Photography: Guy Coombes.
Every day brings something new on the black sands of Ōakura Beach – shifting skies, rolling surf and that wild Taranaki beauty that never loses its magic. Rain or shine, you’ll usually find Chelsea Winter there, walking the waterline, untangling her thoughts and finding a quiet clarity she can’t seem to access anywhere else. It’s become an important ritual and the thread that weaves her days together.
So it’s no surprise that when she chats with The Weekly, she’s mid- walk – headphones in and soaking up the first hint of sunshine after weeks of grey.
“We’re so excited about summer,” says the Kiwi cookbook queen, who’s mum to Sky, six, and Sage, three.
“The boys are nature kids – they like to be untethered and free. Especially Sky. If he could live in the ocean, he would. Or in the mud! We don’t do too well cooped up inside all winter.”
These days, balance is Chelsea’s guiding force – between motherhood and creativity. There’s a unique ease in the way Chelsea moves between deep reflection and the playful, self-deprecating humour that makes her so instantly relatable. At 41, she’s happier than ever, completely at peace with where she is in life, and positively thrilled that her latest cookbook, Nourish, rocketed to number-one bestseller across all genres, staying there for three weeks. While many women grapple with the dawn of a new decade, for Chelsea, life in her forties just keeps getting better.
“The minute I turned 40, that’s when my ‘I don’t give a damn’ era really came into play,” she laughs.
“I know some people might look at me and think this or that, but I just don’t care anymore. I’m here to be me, and to express who I am and what I’m doing. It’s incredibly liberating to reach that point where no one else’s opinion of me matters. I am so incredibly grateful to be here.”
A Christmas to cherish
And it’s this spirit of gratitude that’s guiding Chelsea into the festive season. She’s excited for Christmas – not just for the familiar traditions and precious family time, but because this year, she’ll have her two little boys by her side. Last Christmas, Sky and Sage were with their dad, which made for a very different kind of day.
“It was interesting,” she reflects.
“As much as my heart ached at the thought of not being with them, I was in a place where I really needed rest. So I just took it with gratitude. “I thought, ‘There’ll be so many other Christmases we’ll share and it’s okay to take a few days to simply be.’ It was a gift for me and a gift for them too, to be with their other family. I trust they’re well looked after, which means I don’t stress about it.”
Christmas through her boy’s eyes
This year, though, she’s delighted to have her boys for Christmas. The trio will head to Mount Maunganui, where her dad Mark and stepmum Heather live by the beach, for a classic Kiwi Christmas with her brother Simon, sister Dana and their families.
“My boys are the youngest, so they’ll definitely be bringing the Christmas energy,” she jokes.
Sage might still be a little young to fully understand the day, but big brother Sky is more than making up for it. Chelsea will make cookies with the boys on Christmas Eve to leave out for Santa and carrots for the reindeer will be strewn on the lawn before bed. Chelsea will be the festive DJ, ensuring carols are blasting from dawn till dusk. Making special memories with her boys has brought back her own childlike enthusiasm for the season, she admits.
“I can still remember how excited I was the night before Christmas,” she says.
“I literally couldn’t sleep. It was like this all-consuming euphoria. And I remember it so tangibly that it feels quite incredible that I get to witness it now with my kids.”
Why Christmas really matters
Chelsea says she and her family take Christmas seriously. It’s a time to come together, reconnect and enjoy each other’s company – something that feels especially important given they don’t get to see each other a lot during the year.
She explains, “We’re scattered all around the country, but we get along really well, so it’s a really special time for us. It’s bloody enjoyable.”
Traditions that never grow old
And it’s not just the little ones who will wake to a stocking from Santa – Chelsea and her older siblings still receive them, courtesy of Heather, who has lovingly kept the tradition alive for decades.
“Even though my brother’s 51, my sister is 50 and I’m 41, every year, we’re like, ‘Do we get stockings this year?’ And Heather will roll her eyes and say, ‘I don’t have time for that – you’re all too old!’ But then she can’t help herself and we all get one of her amazing stockings with our names on it, filled with cool things. There is always a mix of fun, silly presents, lovely chocolates and treats, and always something thoughtful and generous. It’s really lovely.”
