Monica Galetti: MasterChef Judge’s Life and Restaurant Closure

When a celebrity chef you’ve watched for over a decade suddenly closes her award-winning restaurant and steps back from the show that made her famous, it’s natural to wonder what’s really going on. Monica Galetti, the Samoan-born judge on MasterChef: The Professionals, has been through a remarkable run – from training at London’s legendary Le Gavroche to opening her own Michelin-starred spot, Mere, only to close it in 2024. Here’s the full story, with the facts you need to separate the headlines from what actually happened.

Date of Birth: 26 August 1975 · Birthplace: Samoa · Occupation: Chef and TV Judge · Notable Restaurant: Mere (London, closed 2024) · Spouse: David Galetti

Nine key facts, one snapshot: Galetti’s life spans three countries and two very different careers – first as a Michelin-trained chef, then as a TV judge with her own restaurant.

What Happened to Monica Galetti? Recent Career and Life Changes

Where does Monica Galetti live now?

Monica Galetti lives in Surrey, England with her husband David and their daughter. The family moved there after years in London, and she has described Surrey as a quieter base that lets her balance TV work with family life. In an interview, she noted that the commute to central London for her restaurant Mere was manageable – but after the restaurant’s closure, the Surrey home has become even more central. (Sloan Magazine)

Which restaurant does Monica Galetti own?

Galetti owned Mere, a French-South Pacific fusion restaurant in Fitzrovia, London, that she opened with her husband David in 2018. The restaurant was named after her late mother. It held a Michelin star and was known for dishes like coconut-crusted lamb and miso-glazed aubergine. The last service was on 16 April 2024. (Time Out London (city guide))

Who Is Monica Galetti’s Husband and Daughter?

Who is Monica Galetti’s husband?

Monica Galetti married David Galetti in 2004. David is a French-born sommelier who also worked at Le Gavroche – that’s where the couple met. He later moved into finance but remains deeply involved in the couple’s restaurant ventures. (HELLO! Magazine (celebrity magazine))

Who is Monica Galetti’s daughter?

The couple have one daughter, Anais, born in 2006. Anais has occasionally appeared on Galetti’s social media and at restaurant events, but the family keeps her out of the spotlight. Galetti has said that being a mother and a chef is a constant juggle, and she credits David with managing the home front when she is filming. (Mirror (UK newspaper))

The pattern: Galetti’s domestic partnership enabled a professional pivot that few in hospitality can manage alone.

How Rich Is Monica Galetti? Estimated Net Worth

Various sources estimate Galetti’s net worth between £1 million and £5 million. The wide range reflects the lack of public financial disclosures. Her income streams include:

• Television salary from 14 years on MasterChef: The Professionals – reportedly a high five-figure annual contract (The Independent)
• Her cookbook Mere: Recipes from a Michelin-starred Restaurant (2019)
• Brand endorsements and pop-up events after the restaurant closure

No confirmed net worth figure exists – all estimates are speculative. For context, a 2024 industry report placed typical MasterChef judges’ pay at £150,000–£300,000 per series, though Galetti’s exact deal is private. (Metro (UK tabloid))

The pattern: celebrity-chef wealth is notoriously opaque. Without audited accounts, the only hard data is that Galetti owned a Michelin-starred restaurant for seven years and has been a regular on primetime BBC – both signs of significant, but unquantifiable, earnings.

Why Did Monica Galetti’s Restaurant Mere Close?

Galetti announced the closure of Mere on 10 April 2024 via Instagram. The statement said: “After seven wonderful years, the time is right to move on.” The decision was driven by a combination of post-pandemic challenges, rising costs in London’s hospitality sector, and the end of the restaurant’s lease, which was not renewed. (Evening Standard)

The closure was widely covered in UK media as part of a pattern of high-profile chef restaurants shutting down in the capital. Metro noted that Galetti’s departure from the restaurant scene mirrored other celebrity chefs who faced “the curse” of running a TV career and a restaurant simultaneously. (Metro)

The implication: closing a restaurant at its peak preserves the brand’s reputation, but it also signals that a TV salary alone cannot sustain a fine-dining operation in today’s London.

Where Was Monica Galetti Born and How Did She Start Her Career?

Where was Monica Galetti born?

Monica Galetti was born in Samoa on 26 August 1975. When she was a child, her family moved to New Zealand, where she grew up and began her culinary training. She has described her Samoan heritage as central to her cooking style, which blends French technique with South Pacific flavours. (Wikipedia (general reference))

What is Monica Galetti’s culinary background?

Galetti trained at Wellington Polytechnic and then moved to London in 1999 to join Michel Roux Jr.’s Le Gavroche. She rose to senior sous chef – a rare position for a woman in that kitchen at the time. After a decade at Le Gavroche, she became a judge on MasterChef: The Professionals in 2009, replacing a rotating panel. She remained on the show for 14 years before stepping back briefly in 2022, then returning. (Food and Travel)

Her path from a small island in the Pacific to one of Britain’s most watched cooking shows is extraordinary – but it’s built on the same foundation as many top chefs: classical French training, years of unpaid apprenticeship, and a willingness to relocate across the world.

Monica Galetti’s Career Timeline

• 1975 – Born in Samoa
• Early 1990s – Moves to New Zealand, completes chef training at Wellington Polytechnic
• 1999 – Moves to London; becomes senior sous chef at Le Gavroche (Food and Travel)
• 2004 – Marries David Galetti (Express)
• 2009 – Joins MasterChef: The Professionals as a judge (MyLondon)
• 2018 – Opens restaurant Mere in London (The Caterer)
• 2024 – Mere closes, last service 16 April 2024 (The Caterer)
• 2024 – Continues TV appearances and brand partnerships

What We Know and What’s Unclear

Quotes and Statements

“After seven wonderful years, the time is right to move on.”

– Monica Galetti, announcing the closure of Mere via Instagram, April 2024 (The Independent)

Galetti described her marriage as a working partnership in an interview with Sloan Magazine, noting that her husband left restaurant work to manage the household while she films MasterChef. (Sloan Magazine)

For celebrity chefs in London, the choice is becoming clear: either commit to a hands-on restaurant role, or accept that a TV career and a Michelin-starred kitchen cannot run on goodwill and occasional appearances. Monica Galetti chose the former – and her decision to close Mere while staying on MasterChef reflects a pragmatic calculation that more chefs will likely face. Andi Oliver and Alesha Dixon have navigated similar pivots in their own careers – the pattern across British TV personalities is clear.

Frequently Asked Questions