Ben Bayly

Benjamin 'Ben' Bayly is a New Zealand chef. Bayly is known for judging My Kitchen Rules NZ alongside Gareth Stewart. He appeared as a VIP guest during a challenge in MasterChef New Zealand season seven, episode 16.

Background

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Ben Bayly grew up in Te Awamutu, his dad's side full of dairy farmers and his mum's full of Irish Catholics. He attended Te Awamutu College.[1]

Career

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In September 2020 Bayly opened the restaurant Ahi, meaning fire in Māori, in Commercial Bay.[2] A few weeks later Tip Top the restaurant sent a “cease and desist” letter for the restaurant's usage of the name Trumpet as a dessert.[3]

The Restaurant That Makes Mistakes

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In 2023, Bayly, partnered by dementia expert Lynette Tippett, embarked on opening a pop-up fine dining restaurants staffed by volunteers all suffering from Parkinson's disease or early onset dementia and Alzheimer's.[4] In 2024, Bayly expanded the group to 10 working-age volunteers in his new restaurant - Origine Restaurant at InterContinental Hotel on 1 Queen Street, a walking distance from Ahi restaurant, Commercial Bay.[4]

Personal life

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Bayly is married. He and his wife have children.[5] He embarked on becoming an advocate for degenerative diseases after his maternal grandmother passed away in 2022 from dementia.

References

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  1. ^ "Ben Bayly's kitchen rules". 15 August 2014.
  2. ^ Simich, Ricardo (13 September 2020). "Spy: My Kitchen Rules TV chef Ben Bayly opens new restaurant in Commercial BAy". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  3. ^ Hurley, Bevan (20 September 2020). "Tip Top orders Ben Bayly's new fine dining restaurant to stop calling its ice cream dessert a Trumpet". Stuff. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  4. ^ a b Reitsma, Bethany (14 October 2024). "The Restaurant That Makes Mistakes season 2: Kiwis with early-onset dementia take over Ben Bayly's Origine". New Zealand Herald.
  5. ^ Michele Hewitson interview: Ben Bayly