Vaughan Mabee’s departure from Amisfield on May 1, 2026, marks the end of a significant era for one of New Zealand’s top restaurants. Mabee has left after almost 15 years, during which he earned recognition as the 44th best chef in the world in 2023.
Mabee resigned in February 2026. Amisfield staff received notifications about his resignation via text and email. His decision to leave stems from a desire to spend time with family and pursue several overseas opportunities.
Sung Peng will continue to lead the kitchen at Amisfield. Aaron Jacobson will take charge of the restaurant starting next Wednesday. This transition comes as Amisfield has been named Cuisine’s restaurant of the year multiple times and has maintained three hats with a score of 19.5 out of 20 since 2019.
Mabee has been a chef for 31 years. Before joining Amisfield, he worked with renowned chefs such as Martin Berasategui in Spain and at Noma in Denmark. His contributions significantly shaped New Zealand’s fine dining landscape.
In 2024, Amisfield was recognized as ‘Best Chef Dining Experience’ at the Best Chef Awards in Dubai. The restaurant’s reputation has grown alongside Mabee’s accolades, including his role as a judge on MasterChef NZ and Taste of Art.
Simon Toneycliffe, a spokesperson for Amisfield, stated, “Amisfield does not comment on the private affairs of its current or former staff in order to protect their privacy.” Mabee emphasized, “The team is everything,” underscoring his commitment to his colleagues throughout his career.
