{"id":405838,"date":"2026-05-01T00:19:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T00:19:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/405838\/"},"modified":"2026-05-01T00:19:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T00:19:08","slug":"michelin-star-hopeful-chef-vaughan-mabee-suddenly-departs-world-famous-amisfield-restaurant-in-queenstown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/405838\/","title":{"rendered":"Michelin Star hopeful chef Vaughan Mabee suddenly departs world-famous Amisfield restaurant in Queenstown"},"content":{"rendered":"

At the time of the international recognition Mabee \u2013 who has also starred as a judge on reality TV cooking show MasterChef New Zealand, as well as co-hosting Taste of Art \u2013 said the reaction had been \u201cnothing short of awesome\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Two years earlier, he was named among the world\u2019s top 100 chefs by The Best Chef Guide.<\/p>\n

An email was sent out to staff members yesterday, which stated: \u201cAfter almost 15 years with Amisfield, Vaughan Mabee has resigned and is moving on from the business\u201d.<\/p>\n

Mabee did not respond to a request for comment this morning.<\/p>\n

In an email, Amisfield chief executive Simon Toneycliffe confirmed the departure.<\/p>\n

\u201cAmisfield can confirm that Vaughan Mabee is no longer employed by the business, having resigned in February 2026,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

\"VaughanVaughan Mabee, the former executive chef at Amisfield Restaurant in Queenstown, won global acclaim for his creations.<\/p>\n

\u201cAmisfield does not comment on the private affairs of its current or former staff in order to protect their privacy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mabee\u2019s biography was still on Amisfield\u2019s website this month but disappeared \u2013 along with photos of Mabee – on Thursday.<\/p>\n

The earlier email from management to Amisfield staff said Sun Peng \u2013 known as \u201cChef Peng\u201d – \u201cwill continue to lead the kitchen\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis leadership ensures continuity in our food philosophy while maintaining the standards, discipline, and creativity that underpin our position as an industry leader.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have full confidence in Chef Peng and the entire kitchen team to maintain our standards of excellence.\u201d<\/p>\n

\" Vaughan Mabee (left) and Melissa Leong co-hosted Taste of Art, a television cooking competition that challenges teams of professional chefs to create edible masterpieces.<\/p>\n

The email also confirmed a new restaurant manager was being appointed.<\/p>\n

Aaron Jacobson would take charge from May 6, having previously worked for Michelin-rated restaurants in America and Asia.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe will play an important role in supporting the team, refining operational structures, and strengthening the systems that work.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Duchess of Cambridge visits Amisfield Winery in Queenstown during a royal tour of New Zealand in 2014. Picture \/ Fiona Goodall<\/p>\n

\u201cAaron and Chef Peng will work closely to align our kitchen and front-of-house operations as we continue to evolve the Amisfield experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

The dinner tasting menu at Amisfield is $595 per person.<\/p>\n

Given the global acclaim that Mabee and Amisfield have received, the venue is considered one of the leading contenders for New Zealand\u2019s first Michelin stars<\/a>, due to be announced next month.<\/p>\n

\"AmisfieldAmisfield has become a fine dining sensation. Photo \/ Sam Stewart<\/p>\n

Tourism New Zealand confirmed last November it was spending $6.3 million to bring the Michelin Guide \u2013 the world\u2019s most famous restaurant ranking system \u2013 to Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown.<\/p>\n

On the morning of that announcement, Mabee told the Herald<\/a> that over his 15 years with the restaurant, he\u2019d set out to tell a \u201cunique story of Aotearoa through wine and food\u201d \u2013 but he was also working towards personal goals.<\/p>\n

\u201c … To be able to buy a house, have a beautiful family, keep this family sustainable \u2013 because being a chef is not exactly the easiest thing in the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was very hard for me at first, but I guess I\u2019ve kind of developed my own unique style which seems to be watched right now, from every corner of the earth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amisfield\u2019s combination of the tastes from both its kitchen and vineyard has seen it become not just one of New Zealand\u2019s, but one of the world\u2019s keenly sought-after fine dining destinations.<\/p>\n

\"TopTop chef Vaughan Mabee also starred on MasterChef New Zealand.<\/p>\n

Its specialities include highlighting the region\u2019s seasonal produce on multi-course menus.<\/p>\n

Amisfield\u2019s website says its offerings celebrate \u201cthe craftsmanship of a select group of fishermen, hunters, gatherers, and farmers\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe bring their offerings together to capture the essence of Central Otago, transforming raw ingredients into culinary fine art,\u201d the website states.<\/p>\n

\u201cEach partner is chosen not only for their exceptional quality but also for their dedication to sustainability and ethical farming practices, reflecting our commitment to the land and its people.<\/p>\n

\u201cDining at Amisfield is an exploration of place and flavour, embarking on the full Amisfield tasting experience. Each dish is crafted to evoke the unique character of Central Otago, from alpine peaks to ocean depths, weaving together the stories of our land and its produce.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AA boar cooking over the open fire outside Amisfield restaurant, Queenstown. Photo \/ Sam Stewart<\/p>\n

The venue has also played host to royalty, with Prince William and Catherine, the Princess of Wales, famously having a vineyard tour and tasting some of Amisfield\u2019s wines in 2014.<\/p>\n

When Amisfield received third spot in the Top 15 International Restaurants category<\/a> in Food & Wine\u2019s Global Tastemasters Awards, Mabee told the Herald he was \u201ctruly honoured and very proud\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cQuite honestly, it\u2019s still sinking in,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was totally unexpected and came out of nowhere. I\u2019ve been head down, we\u2019ve all been working so hard in the kitchen … and working flat out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AA king crab creation at Amisfield Restaurant and Cellar Door.<\/p>\n

Judging notes from the awards praised Amisfield for being \u201ca beacon for wine enthusiasts worldwide who seek an unparalleled dining experience\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat sets Amisfield apart is not just its stunning location or award-winning sips but also its otherworldly, refined tasting menu that showcases the region\u2019s seasonal, hyperlocal ingredients\u201d.<\/p>\n

Neil Reid<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

Sign up to The Daily H<\/a>, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"At the time of the international recognition Mabee \u2013 who has also starred as a judge on reality…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":405839,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[29161,209016,3623,169,24179,156,71,1437,10670,78,194,154245,54677,111,139,69,20930,18994,2539,2737,23333,6382,86365,23473,209017],"class_list":["post-405838","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-acclaim","tag-amisfield","tag-celebrity","tag-chef","tag-departs","tag-entertainment","tag-from","tag-global","tag-hopeful","tag-in","tag-kiwi","tag-mabee","tag-michelin","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-queenstown","tag-resigned","tag-restaurant","tag-star","tag-suddenly","tag-took","tag-vaughan","tag-worldfamous","tag-worldrenowned"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/405838","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=405838"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/405838\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/405839"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=405838"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=405838"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=405838"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}