Simon Gault on Losing 32kg, MasterChef, and NZ School Lunch "Rubbish"

Simon Gault is a man who wears many hats- celebrity chef, entrepreneur, pilot and most importantly- dad. In this podcast conversation he let his guard down in ways that I wasn’t expecting. We discuss his early years in the kitchen under the notoriously prickly Tony Astle, stories from working as the personal chef for Larry Ellison, building Euro with Leo Malloy and navigating fame during MasterChef at its peak.

Then there is all the non-work stuff: becoming a dad at 50, losing his father to motor neurone disease (and what assisted dying looked like in practice), and his own health journey with type 2 diabetes, losing 32kg, and the habits he now swears by. When I asked Simon to be a guest, I expected it to be a great episode. But the conversation we had exceeded all my expectations.

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Massive thanks to my long-term podcast sponsors, Generate. Generate is an award-winning KiwiSaver provider with a track record of delivering strong long-term returns for their clients- you can see their latest returns for yourself on their website. I became a client when they came on board as the show sponsor and it’s been a gamechanger for me personally- I’m kicking myself for not doing it years earlier. You can book a no obligation chat with one of their awesome KiwiSaver advisers at generatekiwisaver.co.nz/dom The issuer of the scheme is Generate Investment Management Limited. To see their Product disclosure statement see generatekiwisaver.co.nz/pds Past performance does not guarantee future returns. And just a reminder, I’m a podcast host, not a financial adviser, so this is just general advice. I recommend getting expert advice before making any financial decisions. ***

Who should be on the podcast next? Message Dom Instagram: @domharveynz Email: [email protected]

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Chapters

00:00 Welcome + “I know your game plan… you make people cry” 02:17 Life now: delis, cooking classes, and a “restaurant fix” without restaurant hours 04:42 Single dad life + the moment he sold half a restaurant to be present for Hazel 06:55 Hazel wants to learn gliding — full-circle parenting joy 08:55 Cooking vs flying: why cooking won (and why flying stayed as passion) 11:20 Starting at 16 with Tony Astle (Antoine’s): toughness, standards, and learning humility 13:38 The flying eye-fillet story: perfectionism, pressure, and “don’t cut it wrong” 15:53 Restaurant culture then vs now: what changed, what shouldn’t return 18:04 The “chef apology” move: owning mistakes in front of customers 20:18 Opening a restaurant at 22: the Porsche 911 origin story 22:38 Private chef life: superyachts, auditions, and landing the biggest gig 24:57 Larry Ellison revealed + “Pull up a seat” (why authenticity worked) 27:21 Aerobatics in a Pilatus PC-7: “All I heard was… ‘F***!’” 29:39 Why he came home: the cost of “cool gigs” when your life is on hold 31:40 Celebrity lists debunked + what Simon will and won’t share 34:02 Chef on a Mission: Maui gas platform, tough crowds, and real-world pressure 36:26 Euro with Leo Malloy: vision, chaos, loyalty, and scale 38:46 Setting boundaries with Leo + becoming a shareholder 41:12 MasterChef: accidental audition, cold food, and unexpected impact 43:36 Live TV disaster that launched a TV career (the exploding pot story) 45:55 The kid who beat him in an omelette contest — and became family 48:16 Fame, recognition, and intentionally stepping back for fatherhood 50:31 Divorce, “kill with kindness,” and co-parenting realities 52:51 Losing Brian Gault: grief, humility, and what Brian meant to aviation 57:47 The Harvard solo + the Mustang + why flying was their ultimate bond 01:00:12 Motor neurone disease + choosing assisted dying (hospice experience) 01:06:12 The Air Force wings knife: turning heirlooms into everyday legacy 01:08:30 Type 2 diabetes: denial, embarrassment, and the doctor who scared him straight 01:10:54 The “walk her down the aisle” moment + what diabetes can take 01:13:17 UK reset: raw food, yoga skepticism, and the change that stuck 01:18:08 Why We Fat / How We Eat: being the guinea pig and learning the science 01:22:36 Mediterranean diet, fibre, olive oil, and Simon’s “get Kiwis cooking” mission 01:26:55 Why he avoided weight-loss surgery: food is his life 01:29:12 Briscoes range + what it’s like seeing his face everywhere 01:31:32 “Fail fast, fix fast”: wins, losses, and the stock cap disaster 01:36:11 Gault’s stock concentrates: the supermarket product he’s proud of 01:38:36 No Half Measures: the “extra 5% magic” that makes people travel past competitors 01:41:00 Best/worst habit: saying yes… and then stressing to deliver 01:43:09 Biggest fear: going bust (and why he’ll probably never “retire”) 01:45:53 What he’s still hungry for: more gliding + why it’s the ultimate sport 01:52:00 Closing reflections: pride, fatherhood, and being remembered as “a good dad”