Chef Michele Laiso doesn’t see food as just something to eat; it’s more a way of living, connecting, and thriving. For more than 25 years, he’s honed his craft in kitchens across Italy, the UK, Dubai, Thailand, and Sydney. Today, with his business, Fit & Healthy Chef, he’s blending his global expertise with a deeply personal approach to redefine how Sydneysiders experience food at home.
Fit & Healthy Chef specialises in something surprisingly rare: bringing the elegance and precision of fine dining into the spaces where people feel most at ease: their own kitchens. Michele offers in-home meal prep tailored to his clients’ dietary needs and lifestyles, creating meals that are healthy, flavorful, and entirely customised. For families juggling packed schedules or professionals too busy to cook, he’s providing a solution that goes far beyond convenience.
“Cooking in someone’s kitchen is intimate,” Michele says. “You’re stepping into their life, learning their habits, their preferences. It’s not just about food, it’s about making sure they feel cared for.”
Michele’s culinary journey began in the quiet villages of Italy, where food wasn’t just sustenance but tradition. It was about the rituals of shared meals, simple ingredients, and bold, unfussy flavors. That foundation stayed with him as he moved to the UK to work in fine dining, then onto luxury yachts, where tight spaces demanded creativity and precision. Later, stints in Dubai and Thailand expanded his repertoire, introducing him to techniques and flavors that continue to influence his cooking.
Now back in Sydney, Michele’s dishes reflect the sum of those experiences: rich Italian meatballs reimagined with healthier ingredients, Thai curries tweaked to balance bold flavors with lighter profiles, vibrant salads inspired by the Mediterranean but tailored for modern Australian tastes. Every dish tells a story, and every story feels personal.
For those hosting events, Michele takes the same meticulous, thoughtful approach. His catering services are designed to feel effortless for clients, blending restaurant-quality cuisine with the ease of home. Whether it’s an intimate dinner party or a milestone celebration, he brings the same care to every gathering.
Michele also prioritises sustainability, sourcing fresh, local ingredients whenever possible. It’s a quiet ethos baked into his work, one that doesn’t call attention to itself but resonates with clients who care about where their food comes from.
Working with professional athletes in the past shaped Michele’s perspective on how nutrition fuels performance and well-being. That experience still informs his approach today, whether he’s crafting high-protein meals for someone training for a marathon or balancing flavors for a family looking to eat better without feeling like they’re on a “diet.”
Recently, Michele introduced a summer menu filled with vibrant, globally inspired dishes like a miso-glazed salmon salad and Mediterranean spiced couscous. The focus remains on freshness and health, but the joy of eating is never sacrificed.
Fit & Healthy Chef isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel. Michele’s philosophy is refreshingly simple: great food, thoughtfully prepared, tailored to the people who eat it. It’s a blend of fine dining and practicality, tradition and innovation. And in a city like Sydney, where life moves fast and the demand for healthy, delicious food keeps growing, it’s exactly what people seem to need.
“I’m not here to complicate things,” Michele says. “I just want to make sure that when someone sits down to eat, it’s something they’re excited about. Something that fits their life and makes it a little bit better.”
For Michele Laiso, food is always personal and it’s this mindset that makes Fit & Healthy Chef stand out. Not flashy, not over the top. Just good food, done well, with people in mind. To learn more about his services, visit the Fit & Healthy Chef website or connect with them on Instagram.
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