Massimo Mele calls a southern Tasmania home – sharing life there with his wife Kristy, their three kids, and a garden that’s almost as full as their kitchen table. His story starts with flour-dusted hands in Hobart, weaves through the bustling kitchens of Naples, and takes a long, flavors-filled detour through some of the world’s great food cities: Melbourne, Sydney, New York, Los Angeles, London, and back to Italy — with time spent cooking and learning in Korea and Thailand along the way.

Through Food by Massimo and projects like Tutti a Tavola and The Chef’s Garden, he champions the flavours of his island home, celebrating the people, produce and traditions that make Tasmanian food some of the best in the world.

Today, Massimo leads restaurant kitchens and creative projects across Tasmania — creating seasonal menus, building teams, and crafting experiences that bring guests closer to the growers, makers and landscapes behind every plate. On screen and off, his work is rooted in real hospitality: generosity, simplicity, and food that tells the truth.

Whether he’s cooking for family, creating menus for a full dining room, or swapping stories with local producers over a long lunch, Massimo’s philosophy stays the same: quality over quantity, heart over hype, with the seasons at the heart of every bite.