It was the location he had previously been at after delivering dinner to his boss, then drinking an unspecified amount of beer as he watched Darby and an associate play darts.
Darby had employed Mabee for more than three years before the crash; an incident that would lead to a conviction and a driving ban and be the subject of a drawn-out legal process going all the way to the Court of Appeal.
Celebrity chef Vaughan Mabee left his job at Amisfield Restaurant in disgrace, marking a huge fall from stardom. Photo / New Zealand Herald composite
It also marked the end of a virtual honeymoon period Mabee had enjoyed with publicity. Headlines he had previously generated focused on his journey to becoming one of New Zealand’s most respected chefs, and about the inspiration behind and the wow factor of his dishes that set him apart from many of his peers.
But the ramifications of the headlines generated after the drink-driving case – both for Mabee and Amisfield – pale into significance compared to the ones that have followed the Herald first revealing on May 1 that the star chef had quit the Michelin Star-hopeful restaurant.
Mabee said he wanted to “spend more time with my young family while also pursuing several overseas opportunities”.
The confirmation of the departure came as the Herald and other media were working on stories detailing allegations of bullying and lewd behaviour towards women by Mabee.
Within three days, Mabee had apologised to ex-staff for “my inappropriate behaviour to them or any inconsiderate comments made”.
Vaughan Mabee’s ute was found crashed near Lake Hayes – but the driver was nowhere to be found. Photo / Alex Robertson
Darby also confirmed the chef had resigned after an “independent investigation” into “Vaughan’s conduct”, as well as detailing previous written warnings issued to the chef.
While Mabee’s journey to the top of New Zealand’s culinary industry was a long and well-travelled one; his fall from grace proved swift.
Mabee’s rise to the top included dishes duty and unpaid work
Mabee was born in London.
His father is a Kiwi. His mother is American.
The family lived in Northland for a time, where his father worked in the marine industry.
In a profile on the Rodd & Gunn website he said that “like many Northland families with a close affinity to the ocean, freshly caught seafood featured prominently” at the dinner table.
Mabee completed his intermediate years at Auckland’s Dilworth School, before going on to secondary school at Auckland Grammar.
His journey to the upper echelon of the food industry came the old-fashioned way; working from the ground up in kitchens instead of seeking formal qualifications in a chef school.
Dilworth School provided Vaughan Mabee withi his intermediate education. Photo / Dean Purcell
That included dishwashing duties in Auckland restaurants before he travelled to America as a young man to chase his dream of being a top chef.
After becoming a young executive chef at San Diego’s La Valencia Hotel, he took his dream to Europe.
Mabee worked unpaid at Restaurante Martin Berasategui; a three Michelin-starred restaurant in the Basque Country.
Italy and France followed, before he secured a job at the world-famous Noma in Copenhagen in 2010.
It was an opportunity to work under one of his heroes; Noma co-founder and, until March, its head chef, Rene Redzepi.
A younger Vaughan Mabee photographed in his early years at Amisfield.
Redzepi quit after numerous allegations of physical and verbal abuse towards staff, saying: “An apology is not enough; I take responsibility for my own actions.”
It was an accomplished and confident Mabee who returned to New Zealand in 2011 to take on the role as executive chef at Amisfield.
He paid tribute to the opportunity afforded to him by Darby in a profile published on Dilworth’s website last year: “John has given me the canvas to create splendid food and pair it with amazing wine.”
Darby had also stood by him during and after police came calling to his house as they investigated a crash near his house.
In trouble with the law: The drink-driving crash and Mabee’s appeal that had ‘no merit’
The site of a crashed Toyota Hilux ute, resting in a ditch and facing the wrong way greeted Senior Sergeant Paula Enoka as she drove home along Arrowtown-Lake Hayes Rd shortly before 1am on November 14.
Across the road lay two firearms, ammunition and the wallet that included Mabee’s ID.
No one was in the ute. But officers who were then called to the scene did find blood in the vehicle.
Mabee was located by police about 90 minutes later at Darby’s house.
Mabee’s wrecked ute was found in a ditch by an off-duty police officer. Photo / File
Constable Daniel Andrew would later tell the Queenstown District Court – where Mabee appeared in January 2017 on charges of drink-driving and careless driving – that the chef came across as being “very intoxicated”.
“He was slurring his words, he was unsteady on his feet, his eyes were bloodshot – typical of a person who had been drinking,” Andrew was quoted in a court report in the Otago Daily Times.
It was a comment in contrast to evidence given by Darby, who said his star chef was “very, very calm”.
Mabee had earlier delivered dinner to Darby around 7.30pm, before taking up an invite to stick around as his boss and an associate played some darts.
Darby also told the court the chef had some beer before departing before 11pm. Mabee was later to tell police he drank “maybe two” beers and had crashed after trying to avoid something on the road.
Andrew said Mabee – who had suffered a head cut – had spoken of being “delusional” so was taken to Lakes District Hospital for a check-up.
