Monica Galetti was born in American Samoa before moving to New Zealand aged 8 - and then took on the world. Photo / Supplied.
Monica Galetti was born in American Samoa before moving to New Zealand aged 8 - and then took on the world. Photo / Supplied.
When Monica Galetti moved from American Samoa to Wellington, the then-8-year-old was hit by an enormous culture shock, having to adjust to a much colder climate and learn a new language.
But for the superstar chef, one thing that stood out to her even back then was the change in food.
"Cereal with sugar, which just everyone had - I could never eat that coming from Samoa. It was something so sweet whereas you got the sweetness in Samoa from fruit.
"In New Zealand, it's not like in the islands where you grow your food and you got the big 'aiga to support you. You've got to survive and work to support. So it went from a sort of free childhood to realising the struggle of what your parents go through to put food on a table."
Nearly 40 years later, food and family remain a key part of Galetti's life. For more than 20 years, she has been working in London in the restaurant industry, rising up to become the senior sous-chef at Michelin-starred Le Gavroche, and now is the proprietor of her own restaurant, Mere, which is named in honour of her late mother.
Galetti is this week's guest on the NZ Herald podcast Straight Up, hosted by Niva Retimanu - a cousin of Galetti - and Beatrice Faumuina.
Listen to the full interview below:
Monica Galetti, third from left, with Niva Retimanu, centre, and other family members earlier this year. Photo / Supplied.
They discuss Galetti's childhood and first experiences with food, her big move to London, becoming a household name through her TV work on MasterChef: The Professionals and Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby, and even rubbing shoulders with the Queen after being named as one of the judges of the Platinum Pudding competition this year.
Galetti says it "absolutely" was an honour to be a part of the celebrations, and it was a real "pinch me" moment that highlighted how far her career had come.
"Just for me to have that little bit to sort of step into and celebrate that with her is something I would never dream I'd be doing. It's just phenomenal."
Her mum was a royalist, making the kids watch all the big moments like Princess Diana's wedding, and Galetti said that she went to her first event purely because her mum wanted her to - and to get a photo out of it.
"I remember Mum was really sick and she was going through treatment, and it was the first time I was invited to meet one of the royals and I didn't know who it was going to be, and I was like,' Oh Mom, I'm not really sure I should go', and she's like, 'Are you joking? You just get yourself ready and you go'.
"If your mum says you're going, you're definitely going."
• Straight Up with Niva and Beatrice iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes come out on Saturday mornings.
