Mabee, named the 44th best chef in the world in 2023, could not be reached for comment today.
The New Zealand Herald reported his departure was to spend time with family and pursue “several overseas opportunities”.
In an emailed statement, the acclaimed Arrowtown restaurant’s chief executive, Simon Toneycliffe, confirmed Mabee resigned in February.
‘‘Amisfield does not comment on the private affairs of its current or former staff in order to protect their privacy.’’
The Herald reported Amisfield staff were notified by text and email on Thursday about his resignation, after almost 15 years with the restaurant.
The email said Sung Peng would ‘‘continue to lead the kitchen’’, while Aaron Jacobson, who previously worked for Michelin-rated restaurants in the United States and Asia, would take charge of the restaurant from next Wednesday, the Herald reported.
Originally from the North Island, Mabee has been a chef for 31 years and worked all over the world, including with Martin Berasategui in Spain and at Rene Redzepi’s Noma in Denmark, before joining Amisfield, thought to be one of the leading contenders for New Zealand’s first Michelin stars, which are expected to be announced next month.
He had overseen a stratospheric rise for the winery restaurant, founded by developer John Darby in 1988, which has consistently been named Cuisine’s restaurant of the year.
It’s held three hats, with a score of 19.5 out of 20 - meaning it is ‘‘approaching perfection’’ - since 2019.
In 2024, Amisfield was named ‘‘Best Chef Dining Experience’’ at the Best Chef Awards in Dubai, where Mabee, a serial winner of Cuisine’s innovation award, was won a coveted ‘‘Three Knives’’ - the year prior he was named 44th in the world’s ‘‘Top 100 Best Chef Awards’’.
Last year, Amisfield was named in the top 100 restaurants in the world, and came in at No 3 in the world Food & Wine magazine’s Global Tastemakers Awards.
The magazine said Mabee was ‘‘fully committed to source quality New Zealand ingredients for every innovative, artistic dish’’ at the restaurant, the philosophy of which was ‘‘rooted in the belief that exceptional dining experiences are borne from a deep respect for the land and its bounty’’.
The restaurant has a multi-course lunch tasting menu, priced at $395 per person, and a dinner dining option, at $595 per person.
In 2022, Mabee moved in front of the camera to become a judge on MasterChef NZ, alongside fellow Queenstowner Nadia Lim and Michael P. Dearth, while this year he was back on TV as a judge of Taste of Art, with Australian food writer, critic and TV host Melissa Leong.
Reflecting on his career in 2022, he told Mountain Scene there was ‘‘no way’’ he would be where he was at that stage ‘‘if it wasn’t for the drive of my team’’.
‘‘The team is everything.’’