While there, an evidential blood sample recorded taken there gave a result of 137mg, above the legal limit of 50mg per 100ml of blood.
John Darby (pictured with Vaughan Mabee in Turin last year at The World’s 50 Best Awards ceremony) said the chef didn’t appear to be intoxicated when he left his house. Photo / Instagram
Mabee was eventually convicted of drink-driving, being disqualified from driving for six months and fined $650.
But it was a prosecution he fought; first in the Invercargill High Court in August 2017 with the Otago Daily Times reporting his challenge saw him argue “the blood analysis was inadmissible because he had twice been arbitrarily detained in breach of his rights”.
Judge Rachel Dunningham did not accept the appeal, saying drink-drivers such as Mabee shouldn’t escape via “technical and unmeritorious defences”.
The chef then took the case to the Court of Appeal, arguing correct procedures for blood samples weren’t followed.
The Court of Appeal dismissed Vaughan Mabee’s attempt to overturn his conviction.
Justice Helen Winkelmann wrote in her written judgment – obtained by the Herald – that Mabee also claimed the fact a police officer had been present “amounted to an unlawful and arbitrary detention, and an abuse of police powers”.
Winkelmann’s December 7, 2017, ruling threw out the appeal, stating: “Mr Mabee has had the opportunity to pursue these technical and unmeritorious arguments on two previous occasions. There is no reason why he should be afforded that opportunity a third time”.
Finding love in the workplace
Despite the case, Mabee’s star continued to glow.
And he didn’t just find international acclaim for his food creations at Amisfield.
He also found love.
Among the staff at Amisfield the year after his protracted legal battle was young waitress, Julia Yamamoto-Evans.
Yamamoto-Evans was born in Tokyo and moved to New Zealand in her teens.
She attended high school in Havelock North High School, before travelling to Queenstown where she got work as a waitress at Amisfield.
MasterChef NZ judge Vaughan Mabee and Julia Yamamoto-Evans on their wedding day in Central Otago.
Yamamoto-Evans’ initial stay at the world-renowned fine-dining restaurant and vineyard was not a long one, with the part-time model going on to travel to Japan and America.
But when she returned to Queenstown in 2020 – and again worked at Amisfield – romantic sparks flew.
Mabee proposed to his partner next to a lagoon while they holidayed in the Cook Islands in August 2021.
In January 2023, the pair got married on private land at Glendhu Bay; a small settlement near Lake Wānaka.
At the time of the wedding, he was aged 42; his beautiful young wife was 17 years his junior.
Mabee wore a stylish tuxedo with a bow tie. Yamamoto-Evans – who by then was working front-of-house at Amisfield – wore a glamorous gown designed for her by Juliette Hogan.
Precious photos taken with striking Central Otago scenery in the background include one of the happy couple with Mabee’s then 6-year-old son from a previous relationship.
The A-list wedding list included foodies and Mabee’s fellow MasterChef New Zealand judges Nadia Lim and Michael Dearth.
They dined on a seven-course meal created by the Amisfield team.
Vaughan Mabee [right] with fellow MasterChef New Zealand judges and wedding guests Michael Dearth and Nadia Lim.
“We had an outdoor kitchen, bar and dance floor and a stage where P Digsss from Shapeshifter played into the wee hours of the morning,” Mabee later told the Herald.
“Our wedding was spectacular.”
More than three years on from the wedding, the couple has a daughter, who is nearing her first birthday.
Written warnings and accolades: The countdown to Mabee’s departure
Wedding planning wasn’t the only thing on Mabee’s mind in 2022.
So too were complaints from those who worked under him about his conduct.
Vaughan Mabee’s creations were a big calling card for Amisfield Restaurant.
After a series of stories relating to alleged serious conduct were published in the days after the news of Mabee’s resignation, Darby confirmed his star chef had twice received written warnings.
They followed complaints made to Amisfield management in 2016 and 2022.
“At those times, the issues were investigated and resulted in formal written warnings,” Darby said.
“We clearly outlined that any further breach would result in dismissal.”
Celebrity chef Vaughan Mabee has departed the kitchen at world-famous Wanaka restaurant Amisfield, where his signature dishes have resulted in global acclaim and awards.
At the time, Mabee was also a judge on popular reality TV cooking show, MasterChef New Zealand.
The fact that Mabee kept his job amid allegations of bullying and sexual comments towards female Amisfield staff infuriated those impacted; some of whom have come forward to media to tell their stories.
Some claim they were let down by management who should have dismissed him, regardless of his reputation as a cutting-edge chef.
One former senior employee – who eventually quit as she couldn’t stand working with Mabee any longer – claimed management “protected” him instead of the staff he had “harmed”.
“That’s not leadership,” she said. “That’s cowardice.”
There’s no doubt that Mabee and his reputation as a chef were big business for Amisfield.
Those who headed to Amisfield to taste its food and vineyard included royalty, with Prince William and Catherine, the Princess of Wales, visiting in 2014.
