Brett McGregor's remarkable culinary journey has taken him from Masterchef NZ to becoming an acclaimed author of 3 award winning cookbooks. His passion for food is fueled by his love for travel and people, continuously refining his craft in some of the world's best kitchens. As the Compass NZ Brand Ambassador and Executive Chef of the Strata Lounge, Brett showcases his internationally acclaimed culinary skills, serving over 1000 people daily. Beyond work, he remains…

British-born chef Paul Froggatt has been working in New Zealand for over 11 years. 10 of these he has been the Executive Chef of Huka Lodge known as the “Grand Dame of New Zealand” and he was also crowned the title of “Luxury Lodge Chef of the Year” 2023/24 by New Zealand Cuisine awards, Paul’s initially trained in the UK and in France where his career highlights included working at…

Chetan developed his love for cooking from a young age, inspired by his mother’s incredible kitchen skills. He went on to become a chef and develop his skills at some of India’s most renowned luxury hotels, such as Oberoi, Taj, Radisson, and The Leela Palace. Chetan moved to New Zealand in 2002 and has called it home ever since…

Born in the state of Perak in Malaysia, Roy studied in London before arriving in New Zealand in 2006 to chase his culinary dreams in Wellington. His culinary style focuses on using a mash-up of innovative techniques and wood-fired cooking to highlight the pure flavours of each ingredient. The results are a distinctively New Zealand spin on authentic flavours and techniques, gleaned from across the globe…

Cameron trained to be a chef at CPIT but has actually been cooking since the age of 10. Inspired by his Nana’s passion for food, cooking soon became his life-long love and career. While studying he was fortunate to get a job at the Crown Plaza and have mentors like Tony Smith, Richard Hingston, Neil MacInnes, and David Spice. He loved CPIT and was proud to represent them at the…

Andy Hearnden, better known as Andy Cooks, is a digital chef who creates online cooking videos for his 14 million subscribers across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Awarded YouTube Australia’s Top Creator in 2023, Andy creates educational, entertaining food videos to help inspire people to cook better food at home. Known for his signature “Hey Babe” and “Order’s Up”…

Dean has been head chef at Schnappa Rock for six years. Aged twenty-seven and with ten years of culinary experience, he is deeply passionate about all aspects of hospitality, from food and ambiance to service. At Schnappa Rock, he has proudly created a menu that emphasises fresh, local and sustainable ingredients, with New Zealand beef and lamb playing a central role…

From the formidably talented Ryan clan, Tina Duncan’s new book Plated is the culmination of sixty years of cooking, catering and cook school teaching. That’s a LOT! Described as one of Aotearoa NZ’s culinary gems, Tina’s produced a lovely tome full of tips, tricks, recipes and endless inspo. After a life in the kitchen she’s got plenty to say, and she shares a few special gems with us…