Desert Island Discs

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Castaway guests share the soundtrack of their lives.

Eight tracks, a book and a luxury: what would you take to a desert island? Guests share the soundtrack of their lives.

BBC Radio 4 LW

Desert Island Discs: Monica Galetti, chef and restaurateur

31/01/2021

Monica Galetti, chef and restaurateur

BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, Monica Galetti, chef and restaurateur

Monica Galetti, chef, shares the soundtrack of her life with Lauren Laverne.

Monica Galetti, chef and restaurateur, shares the eight tracks, book and luxury item she would take with her if cast away to a desert island.  With Lauren Laverne.

Monica Galetti is a chef, restaurateur and cook book writer, who is also known as a judge on the television series MasterChef: the Professionals.

Born on the island of Upolu in Western Samoa, she grew up on the family plantation where her earliest food memories are of collecting eggs and mangoes and peeling bananas for special suppers.  When she was eight she moved to New Zealand where her mother and stepfather had emigrated a couple of years earlier.

After studying hospitality management and enjoying success in numerous cooking competitions, she travelled around Europe before settling in London where she found work as a commis chef at the Roux family’s restaurant, Le Gavroche. Under the watchful eye of Michel Roux Jr, she rose through the ranks to become Le Gavroche’s first female sous chef.

She opened her own restaurant in 2017 where she works alongside her husband David who is head sommelier and co-owner.  

DISC ONE: Three Little Birds by Bob Marley And The Wailers
DISC TWO: Samoa Matalasi (My Beautiful Samoa) by The Five Stars
DISC THREE: You Oughta Be in Love by Dave Dobbyn (ft. Ardijah)  
DISC FOUR: Hotel California by The Eagles  
DISC FIVE: La Vie en Rose by Louis Armstrong
DISC SIX: My Girl by The Temptations
DISC SEVEN: Purple Rain by Prince
DISC EIGHT: Feeling Good by Nina Simone

BOOK CHOICE:  The complete Works of Oscar Wilde
LUXURY ITEM:  Scuba diving gear 
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Three Little Birds by Bob Marley And The Wailers 

Presenter: Lauren Laverne
Producer: Paula McGinley

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

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Desert Island Discs

Monica Galetti, chef and restaurateur

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