Vicki Matchett, originally from New Zealand, first developed her love of food when she was about seven and she knelt on a stool to make sandwiches for the canteen where her grandmother was an industrial caterer. Being educated at Woodford House, Hawkes Bay, gave her a taste of rural life and, upon leaving school, Vicki studied agriculture. From there she traveled extensively throughout Europe and Africa.
Returning to Auckland, Vicki completed the Cordon Bleu Cookery Certificate and was then accepted into Auckland Technical Institute to study for the City and Guilds Chefs Certificate. Upon completion, Vicki moved to Australia and worked in various establishments before starting her own restaurant: Rapps BYO in Adelaide.