Chef Vaughan Mabee Leaves Amisfield explained: the release driving the conversation

Executive chef Vaughan Mabee has resigned after nearly 15 years at Amisfield. Chef Vaughan Mabee Leaves Amisfield has emerged this Friday as one of the stories drawing attention in New Zealand.

Key facts

• Executive chef Vaughan Mabee has resigned after nearly 15 years at Amisfield.
• Internationally-renowned Queenstown chef Vaughan Mabee has left Amisfield.
• “Amisfield can confirm that Vaughan Mabee is no longer employed by the business, having resigned in February 2026,” he wrote.
• An email was sent out to staff members yesterday, which stated: “After almost 15 years with Amisfield, Vaughan Mabee has resigned and is moving on from the business”.
• Mabee, named the 44th best chef in the world in 2023, could not be...

What we know

Going deeper, Internationally-renowned Queenstown chef Vaughan Mabee has left Amisfield.

On the substance, an email was sent out to staff members yesterday, which stated: “After almost 15 years with Amisfield, Vaughan Mabee has resigned and is moving on from the business”.

Beyond the headlines, Mabee, named the 44th best chef in the world in 2023, could not be...

More precisely, In 2024, Amisfield was named ‘‘Best Chef Dining Experience’’ at the Best Chef Awards in Dubai, where Mabee, a serial winner of Cuisine’s innovation award, was won a coveted ‘‘Three Knives’’ - the year prior he was named 44th in the world’s ‘‘Top 100 Best Chef Awards’’.

It is worth noting that Vaughan Mabee told the Herald he wants to spend more time with his young family.

By the numbers

“Amisfield can confirm that Vaughan Mabee is no longer employed by the business, having resigned in February 2026,” he wrote.

On a related note, when Amisfield received third spot in the Top 15 International Restaurants category in Food & Wine’s Global Tastemasters Awards, Mabee told the Herald he was “truly honoured and very proud”.

Going deeper, In 2022, Mabee moved in front of the camera to become a judge on MasterChef NZ, alongside fellow Queenstowner Nadia Lim and Michael P.

On the substance, the prestigious awards mine the expertise of more than 400 travel experts, chefs, food and wine writers and other hospitality industry specialists from around the world to nominate their most notable culinary experiences.

What they're saying

“I resigned my role as executive chef at Amisfield early this year in order to be able to spend more time with my young family while also pursuing several overseas opportunities.”

“Aaron and Chef Peng will work closely to align our kitchen and front-of-house operations as we continue to evolve the Amisfield experience.”

“Amisfield does not comment on the private affairs of its current or former staff in order to protect their privacy.”

The wider context

On a related note, World-renowned Kiwi celebrity chef Vaughan Mabee has resigned from the Queenstown restaurant he took to global acclaim, saying he wants to spend more time with his family, and pursue “several overseas opportunities”.

Going deeper, Mabee told the Herald Amisfield’s kitchen was now in the “very capable hands” of Peng, who had been his head chef for the past four years.

On the substance, a source told the Herald that Amisfield staff were notified by text and email on Thursday about Mabee’s departure – and some were told face-to-face.

Beyond the headlines, Mabee’s gastronomic creations last year took Amisfield Restaurant to a third-place finish in Food & Wine’s Global Tastemasters Awards.

More precisely, At the time Mabee – who has also starred as a judge on reality TV cooking show MasterChef New Zealand, as well as co-hosting Taste of Art – said the reaction had been “nothing short of awesome”.

The bottom line

• An email was sent out to staff members yesterday, which stated: “After almost 15 years with Amisfield, Vaughan Mabee has resigned and is moving on from the business”.
• When Amisfield received third spot in the Top 15 International Restaurants category in Food & Wine’s Global Tastemasters Awards, Mabee told the Herald he was “truly honoured and very proud”.
• A source told the Herald that Amisfield staff were notified by text and email on Thursday about Mabee’s departure – and some were told face-to-face.
• Searches spiking right now: Award-winning chef Vaughan Mabee has quit Amisfield, Celebrity chef says he quit top restaurant for family and 'overseas opportunities', World-renowned head chef Vaughan Mabee suddenly quits Arrowtown restaurant Amisfield after 15 years, Celebrity chef quits world-renowned Queenstown restaurant.