Gary Mehigan is a chef, restaurateur, and television personality. He is probably best known as one of the judges on MasterChef Australia, along with Matt Preston and George Colambaris. While those who have seen him appear on MasterChef Australia are aware of who he is, there are plenty of Gary Mehigan facts that people do not know.
Therefore, The Fruity Tart has collated some facts about Gary Mehigan for our readers to read, including facts about his family life, his career, and Gary Mehigan’s net worth. Here are 15 Gary Mehigan facts that you might not know.
Gary Mehigan Facts: His Early Life, Family, and Personal Life
- He Is Originally from the UK
Although he has lived in Australia for most of his adult life, Gary Mehigan was born in Hayling Island, Hampshire, England, on 12 February 1967, says Wikipedia.
2. Mehigan Moved to Australia in 1991
Mehigan decided to move to Melbourne, Australia, in 1991 for career reasons. He had already gained experience as a chef in London, and new opportunities had arisen in Melbourne.
3. Who Is Gary Mehigan’s Wife?
Gary Mehigan is married to Mandy Mehigan, and the couple has been married since 1992, a year after Mehigan arrived in Melbourne. Although his wife has accompanied him to some events and award ceremonies, he prefers to keep his relationship private.
4. Does Gary Mehigan Have Children?
Yes, Gary Mehigan does have a child. He and his wife Mandy have one daughter together called Jenna Mehigan, who was born in 2001. However, Meigan prefers to keep his daughter out of the limelight, although he says his daughter is a whizz in the kitchen.
Facts About Gary Mehigan: His Culinary Career
5. He Began His Career as a Chef in London
Gary Mehigan began his career in London. He first trained at The Connaught, which is a five-star luxury hotel in London. Mehigan then continued his training at Le Souffle, also in London.
6. Mehigan Has Headed Some Major Restaurants in Melbourne
After moving to Melbourne in 1991, Gary Mehigan continued his culinary career working in high-end restaurants. Before owning his own restaurant, Mehigan headed some of Melbourne’s most prominent restaurants. These included Hotel Sofitel, Burnham Beeches Country House, and Browns.
7. He Opened His Own Restaurant in 2000
Mehigan opened his own restaurant, Fenix, for the first time in 2000. However, he sold this restaurant in 2013 to The Leonda By The The Yarra Group. While Mehigan owned Fenix, the restaurant won multiple awards.
8. Mehigan Now Owns The Boathouse
Mehigan’s current restaurant is The Boathouse, which he co-owns. The restaurant is in the Moonee Ponds suburb of Melbourne.
Gary Mehigan’s Television Career
9. Gary Mehigan Is Best Known as a Judge on MasterChef Australia
Mehigan is probably best known as one of the original hosts and judges on MasterChef Australia. He co-hosted the televised cooking competition from when the show was launched in 2009, alongside food critic Matt Preston and George Colambaris, a chef and restaurateur. Mehigan was a host and judge on the show until 2019. The trio has since been replaced by Jock Zonfrillo, Melissa Leong, and Andy Allen.
10. He Has Hosted Some MasterChef Australia Spin-Offs
In addition to hosting the main MasterChef Australia series, he has also hosted some of the spin-off series. He hosted a season of Celebrity MasterChef Australia, two seasons of Junior MasterChef Australia, and the only season of MasterChef Australia All-Stars.
11. He Co-Hosted Good Chef Bad Chef
Another series hosted by Gary Mehigan is ‘Good Chef Bad Chef’. He presented the show in 2006 and 2007, and the series was then cancelled. It has since resumed with new presenters.
12. He Has Hosted or Appeared on Several Other Television Series
In 2015, Gary Mehigan launched his own series that combined food with travel called ‘Far Flung with Gary Mehigan’. Throughout the series, Mehigan travelled around Asia to learn new recipes and cooking techniques. Some of the countries he visited were China, Laos, South Korea, Vietnam, and India.
13. Mehigan and Matt Preston Co-Hosted Plate of Origin
After they were replaced on MasterChef Australia, Gary Mehigan and Matt Preston joined forces with Manu Feildel to present a new show called ‘Plate of Origin’. The series had the tagline ‘The World Cup of Cooking’ because the contestants were put in teams to compete by creating dishes from an assigned cuisine.
Other Gary Mehigan Facts
14. Gary Mehigan’s Net Worth is £3.75 Million
According to Article Seller, Gary Mehigan’s net worth is around $5 million, which is approximately £3.75 million. He has made his money through his work as a chef, restaurateur, and television personality.
15. He Loves Street Food
In MasterChef Australia, viewers often saw Gary Mehigan encouraging contestants to create a fine dining experience. They have also seen Mehigan taking the contestants to fine dining restaurants for service challenges. However, Gary Mehigan’s favourite type of food is street food, says Good Food. He loves travelling to new places and sampling the local cuisine by visiting food stalls to try street food.
Read More…
If you have enjoyed reading our Gary Mehigan facts, then you might also enjoy reading our other articles with facts about celebrity chefs, food critics, and television personalities with links to the food industry. Some of these include:
- Gino D’Acampo
- Gordon Ramsay
- Rachel Khoo
- Guy Fieri
- James Martin
- Shannon Bennett
- Marcus Wareing
- Gregg Wallace
- John Torode
- Monica Galetti
- Hairy Bikers
- Nigella Lawson
- Marco Pierre White
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