‘You are surrounded by Gordon Ramsays, and you become Gordon ... otherwise you get trampled’: TV chef Mike Van De Elzen – Money Talks

Chef and presenter Mike Van De Elzen hosts Eat Well For Less. Photo / Dean Purcell

Don’t call Mike Van De Elzen a celebrity chef; he’s no fan of the label and the glitzy lifestyle it implies.

Van De Elzen is happiest on his farm in Muriwai or in the kitchen. But there is no question he’s one of the most well-known chefs in New Zealand after more than a decade on our TV screens.

Currently co-hosting the fifth season of Eat Well for Less, which screens on TVNZ, he remains passionate about helping Kiwis eat better and more economically.

On the Money Talks podcast this week, Van De Elzen talks about growing up in Henderson, starting out in hospitality and the path that took him to the top of the chef game in London.

It was a path that almost broke him.

He got his big break in London in the early 2000s at a restaurant called Bank, which was “the busiest, most-talked-about restaurant in London”, he says.

“I wanted to work there because it was the hardest. And if you survive there, then you’ll make it anywhere. So I started working there as a sous chef and made my way up to senior sous chef. I was in charge of 140 chefs.”

Van De Elzen worked relentlessly day and night for a full year.

“It’s so full-on. And you are surrounded by Gordon Ramsays, and you become Gordon yourself, because otherwise you get trampled upon.”

“I didn’t see day. I didn’t see night, I didn’t see my wife. I worked for an entire year in this restaurant, and the only day it closed was Christmas Day.”

That day off turned out to be the trigger for a complete breakdown.

“We went to a friend’s place for Christmas lunch and he said: ‘Hey Mike, can you just check the turkey in the oven?’

“I said ‘No problem’ and I went into the kitchen, opened up the oven. The turkey was completely raw.”

“Something just broke inside me.

“I felt really, I felt sick. I couldn’t stand. My wife took me home and I slept for four days.”

On the podcast, Van De Elzen talks about his return to New Zealand, setting up restaurants and breaking into TV.

He shares his passion for educating young people about food and talks about his battle with cancer in 2018.

Listen to the full episode to hear more from

Money Talks is a podcast run by the NZ Herald. It isn’t about personal finance and isn’t about economics – it’s just well-known New Zealanders talking about money and sharing some stories about the impact it’s had on their lives and how it has shaped them.

The series is hosted by Liam Dann, business editor-at-large for the Herald. He is a senior writer and columnist, and also presents and produces videos and podcasts. He joined the Herald in 2003.

Money Talks is available on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.