Top chef and TV favourite Ben Bayley has returned to his Kiwi roots after almost a decade of culinary discovery in top kitchens across the globe. With a string of highly regarded venues in Auckland and Otago, he's also a regular on our screens. Ben has fronted two series of A New Zealand Food Story, with a third on the way, and The Restaurant That Makes Mistakes, an experiment that saw volunteers with dementia run a restaurant under his supervision. Ben talks Michelin stars, the joy of good sardines, how he maintains high standards across multiple kitchens - and why he won't open a restaurant in hometown Te Awamutu.

Warning: Discusses suicide. For free help, text or call 1737, 24 hours.

Check out Ben's website here.

Watch A New Zealand Food Story here.

Watch The Restaurant That Makes Mistakes here.

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CREDITS

Host: Simon Bridges

Producer: Jen Black

Audio editing and mixing: John Ropiha

Executive producer: Chris Reed

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