It was a calling world-renowned chef Monica Galetti could not refuse. A trip to Samoa meant going back to Fa'atoia where she spent eight years of her life and seeing the primary school she attended.

Galetti is now working on a project that could have Samoan culinary students end up in London in exchange programmes.

For Galetti, cooking was a calling. A decision she made against the wishes of her father who wanted her to become a doctor. More than three decades later, she is regarded as one of the world's best. 

Her journey started in New Zealand where she moved at the age of eight, now she lives in London and is the UK Ambassador for Samoa Tourism.

In Samoa, she will undertake a few initiatives that will connect her to her roots and will promote Samoan cuisine.

A major component of Galetti's journey in Samoa will involve a cooking investigation. She will sample seafood from coastal seas and see the local specialities, such as taufolo, a typical Samoan dessert. 

The goal of this cooking adventure is to bring back traditional Samoan food.

According to Monica Galleti, she is thrilled to begin an initiative that, with the government's help, should be able to create an exchange programme between students from the United Kingdom and perhaps send two Samoan chefs to study at a catering school in London with the possibility of securing employment.

"In my opinion, information is everything, and by sharing it, we may all become stronger. For this reason, I'm eager to visit the communities and observe how the old activities are carried out," she said.

Galleti wanted to take advantage of this chance to truly showcase what Samoa has. 

"The first cooking skill I learned when I started my hospitality diploma was making pumpkin soup, which is very different from the food we eat in Samoa," she said.

"My suggestion to the following generation is to find a mentor or a restaurant, and if you like the food, stop by and knock on the door. Don't be scared to ask, "Can I start working here?" The higher you go in the industry, the harder it gets. I believe it has changed a lot over the years. Cooking must be something you enjoy doing first, and then anything you want to do in life, you want to be good at.

"I started washing dishes and just grew from there and there’s no shame in starting from the bottom I think you have more respect for others that are in those positions as you grow in your career as you start from the bottom."

After completing her studies, Galetti worked at Lower Hutt restaurant Timothy's. The owner sent her to cooking competitions in Australia, America and Europe, and she began to look for a position in London by sending her CV to top restaurateurs.

The first offer she received was from Michel Roux Jr – a beginning position as first commis at his two-Michelin-starred restaurant Le Gavroche, well below her position in Wellington as chef de partie. She accepted the offer and moved to London in 1999. She worked rapidly through the sections of the kitchen and became senior sous-chef, a position she held until 2015.

She was the first woman to hold such a senior position at the restaurant.

While working for Roux, she launched and was Head Chef of the restaurant Le Gavroche des Tropiques in Mauritius

She was a judge on the BBC series MasterChef: The Professionals from 2009 to 2021.

Her journey in Samoa will involve cultural interactions, cooking, tapa making and even a visit to the Tiapapata Art Gallery. Her Samoa tour ends on 8 February.