Simon Gault
A respected chef with a passion for fresh produce
Simon Gault is one of New Zealand’s most well-respected restaurateurs, food personalities and chefs. With an ethos that focuses on using high quality products carefully sourced from all over the world, he is passionate about good food and quality produce. As an industry leader, Simon has proved himself to be a true artist and innovator, continually pushing new boundaries within the food industry.
Simon has worked extensively around the globe at a vast array of establishments, including Leiths restaurant in London and at the prestigious Michelin-starred Thornbury Castle. He was also the personal chef to Simon Fuller and billionaire Oracle CEO, Larry Ellison.
Well-known for his restaurant Giraffe, as well as a popular television personality having spent years as a New Zealand Masterchef judge, and his Home Cuisine range available in supermarkets, Simon looks forward to showing audiences how to introduce a little bit of magic to their kitchens.
Simon has proved himself to be an innovator, a pioneer and a leader over many years. Along the way, his talents have been recognised by the industry, winning the New Zealand Restaurant Association Innovator of the Year Award, the Lewisham Awards, Chef of the Year and Outstanding Hospitality Personality of the Year. He was inducted into the New Zealand Restaurant Association Hall of Fame, named as the Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young in the Services Category and honoured with the 2015 AUT School of Hospitality and Tourism award for Outstanding Contribution to the Hospitality and Tourism Community.
Simon is incredibly passionate about crating and sharing good food, especially when it features a lot of fresh produce. He wants people to experience food in a different way and get excited about getting into the kitchen and having a go. Simon is able to provide culinary demonstrations, which struggle to hide his heartfelt passion, as he shows audiences how to lift their cooking skills.
He brings his wealth of business knowledge and working in hospitality to share insights on customer excellence, resilience, motivating teams and health and wellbeing.