MasterChef Australia

Top 24
Commercial Labourer

State: WA

Age: 28

Wade is a commercial labourer who would love to start again in the food industry. He passed up a secure job in the mines to pursue his MasterChef dream.

Wade has always been interested in learning more about what he is eating and is driven by seeing whether he can cook better than his Mum. He has been cooking since he was 12 and his first dish was a bruschetta.

“I started cooking in secret because I didn’t want any more chores to do!”

He hopes that MasterChef will help to refine his ambition – to have his own café with an emphasis on great seasonal produce. He also wants to be pushed out of his comfort zone and to give himself the best chance to change his life. Continue reading »

Top 24

Private Banker

State: WA

Age: 34

Private banker Sam grew up on a merino and cattle farm in rural NSW – he is one of three boys.

Sam’s Grandfather was a butcher who taught him a lot about cuts of meat. One of his first memories of cooking is preparing roast lamb with his Mum – who is his cooking inspiration.

Sam wants to pursue something he is passionate about as a career – and hopes to work in the food industry.

One of his ideas is to return to farming and open a restaurant on the property that sells what the farm produces. “I want to love getting up to go to work.”

Sam’s strengths are meat and seafood – it was his Salmon dish in the Back Yourself With Matt Moran challenge that secured him his spot in the Top 24. He also loves to cook on the barbecue. Continue reading »

Top 24
Customer Service Officer

State: NT

Age: 28

Jules has a close-knit family and grew up all over Australia. They moved every couple of years because her Dad was in the army. Jules currently works at a bank as a customer service officer, but her dream is to open her own food and wine bar.

“Canapes with wine to match”

Jules’ family led to her interest in food and cooking as it always played a major role in their lives growing up – her entire family had a passion for it. She started cooking when she was very young and has always loved it.

“One of my earliest memories was making apple pie with Granny. She makes the best apple pie. I have her recipe but I don’t make it as good as her!” Continue reading »

Top 24
Casino Marketer

State: NSW

Age: 34

‘Big Kev’ is a positive, laid back Canadian who loves playing rugby, cooking for friends, throwing parties and reading cook books.

“I have collected over 80 of them.”

Kevin decided to leave Canada when he came to a realisation that there was more to life than just working and felt compelled to travel the world.

Kevin is in a relationship with fellow Canadian Erik, they met whilst backpacking around Australia. Kevin plays for Australia’s most successful gay rugby union team – The Sydney Convicts. Continue reading »

Top 24

Art Gallery Director

State: NSW

Age: 38

Kath describes herself as “earthy and gregarious”. She grew up in Tasmania and her parents were always interested in food and gardening – which inspired her love for sustainable cooking.

“It’s important to try everything and therefore eat ethically.”

Kath met her husband Alastair 12 years ago whilst studying at University in the UK. He left his life behind and moved to Australia to be with her. Aside from marrying Alastair, Kath’s other proudest moment was becoming the Director of Hawkesbury Regional Gallery and creating a vegetable garden there. Continue reading »

Top 24
Senior Account Manager

State: VIC

Age: 50

Debra lives with her dog, Izzy who is her pride and joy. She grew up in Victoria in East Gippsland and has two brothers and one sister with whom she is close.

Debra’s ‘Pap’ (grandfather) and dad were both bakers so she grew up with memories of freshly baked lamingtons and scones being prepared in their wood fire oven. Now whenever Debra is feeling down she bakes a cake.

“As a little girl I would spend a lot of my time in Nan and Pap’s kitchen just watching them both cook in an old, wood, fired stove. The first dish I ever prepared was a ginger fluff cake with fresh duck eggs when I was nine years old.” Continue reading »

Top 24
PhD Student

State: WA

Age: 38

Lydia has an Italian heritage and is heavily influenced by her mother. She is the youngest of three and has an older brother and sister but they don’t share the same passion for food as Lydia does.

Growing up, Lydia’s mother was – and still is – a serious cook, “she knows everything about food and is always a wealth of knowledge.”

As a child, Lydia would be in the kitchen with her Mum – kneading pasta and bread, shaping biscuits and often helping with the evening meal. The first dish she remembers making was a pasta ragu. Dinnertime was un-interrupted family time in their home.

“My life was centred around the kitchen table – homework, eating, chatting – I had a great upbringing, always plenty of food in the house. My friends used to think we were having birthday dinners, when it was just a normal night of the week!” Continue reading »

Top 24
Uni Student

State: VIC

Age: 18

Philosophical and easy going, Matt has been cooking since he can remember – his first memory is making an apple crumble with his Nan – and much of his childhood was spent marinating meat and barbecuing with his Dad or flipping pancakes with his Mum.

Being this year’s youngest contestant hasn’t deterred him. “I think I have what it takes.”

Currently studying Arts and Commerce at University, Matt works at a fast food restaurant in his spare time and is their youngest team leader.

He says his time management is “like a sixth sense” which he hopes will help him in the competition – alongside his knife skills and confidence with cooking meat and roasts. Continue reading »

Top 24
Account Manager

State: NSW

Age: 41

Born in Singapore to a Singaporean mother and Indian father, mum of two Audra grew up living and breathing food. With a huge extended family, there were always lots of people to be fed – and lots of great cooks.

Her first memories of cooking are as a young teenager, baking biscuits, but when she first moved overseas to study in New Zealand – and was homesick for Asian food – she started making her Mum’s chicken curry.

“I was awfully deprived of good Asian food so I started to dabble in re-creating it myself.”

It is her Mum that she cites as being her biggest food hero but also her biggest critic. “I want to make my Mum proud – I am living her dream too.” Continue reading »

Top 24
Automotive Detailer

State: VIC

Age: 40

Mario is an automotive detailer who dreams of his own intimate café or restaurant where he can emulate his father’s recipes.

His father is Slovenian and mother was born in Croatia.

Mario’s first cooking experience was making biscuits in Home Economics Class – he remembers being incredibly proud to bring them home to his Mum.

Married for 12 years, Mario says there is nothing better than sharing your life with your best friend. Together they love to eat out and try different types of food and cooking styles – although he says a good old fashioned barbecue or grill can’t be beaten. Continue reading »