Monica Galetti Has Always Loved the Kitchen

Samoan-born New Zealand chef and Masterchef: The Professionals judge Monica Galetti talks about the making of an umu and how to use Marmite with The Guardian’s Tim Lewis, and discusses her move from the kitchen to television.

“The shift into television was only meant to be a 15-minute stint,” Galetti, 46, says. “I’ve been asked to do various celebrity stuff, which I refuse. Because I don’t think it’s relevant to just jump in and do a bit of everything. It’s different because my goal was to be a chef, it wasn’t to be on television.”

“So many people have said: you don’t really need to run a restaurant, you could just do everything else. But I can’t imagine not having my own kitchen, or being part of a serious kitchen. It’s a natural high: if I ever lose that, I’ll just stop.

“I use Marmite quite a bit in the restaurant – that’s Kiwi Marmite, not British Marmite. You’re not putting cups of it in, it’s more used as a seasoning. But I still love it on toast.”

Galetti is chef proprietor at Mere, in London. Her latest book, At Home: My Favourite Recipes for Family & Friends, was released in September.

Original article by Tim Lewis, The Guardian, October 16, 2021.

Photo by Phil Fisk.