Laughter, food and zero stress
Another tradition is a present-swapping game, where everyone brings one gift, which can be swapped or stolen. Cue hilarity and hijinks, with the family vying to outdo each other on the most outrageous booby prize.
“I say it every time, but it’s such a great game because it turns out to be this huge hour-long event of hilarity,” she tells.
“The booby prize is always an absolute ripper. One year, it was a giant baby diaper, so there was my dad in a big adult nappy with a bottle and a lollipop. It was just hysterical.”
And when it comes to food on Christmas Day, Chelsea takes a surprisingly casual approach. Everyone will contribute a plate or a platter and lunch is likely to be Chelsea’s famous slow-cooked lamb shoulder (the recipe of which can be found in Nourish) with a selection of salads to accompany.
“Ease is the key word for me,” she says.
A sober season
“The year is stressful enough. I don’t know why anyone would want to be stressing on Christmas Day as well.”
This year, Chelsea will be celebrating with clarity – no Champagne and no hangovers. But that wasn’t always the case. She’s refreshingly honest about her relationship with booze, admitting now that she was in the grips of alcoholism throughout her twenties and early thirties, rarely going a day without a drink, and regularly drinking herself into oblivion in the name of fun.
“It gets to a point where you just think, ‘Well, actually, nothing’s fun unless I’m drinking.’ And that’s a sad, sad, sad space to get to,” she says candidly.
“I was trapped in this cycle of addiction for a long, long time. I was either recovering from alcohol, thinking about the next time I could have it or drinking it, then wishing I hadn’t. Round and round. My life was absolutely consumed by it.”
In her early thirties, Chelsea identified she had a problem, so she largely stopped. But over the years, she would dip her toes back in occasionally. Each time, however, it left her feeling awful. Chelsea can’t pinpoint the last time she had a drink, but says she’s been booze-free for a good few years now and is confident alcohol is behind her for good.
“Alcohol makes me feel wretched. It doesn’t align with where I’m going and who I want to be, and it just feels like a massive hindrance. I am not saying no one should drink, but for me, my life is infinitely better without it.”
A life transformed
Chelsea is still amazed that she’s reached the point now where she barely gives alcohol a second thought and the freedom she’s found with sobriety feels incredible. Today, she gets her highs in other ways.
“Life now is just so incredibly beautiful – it’s so clear and so abundant. The natural highs that I’m able to experience every day, just by being in a place of flow and creativity, with deep peace, clarity and simple joy, is a billion times better than any glass of anything would be.”
This sense of transformation, what Chelsea calls her “quantum evolution” or a “soul-level shift”, has touched every part of her life, and shaped everything from her cooking to how she parents, lives and creates. After two plant-based cookbooks, Supergood and Tasty, she’s reintroduced eggs, meat, fish and dairy in Nourish, along with a sweet treats section made without refined sugar.
More than a cookbook
Chelsea believes this is her best book yet, but to her, it’s far more than just a cookbook – it’s an invitation to weave nourishment into everyday life, helping families thrive around the table. She has been overwhelmed – in the best way – by the flood of messages, photos and emails pouring in, mostly from women saying they feel seen and supported.
“It’s not just the recipes,” insists Chelsea.
“It’s nourishment in the truest sense of the word and I can feel the ripple effect.”
Her 13 years of experience since her MasterChef NZ win has culminated in Nourish, she says.
“That means 13 years of testing recipes, cooking, researching, and upskilling, living and learning, and being inspired. And all of that is now being poured into this book, with a greater intention to nourish. It comes with a very holistic view of wellness and it’s a really beautiful thing.”
Strength born from struggle
That theme of nourishment runs far deeper than food for her – it’s become a guiding principle in how she lives. Chelsea radiates a quiet confidence and joy that has only been earned by, as she puts it,
“going through some stuff”.
The breakdown of a relationship, a move to a new community and the exhausting reality of life as a single mum once felt insurmountable. Yet, she says, those challenges became the catalyst for transformation.
