Renowned chef Michael Meredith was named Albertian of the Year at the annual Albertians Reunion Dinner on Thursday, 23 June, and in his acceptance speech thanked the school and his teachers for helping give him the self-belief that has ensured his success.
“The school’s motto – Through Hardship to Glory – was something that resonated with me. My introduction to New Zealand from Samoa wasn’t easy, but a school helps lay the foundations of your character and MAGS contributed some important building blocks for me.
“My teachers gave me a spark, an insight to life – a lot of that was about self-belief. If you believe in yourself, that’s hugely motivating – you can overcome anything in life and let the light inside you shine.”
Mr Meredith said he was very grateful, deeply moved and honoured to receive the award.
The chef is best known through his award-winning restaurant Meredith’s in Mt Eden, and for helping to establish the Eat My Lunch social enterprise business, through which customers can buy a lunch and have one donated to a child in need. Eat My Lunch now delivers meals to 1300 children in Auckland every school day, and is soon to start the service in Hamilton and Wellington. Mr Meredith received recognition for this initiative through the Restaurant Association Good Neighbour Awards and the New Zealander of the Year Awards last year.
Mr Meredith attended MAGS from 1988-1991. He and his elder brother Milton had just arrived from Samoa and MAGS was their first point of contact with New Zealand. While he can’t recall a cooking class being offered, art fostered his creativity, and he enjoyed helping on the school farm.
After leaving school, a cooking course ignited his interest in the profession, and he gained work at the reputable restaurants Vinnies, Antoine’s and The Grove. He went on to win a scholarship to the Culinary Institute of America, and worked in New York, Melbourne and Sydney, before returning to Auckland to open his own restaurant in 2007.
Meredith’s is consistently named in Metro magazine’s Top 50 restaurants in Auckland and both the restaurant and Mr Meredith have won numerous awards. One night a week, proceeds from the restaurant are donated to various charities. Among those which have benefited are the SPCA, Home & Family Counselling, Cure Kids, Kidney Kids, Starship National Air Ambulance, Guardian Angels and the Fred Hollows Foundation.
Mr Meredith brought his partner Ms Claire Baudinet, mother Ms Metita Saleilua (left) and a number of friends to the reunion dinner, including some he met at MAGS. A large number of Albertians also attended, as well as Headmaster Mr Patrick Drumm, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Mr Greg Moyle, Chairman of the MAGS Foundation Mr Peter Thorp and President of the Albertians Association Mr Aftab Moosa.
Mr Meredith’s citation was read by his friend, food writer Ms Nici Wickes. She said that Mr Meredith was now inspiring a new generation of chefs, with many seeking time in his kitchen to learn from the best. It was his charitable work, however, that was most remarkable.
“Michael chooses to get up at 5am every day to help make sandwiches for the Eat My Lunch programme – they have delivered 180,000 lunches to children in need so far. His Tuesday night dinners at his restaurant, from which he donates all the proceeds to charity, have raised more than $100,000.”
The Tuesday dinners are called STEM Tuesdays, named after his daughters Sophia, Tahlia and Ella Meredith.
“In an interview once Michael said that his dreams were simple: For his daughters to be brave, to fully trust their instincts, to be kind. For them to have a good work ethic, to work to achieve their goals and dreams. But most importantly, he wants them to be great spirits.
“To that I say they have the best role model to follow in him, the boy from Lepea, Samoa, who has become a man of great culinary accomplishment, a true community spirit and a man of wholehearted kindness.”
In other speeches, Mr Moosa, Mr Drumm, Mr Thorp all paid tribute to Mr Meredith, and updated the audience on the school’s progress, including planned developments of the FW Gamble Hall and the school farm. Performances were given by the MAGS Gospel Choir and singer Siosiua Atuekaho. The evening concluded with a toast to the school by Albertian Mr John Liddell.
Mr Meredith with family and friends who joined him for the evening.