Simon Gault: Cooking, Connection and Clear Skies

There are chefs, and then there are people who seem to carry an entire life philosophy into the kitchen. Simon Gault has always been one of those people.

In a recent Times Q&A with PJ Taylor, Simon opens up about the experiences that shaped him long before the television cameras, restaurants, cookbooks and public profile. It is a lovely reminder that behind the high-profile chef is a deeply curious, hard-working, family-focused Kiwi with a lifelong appetite for learning.

Born and raised in Auckland, Simon talks about growing up in Papakura, where his father worked at Ardmore Airfield and the area still had a more rural feel. His early years gave him a love of the outdoors, while home life gave him something just as important: a front-row seat to good cooking. His mother, he says, was an exceptional cook who experimented with flavour and recipes, while his father was the king of the barbecue. Not a bad foundation, really.

Simon’s path into hospitality was clear from an early age. While there may have been pressure to head to university, he knew he wanted to become a chef. After school, including time at King’s College, he followed that instinct into the kitchen, building the kind of career that only comes from talent, stamina, curiosity and a serious amount of graft.

One of the most charming parts of the Times interview is Simon’s reflection on his east Auckland connection. After returning from Europe and Los Angeles, where he had been cooking and learning, he took on an old 1851 house at the Howick Historical Village and reopened it as Bell House. That move became the starting point of his restaurant career, and a significant chapter in the story of one of New Zealand’s best-known culinary names.

Of course, many Kiwis know Simon through television, food products, restaurants and his unmistakable enthusiasm for helping people feel more confident in the kitchen. His wider work now includes Gault’s Deli, cooking classes, private events, products, recipes and plenty of straight-talking food advice for home cooks who want flavour without unnecessary fuss.

What stands out in the interview is Simon’s belief that good cooking is not simply about talent. It is about curiosity, care and paying attention. It is also about people. For Simon, food has always been a way to bring others together, whether that is around a restaurant table, a family meal, a live cooking segment or a class full of people wanting to sharpen their skills.

There is also another side to Simon that makes the story even richer: aviation. His passion for flying began with his father and grew through the Auckland Gliding Club, where he first learned the fundamentals of flight. Today, that love of aviation continues, and Simon now shares it with his daughter Hazel, who is learning to fly too. It is a full-circle moment, and a pretty special one.

At Collaborate Management, we are proud to represent talent with real depth: people who bring expertise, personality, generosity and lived experience to everything they do. Simon is exactly that. He is a chef, speaker, presenter, entrepreneur, storyteller, aviation enthusiast and proudly hands-on dad. He brings energy to a room, clarity to a message and a genuine desire to connect with people.

His story is also a great reminder of why the best talent is never one-dimensional. Simon’s career has been built across food, business, media, health, hospitality and personal reinvention, with a good dose of humour and resilience along the way. Whether he is speaking at an event, leading a cooking experience, sharing practical food knowledge or talking about the lessons learned from life in and out of the kitchen, Simon brings something real to the table.

And that, really, is the magic. Simon Gault does not just talk about food. He talks about people, confidence, discipline, family, curiosity and connection. The kitchen might be where the story began, but it is certainly not where it ends.