A fresh face in the Dessert Masters kitchen, Rhiann Mead is looking forward to the ultimate competition, bringing her classically trained pastry skills to the table.

Hailing from Toowoomba, Queensland, Rhiann travelled to London for a gap year before she planned to study a physiotherapy degree. But those plans changed whilst working in the Harrods Chocolate Hall and Rhiann’s path was diverted, as she began chasing her new pastry passion.

Completing an apprenticeship with prestigious London chocolatier William Curley, Rhiann went on to study at the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts in London, passing the Annual Awards of Excellence exam.

Returning from the UK a fully qualified pastry chef, Rhiann began working under esteemed chef Peter Gilmore, where she ran the pastry section at Sydney’s Quay, before becoming Head Pastry Chef at iconic restaurant, Bennelong. She credits her former mentor in Gilmore with teaching her to think differently and to always push the limits.

After six and a half years with Gilmore, in 2022 Rhiann spread her wings to join The Charles in Sydney, a grand, European-style brasserie, where she is Head Pastry Chef and has creative control across both an à la carte dessert menu and a highly sought-after dessert trolley.

Leading her team with passion and enthusiasm, Rhiann’s cakes are beautifully elegant and refined, whilst leaning into nostalgia to deliver the diner happiness. Drawing on her classical training, Rhiann endeavours to ensure each item on the dessert trolley has a technical element, even if at first glance it may seem simple.

With her love for the precision of pastry, even at home, Rhiann is drawn to the calmness of baking, noting the therapeutic and soothing qualities of creating desserts reliant upon formula or process.

Rhiann is throwing herself into the deep end by joining the Dessert Masters competition, and is excited to see how she performs under pressure, relishing the opportunity to think on her feet and learn from her industry peers along the way, keeping her eyes on the prize.