‘This is not remorse’: Alleged assault victim dismisses Amisfield chef Vaughan Mabee’s ‘empty’ apology
Monday, 4 May 2026
The woman allegedly assaulted at a Queenstown nightclub by Amisfield chef Vaughan Mabee, and whose resulting complaint prompted him to quit, has rubbished his apology.
“This isn’t remorse,” she told The Press today.
The former Amisfield employee says there are still questions to be answered about how Mabee was allowed to continue to work - and host the staff party which was the precursor to the nightclub incident - despite complaints about his behaviour spanning more than a decade.
Mabee - a celebrated chef who led Arrowtown restaurant Amisfield’s kitchen since 2012 and hosted television cooking shows - quit as executive chef in February but it was only revealed last week.
He had been on a final warning following two historic complaints about his conduct.
The Press spoke to half a dozen former Amisfield employees and other Queenstown hospitality sources, who claimed Mabee presided over a toxic kitchen culture where verbal abuse was commonplace, frequently leaving staff in tears. Other allegations include alcohol abuse, lewd comments and physical aggression.
The alleged nightclub assault happened after a staff function at Mabee’s home in mid-2025. Afterwards, a group headed into Queenstown where the woman claimed Mabee was so drunk he was “convulsing”.
Thinking he was going to vomit on the table she went to help, and claimed he grabbed her breast and bottom. When she learned someone had filmed the alleged assault, and saw it herself, she went to management, who investigated.
“Unbeknownst to me, because there was a lot going on, he had his hand placed on my butt with two fingers kind of disappearing into the centre of my jeans.”
In a statement sent to The Press, Mabee said he “unreservedly apologised” to former staff and colleagues for “my inappropriate behaviour to them or any inconsiderate comments made… I am truly sorry for any harm or offence [caused]”.
He said he had “fallen short” in his behaviour and let “my team, myself and my family down”. Mabee said he is stepping down to “focus on my personal health issues and being a present and loving father to my family”.
“This industry I gave my heart and soul to has changed dramatically over the past 20 years ‒ for the better ‒ and many of us older chefs have had long roads adjusting.”
Mabee said in his statement he was “inebriated” when the nightclub incident happened. “While [it] was terrible for many reasons, it led me down a road of introspection and growth.”
The woman called the apology “empty”. “This isn’t remorse,” she said.
Addressing Mabee, she said: “That’s who you are. Your apology is empty, and it is not accepted.”
The woman questioned why Mabee was allowed to host the staff party given his prior drinking and, by Mabee’s own admission, he’d faced allegations spanning more than a decade.
Amisfield owner John Darby confirmed the company dealt with complaints about the star chef in 2016 and 2022. “[They] resulted in formal written warnings. We clearly outlined that any further breach would result in dismissal.”
Darby earlier said Amisfield received at least two fresh complaints about Mabee’s conduct more recently.
“[Following that] he was immediately removed from the workplace while an independent investigation was conducted. Following the conclusion of that investigation, Amisfield accepted Vaughan’s resignation in February, ending our professional relationship with him.”
Complaint stemmed from Christchurch industry event
Former White Tie Catering director Katie Duncan made a complaint in 2021 over Mabee’s behaviour at an industry event in Christchurch in late 2020, where Mabee worked alongside her staff in the kitchen.
“I had to ask him not to call his staff retards and fags within half an hour of being in my kitchen and my staff was shocked at the way he spoke to his staff,” she told The Press.
She alleged he made a lewd comment about a staff member whose husband had just died, and made a speech while he was being auctioned for a private dinner saying he was “75% man whore”.
She said Amisfield did not get back to her about her complaint, but she got a call from Mabee where they had a conversation about “redemption”, she said.
She said for a long time she felt disappointed in herself for not protecting her team, but having seen the coverage since Mabee resigned, she now felt angry - “angry with the people who platformed him and put him on a pedestal and knew about his behaviour”.
“A friend of mine messaged me this morning, and he said… ‘I've given my heart and soul to this industry for more than 20 years, and I've never turned into a sex pest’.
“That says it exactly.
“There are so many amazing chefs out there who have done great things, who have never behaved, you know, inappropriately… It's a poor excuse.”