Simon Gault
Award-Winning Chef | Food as Medicine Advocate. Simon Gault is one of New Zealand’s most recognisable culinary figures. A five-season judge on MasterChef New Zealand, an inductee into the New Zealand Restaurant Association Hall of Fame, and the chef behind some of Auckland’s most celebrated restaurants, he has spent decades shaping the way New Zealand eats.
Simon has also explored the science of modern nutrition through television documentaries including Why Are We Fat?and How We Eat, investigating the global rise in obesity and the impact of modern eating habits on our health. Twelve years ago, the subject became deeply personal when Simon was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.
His doctor warned him he was dangerously close to insulin and dialysis and asked whether he wanted to live long enough to walk his daughter down the aisle. That moment changed everything. Simon went back to the drawing board, challenged what he thought he knew about food, and rebuilt his health from the ground up. He lost 30kg and brought his diabetes under control, going on to develop a science-based health programme focused on nutrition, gut health, sleep, and timed eating.
Today Simon brings a rare combination of chef, storyteller, and lived experience to the stage. His talks are practical, engaging, and deeply motivating, showing audiences how small changes to the food we eat and the way we live can dramatically improve long-term health.