The Duchess of Cambridge visits Amisfield Winery in Queenstown during a royal tour of New Zealand in 2014. Picture / Fiona Goodall
The chef has guided the fine-dining destination to a string of prestigious global and local dining awards.
Mabee’s gastronomic creations last year took Amisfield to a third-place finish in Food & Wine’s Global Tastemasters Awards.
In 2024, Mabee and Amisfield won the best dining experience gong at The Best Chef’s gala awards ceremony in Dubai.
Closer to home, Cuisine, a Kiwi bi-monthly food and wine magazine, awarded it best restaurant of the year in 2021, 2022 and 2025.
As the awards piled up, incredibly flattering international headlines and food reviews followed.
A 2023 feature in Forbes was titled “This wildly creative chef is putting New Zealand on the world’s culinary map”.
Alexandra koura brushed with koura garum at Amisfield.
Honest Cooking & Travel headlined its 2023 feature on the restaurant, “A majestic food experience at the bottom of the world”.
The story stated: “Every dish feels as local and as intense as bungee jumping. Every single one has a story that connects it to Vaughan’s love for his own roots and ways.”
Remix opined how “Amisfield sets the standard for fine dining in New Zealand”.
‘Blow your mind’: The final glowing review and the bitter final farewell
As recently as two weeks ago, a hugely popular American food reviewer – who travels the globe tasting meals at the world’s 50 best restaurants – wrote how Amisfield and Mabee’s creations would “blow your mind”.
“Just half-an-hour’s drive from Queenstown, nestled picturesquely within a 200-acre winery, is one of the world’s most extraordinary dining destinations,” Michael Ligier wrote.
In an accompanying video, he said it was the best restaurant he had dined at in 2025, and added its food highlighted the “gruff and rugged personality” of Amisfield’s head chef.
Vaughan Mabee was getting rave reviews right up to his shock resignation.
A week after the post by Ligier – who has more than 3.4 million social media followers and more than 850,000 subscribers to his YouTube account – Amisfield announced that Mabee had left the kitchen.
Mabee initially said he had resigned in February to “spend more time with my young family while also pursuing several overseas opportunities”.
Oddly – despite comments from him and Darby about the timing of the resignation – Mabee’s biography listing him as executive chef and photos still featured on Amisfield’s website in the days leading up to the announcement.
Vaughan Mabee’s profile saw him become a judge on MasterChef New Zealand.
The Herald has been told a marketing staff member spent much of the day prior to the resignation announcement removing them.
In the days that followed, something else started to disappear: the golden reputation in some people’s eyes about the man who had helped Amisfield become world-famous.
Cuisine stripped Amisfield of its place in its prestigious food guide.
A Taste of Art New Zealand – co-hosted by Vaughan Mabee and Melissa Leong – has been pulled by an Australian broadcaster.
Australian broadcaster SBS has also dropped Taste of Art New Zealand – a show co-hosted by Mabee and MasterChef Australia judge Melissa Leong – on the eve of its debut across the Tasman.
TVNZ confirmed on Monday it was considering removing the cooking show from its online TVNZ+ catalogue in light of the conduct allegations.
As former staff members spoke to the Herald and other media about their claims of bullying and a range of lewd conduct towards female staff – including some who quit in disgust – Mabee and Amisfield were forced into a public relations overdrive.
Mabee issued an apology for his conduct, saying he wants to “strive to become that better person I know I once was and can be again”.
And Darby went public confirming complaints were made to management about Mabee’s conduct as far back as 2016 and 2022.
He said Mabee received “formal written warnings”.
It was “clearly outlined” to the star chef that any further breach would result in dismissal, Darby said.
More complaints were lodged last year.
“Following a further complaint late last year, Vaughan was removed from the workplace and we accepted his resignation,” Darby said.
The restaurant’s owner has gone on to say while he “supported” Mabee on the world stage, “I misjudged his ability to lead our kitchen responsibly”.
“No amount of talent is an excuse for poor behaviour.”
The doors to Amisfield will be closed from May 16 until July 7 for planned maintenance.
A former senior Amisfield staffer told the Herald while the food might have been stunning, the culture of working under Vaughan Mabee wasn’t.
It is also a period of time that chief executive Simon Toneycliffe said would be used to “reset, align and prepare for the next chapter of Amisfield”.
“We are implementing a strengthened leadership structure across both the kitchen and front-of-house to ensure clearer accountability, better communication, and consistent standards of behaviour,” he said.
For a former staffer – who quit in disgust at how she and others were treated – it is a long-overdue reset.
The woman – talking on the condition of anonymity – said the culture of working under Mabee was “gross”.
While Amisfield was located in “one of the most beautiful places in the world” and created meals with “amazing ingredients”, she said what was dished up to those who worked under the star chef would forever leave a sour taste in many mouths.
Neil Reid is a Napier-based senior reporter who covers general news, features and sport. He joined the Herald in 2014 and has 34 years of newsroom experience.
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