Monica Galetti

Galetti was born in Samoa, and was initially raised by two aunts 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] In the early 1990s, she studied for a diploma in hospitality at Central Institute of Technology, Upper Hutt.[5]

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] However, 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.[6][7][8] 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.[9]

She has been a judge on the BBC series MasterChef: The Professionals since 2009, as well as a presenter on other food-related television programmes.[10]

In January 2017, it was announced that along with her husband David she will be opening a new restaurant in London called 'Mere'. This was achieved with backing from WSH chairman Alastair Storey.[11]

Galetti serves Samoa as its UK Tourism Ambassador.[1]

In 2004, Galetti married French-born sommelier David Galetti, the Head Sommelier at Le Gavroche.[13] They have one daughter, born in 2006.[2]