Massimo Mele

Chef Massimo Mele was born in Hobart before spending his early childhood in Naples. It was here that he spent countless hours watching on as his Nonna and other members of the large extended family prepared classic Italian dishes in kitchens filled with laughter and delicious food.

The Mele family returned to Tasmania when Massimo was eight years old, with his parents Maria and Vince opening the family restaurant in Hobart’s northern suburbs, introducing honest Italian fare to locals.

It is therefore not surprising that Massimo embarked on a career in the kitchen in his late teens. First working in notable Hobart restaurants, before leaving our shores for high-profile kitchens in Melbourne, Sydney, New York, Los Angeles, London and Italy.

In 2018, Massimo, his wife Kristy and children settled back in Hobart permanently. In addition to hosting internationally aired television show The Chef’s Garden, Massimo is the Food Director at Grain of the Silos in Launceston and Culinary Director for Peppina, the flagship restaurant of The Tasman, the first Marriott Luxury Collection Hotel in Australia. Massimo is also an ambassador for Loaves and Fishes, a local food security charity providing emergency food relief across Tasmania.

Embracing a quintessential Tasmanian lifestyle, when he isn’t in the kitchen or travelling around the state, Massimo can be found pottering in his productive market style garden, harvesting fresh produce or collecting eggs with his three young children.