State: SA

Age: 24

Occupation: Pharmacist

Born in Adelaide as the youngest of four children, Ben Trobbiani says he owes most of his culinary knowledge to his Dad and brother Stephen. With his Dad’s passion for Italian cooking, Ben started cooking as a teenager for his family, at the time also loving big desserts, which satisfied his sweet tooth.

Graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from the University of South Australia in 2015, Ben moved out of home soon after and began expanding his repertoire, now considering himself more adept at savoury dishes.

Hoping he can rely on his vast knowledge across a wide range of cuisines, Ben says he is confident in balancing and pinpointing flavours.

Inspired by Jock Zonfrillo for his way of preserving ancient dishes and bringing them to a modern kitchen, Ben says he also loves Jock’s passion for native ingredients. Also a fan of René Redzepi, Ben is in awe of the foraging movement and enjoys exploring modernist techniques.

Listing Mexican as his favourite cuisine, Ben says his greatest food memory came last year when he spent five months backpacking solo through Southeast Asia including Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Dining on street food wherever he could, he routinely returned to one vendor serving Khao Soi – a coconut curry with stewed chicken leg.

Describing his own food style as modern Australian, Ben enjoys celebrating different cultures and hopes to one day run a small café, showcasing a constantly changing, seasonal menu.