completing her studies, Galetti worked at Lower Hutt restaurant Timothy's. The owner sent her to cooking competitions in Australia, America and Europe, and she began to look for a position in London by sending her CV to top restaurateurs. The first offer she received was from Michel Roux Jr – a beginning position as first commis at his two-Michelin-starred restaurant Le Gavroche, well below her position in Wellington as chef de partie.[5] She accepted the offer and moved to London in 1999. She worked rapidly through the sections of the kitchen and became senior sous-chef, a position she held until 2015.[7][8][9] She was the first woman to hold such a senior position at the restaurant.[5]

While working for Roux, she launched and was Head Chef of the restaurant Le Gavroche des Tropiques in Mauritius.[10]

She was a judge on the BBC series MasterChef: The Professionals from 2009 to 2021, before she was replaced by Anna Haugh citing she felt it necessary to prioritise her family and her restaurant team, and has appeared as a presenter on other food-related television programmes.[11][12][13] Though, in March 2023, Galetti announced she would be returning as a judge on the show. [14]

In 2017, along with her husband David, she opened a new restaurant in London called Mere. This was achieved with backing from Westbury Street Holdings chairman Alastair Storey.[15]

Galetti serves as a UK Tourism Ambassador for Samoa.[1] She appeared in the BBC’s radio programme Desert Island Discs on 31 January 2021.[16]

In 2022, Galetti was named as one of the judges for the Platinum Pudding, a competition to create a pudding for Queen Elizabeth II to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee

In March 2023, Galetti announced she would be returning to MasterChef: The Professionals as a judge, after she stepped down from the role in 2022. [17][18]

Publications
  • Galetti, Monica (2012). Monica's Kitchen. London: Quadrille Publishing. ISBN 978-1849491037.
  • Galetti, Monica (2016). The Skills: How to become an expert chef in your own kitchen: 120 recipes, tips and techniques. London: Quadrille Publishing. ISBN 978-1849497640.
  • Galetti, Monica (2021). At Home: my favourite recipes for family & friends. London: Aster. ISBN 978-1783254873.

Platinum Pudding Competition

In January 2022 it was announced that Galetti would sit as a judge on The Platinum Pudding Competition, a nationwide baking competition launched on 10 January 2022 by Buckingham Palace, Fortnum & Mason and The Big Jubilee Lunch to find a new pudding dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II as part of the official Platinum Jubilee celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II.[19][20]

Personal life

In 2004, Galetti married French-born sommelier David Galetti, the Head Sommelier at Le Gavroche.[21] They have one daughter, born in 2006.[2]

References
  1. "Chef Monica Galetti – MasterChef Elite". samoafood.com. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  2. "Kiwi chef: Moving from Samoa to NZ was the saddest time of my life". The New Zealand Herald. 17 June 2014. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  3. "My Secret Life: Monica Galetti, chef, 35". The Independent. 13 November 2010. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  4. Narayan, Rita (21 November 2015). "Chef Monica Galetti on Samoa, Sean Connery, and her life in travel | Loop Samoa". www.loopsamoa.com. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  5. Jewell, Stephen (26 March 2011). "Monica Galetti: Kitchen mistress". The New Zealand Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  6. "Galetti, Monica, (born 26 Aug. 1975), Chef Proprietor, Mere Restaurant, since 2017; television presenter". WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 2017. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U289060. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  7. "Le Gavroche – The Team". Le-gavroche.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  8. Rayner, Jay (22 January 2011). "Michel Roux Jr and Monica Galetti: master and protege". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  9. Manzoori-Stamford, Janie (20 March 2015). "MasterChef's Monica Galetti leaves Le Gavroche". Thecaterer.com. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  10. "Strictly come cooking with Masterchef's Monica Galetti". London Evening Standard. 4 November 2010. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  11. BBC Two – MasterChef: The Professionals – Episode guide
  12. "Monica Galetti to leave MasterChef to focus on restaurant and family". The Guardian. 20 April 2022. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  13. "Myrtle chef Anna Haugh to replace Monica Galetti as a judge on MasterChef: The Professionals 2022". The Staff Canteen. 29 April 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  14. Dreyer, Pete (28 March 2023). "Monica Galetti returns to MasterChef: The Professionals for 2023". SquareMeal. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  15. "Monica Galetti to open Mere in January 2017". Thecaterer.com. 7 October 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  16. "Desert Island Discs: Monica Galetti, chef and restaurateur". BBC News Online. 31 January 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  17. "Monica Galetti to return to MasterChef: The Professionals". The Staff Canteen. 23 March 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  18. Dreyer, Pete (28 March 2023). "Monica Galetti returns to MasterChef: The Professionals for 2023". SquareMeal. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  19. "The Platinum Pudding Competition | The Judges". www.fortnumandmason.com. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  20. Emma.Goodey (1 June 2021). "Plans announced for The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Central Weekend 2022". The Royal Family. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  21. "The Team". Le Gavroche. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
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