The 10th series of the cooking competition MasterChef: The Professionals is now in its second week. Renowned chef judge Monica Galetti, 41, is a critical player in the show where contestants battle for the revered status of a Master Chef Champion. Read below the five things you should know about Chef Monica Galetti.
1. She is a restaurant owner
Besides being a Master Chef judge, Monica is an accomplished entrepreneur. She is the owner of a restaurant called Mere – a play on her mother’s name Mary and the French word for mother.
Monica started her career in London in 2000 at the high-end Michelin Two Star dining restaurant Le Gavroche. The renowned chef then rose up the ladder from a junior role and became the first female sous chef at Le Gavroche. Monica opened her restaurant earlier this year.
2. She is a Tourism Ambassador
Monica was born in Samoa in the South Pacific, and lived there until she reached age eight. She spent the following years living in New Zealand. The Master Chef judge works as the UK Tourism Ambassador for Samoa.
According to the BBC, Samoa has a population of 185,000 and its economy relies on fishing and agriculture although tourism is expanding rapidly. Samoa has beautiful sandy white beaches, lagoons filled with marine life, historical museums and botanical gardens.
3. She and her husband are a power couple
Monica is married to French wine expert David Galetti. He previously worked as the Head Sommelier at Le Gavroche, the high-end London restaurant. The two met in 2001 while they both worked in the kitchen of Le Gavroche restaurant. They have one child aged 11.
“Together they make a good team – David’s softly-spoken charm and easy-going nature is a good counterbalance to Monica’s more direct, no-nonsense attitude,” Luxury London wrote about the couple.
Monica has described working as a chef while raising a family to be “tough” especially for women due to the high pressure and the hours.
“I don’t know many women chefs in the industry,” she told the FT earlier this year.
4. She is a media darling
Besides being a judge on Master Chef, Monica has also appeared on the 2012 Great British Food Revival on BBC Two and the 2013 documentary Food and Drink. She is also a presenter on Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond The Lobby which airs on BBC 2. The renowned chef has also been featured on print and online media i including the Financial Times.
5. She is a published author
The star chef published her own cook booked titled Monica’s Kitchen in 2012. The book contains recipes influenced by her Samoan and New Zealand upbringing as well as her travels in Europe and Asia.
“It’s a book for the home cook, the first time cook or those wanting to expand on their repertoire to entertain,” she told StyleNest in 2012.
Her second book titled The Skills: How To Become An Expert Chef In Your Own Kitchen offers readers 120 recipes, tips and cooking techniques.
Masterchef: The Professionals airs on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8pm on BBC Two.