Monica Galetti Biography

Fast Facts

• Had been taught how to cook by her family from a very young age, and says that food was a very important part of her family life
• Was raised by her aunts in Samoa as her mother had moved to New Zealand for work
• Moved from her native Samoa to study for a diploma in hospitality in Wellington, New Zealand, then moved to London to pursue a career in fine dining
• Started out as a first commis at the two-Michelin-starred restaurant Le Gavroche, but later became the first ever woman to hold the position of senior sous chef there
• Made her television debut as a judge in 2009 on the BBC series MasterChef: The Professionals
• In 2017 opened her own London restaurant, Mere, with her sommelier husband David Galetti, with a menu inspired by their home countries of France and Samoa
• Has described baked pig's head as one of her all-time favourite dishes