Celebrity chef Monica Galetti has risen in prominence in recent years, predominantly due to her role as a judge on ‘MasterChef: The Professionals’. Although she is now relatively well known, especially amongst fans of the cooking competition, there are many Monica Galetti facts that people do not know.
Therefore, The Fruity Tart decided to compile a list of interesting facts about Monica Galetti so that fans could learn more about this celebrity chef. These include Monica Galetti’s net worth, her career, her hobbies, and information about her personal life, such as ‘who is Monica Galetti’s husband?’ Here are 20 interesting Monica Galetti facts that you probably did not know.
Monica Galetti Facts: Her Early Life and Family
- Monica Galetti is from Samoa
According to Wikipedia, Monica Galetti was born in Samoa on 26 August 1975. Her mother moved to Auckland, New Zealand, for work when she was young. Initially, Monica’s two aunts raised her, so her family life was a little out of the ordinary. Galetti then moved to New Zealand at the age of eight to live with her parents and five siblings.
2. Who Is Monica Galetti’s Husband?
Monica is married to French-born David Galetti, and they wed in 2004. Monica Galetti’s husband is the Head Sommelier at Le Gavroche, which is a fine dining restaurant in Mayfair, London. He trained as a sommelier at a three-Michelin star level, and he is also the co-proprietor of Mere Restaurant in the Fitzrovia district of London with his wife. Monica has said that she enjoys working alongside her husband, and opening a restaurant together was the most rewarding moment in her career.
3. Does Monica Galetti Have Children?
Monica Galetti has one daughter, Anais Galetti. According to The Sun, David and Monica Galetti’s daughter was born in 2007, and Monica went back to work when her daughter was nine months old.
4. Monica Galetti Lives in Surrey
When their daughter was born, the Galetti family was living in London. However, they wanted their daughter to have a large garden to play in and to have her birthday parties. Therefore, they made the decision to buy a home in Surrey. It is there that they raised their daughter, Anais Galetti.
5. Sunday is Family Day
Monica Galetti and her husband take Sundays off work so that they can spend time as a family. They chill out at their Surrey home with their daughter and take their dogs for a walk. Monica and her husband try not to talk about work, and their daughter lets them know if they slip up.
Facts About Monica Galetti’s Early Career
6. She Has a Diploma in Hospitality
Monica Galetti studied for a diploma in hospitality in the early 1990s. She obtained this qualification for the Central Institute of Technology in Upper Hut, a city in the Wellington Region of the North Island of New Zealand.
7. Her First Job was in New Zealand
After leaving college, Galetti’s first job was at Timothy’s restaurant in Lower Hut, New Zealand. Her boss at the restaurant then encouraged her to compete in competitions around the world, including Australia, Europe, and America.
8. She Moved to London to Work for Michel Roux Jr.
Galetti wanted to move to London from New Zealand, so she began sending out her CV. Her first job offer eventually came from Michel Roux Jr at the two-Michelin-starred restaurant Le Gavroche. Although she was working as a chef de partie in Wellington, she accepted the lower position of the first commis. Galetti did this as she wanted to gain experience from Michel Roux Jr. She rose rapidly through the ranks in the kitchen, until she became the senior sous-chef. She held this position until 2015.
9. Galetti Launched a Restaurant in Mauritius
Michel Roux Jr clearly had great faith in Galetti’s abilities, as he then asked her to launch his Le Gavroche Les Tropiques restaurant in Mauritius. Galetti also held the position of head chef at the restaurant.
Her Career in Recent Years
10. She Opened Her Own Restaurant in 2017
Although she is a highly experienced chef, Monica Galetti did not open her own restaurant until 2017. The restaurant is called Mere Restaurant, and it is in the Fitzrovia residential district of London. She opened the restaurant in collaboration with her sommelier husband.
11. Galetti is a Judge on ‘MasterChef: The Professionals’
Most people know Monica Galetti for her work as a judge on the BBC’s ‘MasterChef: The Professionals’. Her fellow judges on the show are celebrity chef Marcus Wareing and Gregg Wallace. However, Galetti announced in 2021 that she was leaving the series. Irish chef Anna Haugh replaced Galetti in 2022. She has appeared on the television cooking competition since 2009. However, Galetti has returned to the series in 2023. The celebrity chef has also made guest appearances on other television series.
12. She Has Written Three Cookbooks
One of the Monica Galetti facts that you may want to know is that she has written three cookbooks. Her first cookbook, which was published in 2012, is called ‘Monica’s Kitchen’. She then published The Skills: How to become an expert chef in your own kitchen: 120 recipes, tips and techniques in 2016. Most recently, she published the 2021 cookbook At Home: My favourite recipes for family & friends.
Other Monica Galetti Facts
13. Monica Galetti’s Net Worth is £3 Million
According to Wealthy Genius, Monica Galetti’s net worth is estimated at £3 million (approximately $3.8 million). She has accrued her wealth through her work as a chef and restaurateur and also through her television appearances.
14. She Promotes Her Home Country
Monica Galetti is proud of her Samoan roots. Therefore, she is now a UK Tourism Ambassador for Samoa.
15. She Has been Described as the Female Gordon Ramsay
In an interview with Good Housekeeping, Galetti said that she came under fire when she first started appearing on television. However, her honest critique led to people describing her as the female Gordon Ramsay. Galetti was also nicknamed the Simon Cowell of the food industry. In recent years, Galetti has shown more of her fun side and her sense of humour in television appearances.
Read More’ Facts About’ Articles
If you enjoyed reading our article about Monica Galetti facts, then you may also enjoy some of our other articles that list facts about various celebrity chefs and food television presenters. So, click on the name to read any of the following articles:
- Gordon Ramsay
- Gino D’Acampo
- Ree Drummond
- Fred Sirieix
- Curtis Stone
- John Torode
- Prue Leith
- Mary Berry
- Nigella Lawson
- James Martin
- Jamie Oliver
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