“I’m grateful for the hard stuff because it did allow me to evolve in quantum leaps as I moved on from it,” she reflects.
“It’s taken a while to get there, but things are in a good place. I have genuinely never felt as good as I feel now.”
Motherhood changed everything
Motherhood has been the driver of enormous change for Chelsea. She moved from Tauranga to Ōakura for her boys – to be closer to family, as her sister Dana lives there too, and for Sky (and eventually Sage) to attend Green School, an alternative, sustainability-focused environment that revolves around nature. While Sky is adventurous and energetic, Sage is quieter and more observant, but both love nothing more than being outside exploring. And her eldest appears to have inherited his mum’s love of cooking.
“He’s pretty good,” says his proud mum.
“He cooks me and Sage an egg for breakfast every morning, and his French toast is pretty impressive too.”
The weight of motherhood
Chelsea describes parenting as a “radical responsibility” which has forced her to look deep into herself.
“On every level, simply by existing and being in the world as themselves, they have demanded that I up my game. And I’ve met the challenge because as difficult as it can be, I want to give it everything I’ve got. I want to do the best I can for these kids. That required a whole lot of introspection and a whole lot of me facing parts of myself that I probably would have rather left unturned.”
It was this introspection that led Chelsea to radically change the way she’d been living. Like many women navigating young children, a busy work life and, in Chelsea’s case, the breakdown of her relationship, she’d found herself running on empty and stretched so thin, she’s not quite sure how she got through in one piece.
“I was in survival mode,” she says.
Filling her own cup
It dawned on her that she needed to take care of herself before she could take care of others. She needed nourishment, she concluded.
“I realised that the only way I was going to be able to do everything I wanted and needed to do, and show up in all the different ways I wanted to show up, I had to use whatever spare time I had for myself and to nourish my own wellbeing. “I needed to focus on me and prioritise filling my own cup with all the things that make me happy, that bring me grounding, peace and clarity. Because only then could I show up as a better mother.”
Choosing herself
Now she “consciously and unapologetically” carves out time for herself. Chelsea rises each morning before the boys to meditate. And each day, she has beloved nanny Becky for a few hours to allow time for her beach walk and perhaps a bit of social media. And when the lads are at their dad’s house two nights a week, she ensures she’s doing things for herself.
“It would be very easy for me to work all day and night, mother my children, cook and clean, and do nothing for myself. That could easily be my life if I let it, but I consciously don’t. Instead, I choose to celebrate who I am as a sovereign woman, not as a mother, not as a cook, not as a businesswoman – just me. It’s so easy to lose that me-ness in the craziness of modern life and motherhood.”
Where she finds her flow
She counts her beach walks as the most important in her arsenal of self-care tools.
“It ticks lots of boxes – it’s exercise, but it’s also grounding, recalibrating and you’re getting all those negative ions from the ocean. I have a lot of ideas come through when I’m on the beach. I fire off emails, voice notes, I jot stuff down. It’s where my best ideas come to me. If I’m feeling overwhelmed, I’ll put on some really soothing music and just kind of float along the beach, and find peace that way. Or if I’m all revved up, I’ll listen to pop music and sing out loud.”
Honouring the feminine
Chelsea uses words like “recalibration”, “female sovereignty” and “grounding” with a casual confidence. She is proud of her evolution and what she sees as a celebration of her feminine essence
– “It’s a deepening into my own rhythm” – which even extends to her menstrual cycle. When her period arrives each month, Chelsea proudly wears red and she consciously changes her rhythm to treat herself gently during those days.
“We live in a world governed by the 24-hour hormonal cycle typical for men, with a consistent energy and rhythm day in and day out,” she explains.
“But women are completely different. Our monthly cycle dips and sways, yet we’re still expected to perform at the same level, every single day, despite how vastly different our energy will be. When I realised this, I was horrified. I was like, ‘Nah, I’m not subscribing to that any more.’ We’re not machines. We’re wild, cyclical creatures!”
A gentler way of living
Now when she has her period, she drinks herbal teas, eats nourishing foods, and clears her calendar to rest and “turn inward”.
