Vaughan Mabee’s departure from Amisfield comes as he seeks to spend more time with family and explore overseas opportunities. He has left the restaurant after almost 15 years of service.
Mabee was named the 44th best chef in the world in 2023. His resignation was communicated to Amisfield staff via text and email.
Key facts about Vaughan Mabee:
- Mabee has been a chef for 31 years and has worked globally.
- He has collaborated with renowned chefs such as Martin Berasategui in Spain and Rene Redzepi at Noma in Denmark.
- Amisfield has consistently been recognized as Cuisine’s restaurant of the year.
Sung Peng will continue to lead the kitchen at Amisfield, while Aaron Jacobson will assume charge of the restaurant starting next Wednesday. Mabee’s influence on New Zealand cuisine is notable, especially through his participation in competitions like MasterChef NZ.
The team at Amisfield expressed their gratitude for Mabee’s leadership. He stated, “The team is everything.” His impact on both staff and patrons will be felt moving forward.
Amisfield remains a top destination for fine dining, with a multi-course lunch tasting menu priced at $395 and dinner options at $595. The restaurant holds a prestigious ranking of third in Food & Wine magazine’s Global Tastemakers Awards, with a score of 19.5 out of 20 since 2019.
