Michael Meredith

Michael Meredith is one of New Zealand's most acclaimed chefs, known for fine dining and for championing Pacific cuisine. Born in Samoa, he built his reputation at Merediths, the Auckland restaurant he ran until 2017, before opening the eatery Mr Morris and, more recently, Metita at SkyCity, a Pacific restaurant named after his late mother that won Cuisine's Hotel Restaurant of the Year and two hats in 2025.

Alongside the restaurants, Meredith co-founded the social enterprise Eat My Lunch with Lisa King in 2015. Built on a buy-one-give-one model, it provides a free lunch to a child in need for every lunch bought. The venture features in what New Zealand's most successful founders did next.

Across both the kitchen and the lunch run, Meredith has used food to tell a story about where he comes from, reframing Pacific ingredients and traditions for a contemporary audience while putting his cooking to work for children who would otherwise go without.

Sources: SkyCity · Broadsheet