ichelle Garnaut - 2022 Advance Global Australian Food & Agriculture Award winner

Melbourne-born Michelle Garnaut is a trained chef and restaurateur with a culinary career that spans more than 25 years, several continents and positions that have ranged from waitress to chef to caterer and proprietor.

Over the past two decades, Michelle has opened a trio of restaurants and a bar in China: M at the Fringe in Hong Kong (1989-2009) M on the Bund (1999) and the Glamour Bar (2001) in Shanghai and Capital M in Beijing (2009). Each became an icon in its city, sharing the characteristics that make it an “M” restaurant: simply good food – Michelle’s brand of delicious modern European cooking – stylish yet comfortable décor, superb, warm service and a real sense of place.

Thanks to Michelle’s belief that feeding the mind and soul is just as important as feeding the body, M Restaurants has become a hub for cultural events and entertainment, including the annual Shanghai International Literary Festival, a regular chamber music series and late night DJs and live music in the Glamour Bar.

Michelle has actively worked with numerous charities and community projects over the years, and her restaurants consistently support charitable ventures. She is currently involved in the Village People Project, which seeks to improve the lives and health of women in rural China through the creation of community bathhouses.
Michelle has been honored with awards that include the Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2003 International Woman of Influence Awards and the Business Entrepreneurial Award from the ANZ Australian Business Awards.
Held at the iconic Sydney Opera House on 14 September, The Advance Global Australian Summit and Awards celebrated international Australians who exhibit remarkable talent, exceptional vision and ambition. The Awards are the