Who is Aussie’s favourite?: New map reveals most popular chef from every country

Whether it’s authentic local dishes or new restaurant openings, food hugely influences where we want to travel.

In recognition of the global influence of the culinary world, food and drink tour operator Explore Worldwide has released new research which reveals the chefs that are cooking up a storm in the hearts of food lovers everywhere.

 

10 Most Searched Chefs from Oceania Last Year

Rank	Chef	Nationality	Last Year’s Google Searches
1	Curtis Stone	Australia	594,000
2	Monica Galetti	Samoa	397,200
3	Donna Hay	Australia	325,200
4	Pete Evans	Australia	266,400
5	Gary Mehigan	Australia	145,200
6	George Calombaris	Australia	145,200
7	Shannon Bennett	Australia	145,200
8	Adriano Zumbo	Australia	118,800
9	Luke Nguyen	Vietnam/Australia	97,200
10	Annabel Langbein	New Zealand	79,200

 

 

It is no surprise that the numerous chefs who have appeared in TV show “MasterChef Australia” have made it onto the list of most popular chefs from Oceania, starting with Curtis Stone, who appeared on the show in its very first season, back in 2009.

The Aussie chef, known for his farm-to-table philosophy and focus on seasonal ingredients, raked in nearly 595,000 Google searches last year, landing him the top spot as most Googled chef in Oceania.

Monica Galetti is the runner up of most searched chefs in Oceania. Amassing 397,200 online searches last year, the chef is known for incorporating Samoan influences into modern European cuisine.

A judge on “MasterChef: The Professionals,” Galetti’s presence on the rankings highlights how the underrepresented delicacies of the Pacific Islands have rightfully carved a place firmly on the culinary stage.

An onslaught of several Australian chefs features next in the rankings, including “MasterChef Australia” judges Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris, along with occasional guest judges Shannon Bennett and pâtissier Adriano Zumbo.

Breaking up the Australian pack is Vietnamese-Australian chef Luke Nguyen, who totals over 97,000 searches this year and lands in 9th place.

His dishes, which often combine the aromatic flavours of Vietnamese cuisine with the fresh produce of Australia, can also be seen on TV re-runs, as he hosted the series “Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam” and “Luke Nguyen’s France.”

Annabel Langbein from New Zealand wraps up the top ten, capturing the essence of New Zealand’s culinary profile. Known primarily as a food writer and TV personality, she advocated for seasonal, locally sourced ingredients and straightforward cooking methods.

 

World’s 20 Most Searched Chefs of the Year

 

The most searched-for chefs globally are typically well-known international TV personalities, with the likes of Gordan Ramsay, Nigella Lawson and Guy Fieri featuring at the top end of the 20 most popular chefs last year. However, the research also indicates that the world is showing great interest in fine dining pioneers that don’t frequently grace our TV screens, such as Singapore’s Tariq Helou and China’s Vicky Lau.

There is significant worldwide interest in European chefs known for classic Italian and French cooking, with Giada De Laurentiis and Alain Ducasse both in the top 20. However, the global rankings also reveal an interest in different regional cuisines, with Nigeria’s Hilda Baci coming in as the 9^th most searched for chef last year, and India’s Sanjay Thumma in 15^th.

World’s Top Five Most Googled Chefs

Gordon Ramsay: Whilst many people are familiar with Gordan Ramsey thanks to his phenomenally popular TV shows, including ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ and ‘Kitchen Nightmares,’ the Scottish born chef has owned an incredible 58 restaurants across Europe, Asia, and North America during his career, many of which have been awarded with fine dining accolades. Currently, Ramsay’s Michelin star restaurants include Le Pressoir d’Argent (two stars) in Bordeaux, Petrus by Gordan Ramsay (one star) in London and the three Michelin-starred Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, also in London.

Jamie Oliver: At the turn of the millennium, Jamie Oliver became a celebrity sensation with his show The Naked Chef.

His cheeky Essex-boy persona kept Oliver on TV screens throughout the noughties, helping him launch his chain of Jamie’s Italian restaurants.

In the early 2000s, Oliver used his platform to highlight the poor nutritional value of the UK’s school dinners, before taking his activism efforts to the USA with his show Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.

Jamie Oliver has also dominated the publishing world with a series of record-breaking cookbooks; his 30-Minunte Meals book is one of the bestselling Food & Drink titles of all time.

Guy Fieri: This charismatic presenter from Ohio is technically not a trained chef – despite being one of the most well-known names in the restaurant world.

Guy Fieri owns several restaurants including Guy Fieri’s Vegas Kitchen and Bar and is well-loved for his TV Appearances on shows such as Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and Guy’s Grocery Games.

Despite his lack of formal training, he has extensive kitchen experience since, as a child, his father encouraged him to cook, and even built him a pretzel cart, from which a young Feiri made enough money to eventually study abroad.

Nigella Lawson: The first female foodie to rank on the global list, Nigella Lawson isn’t known for restaurant ownership, but she’s a hugely celebrated food writer and TV personality. Born in London and the daughter of a Baron, Lawson boasts several best-selling cookbooks, and her eloquent and sensual presenting style on Nigella Bites and Nigella’s Kitchen has made her immensely popular across the world.

Giada De Laurentiis: Born in Rome, De Laurentiis is an Italian-American chef and TV personality, who regularly appears on the USA’s Food Network and NBC’s Today.

She is also a hugely successful cookbook author and restaurateur, with two businesses in Las Vegas – the Giada restaurant at The Cromwell and Pronto by Giada at Caesars Palace.

De Laurentiis was presented with a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lifestyle Host in 2008 with her first show Everyday Italian and won two further Emmys in 2020.