Chelsea says, “In simple terms, for a woman, it’s the ultimate act of self-care. I honour my body – her cycles, her rhythms and what she needs as best I can.”
Some might call her ideas a little woo-woo, but Chelsea simply laughs when asked if this is all part of a spiritual awakening. She prefers to see this as a “journey of self-evolution”, explaining, “It’s about finding meaning in the mundane. And it’s been a beautiful journey, to be honest.”
Creating in collaboration
Chelsea credits her friend Heliena Chapman – who worked with her on Nourish – for accompanying her on this journey of learning and self-discovery. The women, who live just minutes apart in Ōakura, met six years ago and formed an instant bond.
She describes Heliena as “the epitome of divine feminine energy and a very powerful healer”.
Writing a cookbook with another person was a first for Chelsea, but she relished the chance to collaborate and create together.
A powerful partnership
“There is something magical about Heliena,” she muses.
“She makes you feel completely safe, seen and understood. She’s wise beyond her years, like some ancient sage living in a 33-year-old’s body, and she’s taught me a lot and helped me through a lot. When we work together, it honestly feels like the ideas already exist and we’re just weaving them in. We’re totally on the same wavelength and things move really fast in this kind of inspired, heart-led way. It’s potent.”
And it’s alongside Heliena that Chelsea is launching a series of women’s wellness retreats, named Nourish & Bloom. The first, in June next year, is being held over four days at luxury Flockhill Lodge in the Southern Alps, joined by facilitators who are leaders in their field. Chelsea is excited and proud about this new venture, but when she felt that headlines earlier this year misrepresented her intentions, she decided to speak out – “not to defend, but to clarify”, she says.
Finding her voice
A younger Chelsea would have let it go. Not this version, though. Chelsea took to social media to correct what she saw as glaring inaccuracies and a predetermined narrative to the story.
She wrote: “There will be more retreats in future – some luxury, some more affordable – because all women deserve this kind of nourishment. The idea that I will only create for the “elite”, as some kind of bizarre marketing strategy, is simply untrue.
“So now, hear this: I will not be diminished, discredited or shamed. Not by clickbait. Not by outdated narratives. And certainly not by those who feel uncomfortable when women remember their power.”
Chelsea explains her outpouring, “I wasn’t going to say anything, but then it started being syndicated across multiple websites and I thought, ‘You know what? I don’t have to sit there and let that go. I’m going to speak up and speak my truth because that’s what I do now.’ And so I did.”
A return to self
Billed as feminine remembrance retreats, Chelsea believes passionately in what she is offering. She describes the getaways as an immersion into transformation and awakening, with participants shedding layers of trauma, belief systems and conditioning, and reconnecting women to their true selves.
She promises participants will leave feeling lighter, happier and more connected.
“I could talk about feminine remembrance all day long,” she admits.
“Because I have lived it and I am experiencing it. It’s really about finding out who we actually are as women under all the layers. Most of us have forgotten. The world we live in makes sure of that. But when we start to remember, it’s the most profound experience. It’s about women coming home to themselves. And then living from that place and seeing how life opens up in so many new ways because of it. I can’t wait to share that with others.”
More herself than ever
Chelsea might have been through something of an evolution, but she’s adamant that at her core, she’s still the same goofy Kiwi cook the nation fell in love with all those years ago on MasterChef NZ. What’s changed, she says, isn’t who she is, but what she’s let go of. Over time, she’s shed the layers and expectations that never really belonged to her. And she refuses to apologise for any of it.
“I’m still Chelsea,” she asserts.
“Actually, I’m more ‘Chelsea’ than I’ve ever been because I’ve let go of so much that wasn’t serving me on so many levels. I’ve integrated so many learnings and because of that, now I feel like a woman living in her power. “My intuition guides my life. I speak my truth, live my joy, ugly cry when I need to, dance in the kitchen and laugh at stupid memes with my friends. I say no when I want to, yes when it feels right and I’m unapologetically discerning. “I’m not perfect, but I’m learning to keep showing up as myself, flaws and all. And I’ve never felt better or more alive for it.”
