Monica Galetti

“I believe you've got to move with the times but that doesn't mean you have to go crazy stupid and employ every kind of technique under the sky. Learn how to cook in an oven and in a pan first, and then you can play with the toys.”

“My first ambition was to be a brain surgeon.”

“I coped OK with eating guinea pig, while staying at the stunning Mashpi Lodge, up in the cloud forest of Ecuador - but that's because mine was all cut up and served nicely.”

“I'm a big seafood fan.”

“Television is a funny world.”

“On Sundays I love to get to a morning spin session at the gym. That's my time - it's great for stress release and helping me think things through, but I also do it so I can eat everything because I have no willpower.”

“I never had holidays when I was a kid, because my parents couldn't afford them.”

“Work takes me to some very interesting places, mostly around the U.K.; it's a great thing to be able to do.”

“I know people who will look at the label on some ham, and if it's a day over they'll throw the whole packet out instead of opening it up and tasting and smelling it.”

“I always buy organic and love farm shops. Some people think that organic is more expensive, but if you plan wisely, you can make ingredients go further. For example, use the whole chicken - bones for stock, things like that.”

“If you love being a chef then give it all you've got!”

“Auckland's a big city but they don't have an underground system. Buses or taxis are your only options and taxis are not cheap in Auckland. Your best bet might be to hire a rental car.”

“I like to adapt some of the traditional dishes from my childhood from both NZ and Samoa using British ingredients and European cooking methods.”

“I'm not happy with any waste at all.”

“When we visit New Zealand for family holidays, one of my first stops is to buy fresh mussels.”

“Stay calm and be quick on fixing a problem, stopping a problem head on is vital to running a team.”

“Being born in the Pacific Islands, the most travelling I did when I was little was getting the ferry over to the next island.”

“The food culture that has most impressed me is Oman's. I learned to make an amazing spice mix that they rub into goat and fish meat, and ate the best flatbreads.”

“As a child I loved to be in the kitchen with my mum and aunties, eavesdropping on the adults.”

“Not a brussel sprouts fan? Try them shredded and fried in a pan with bacon - no one can say 'no' to them then.”