State: VIC

Age: 23

Occupation: Bar Manager

Blake Werner is confident in the restaurant game.

His parents own a Spanish restaurant in bayside Melbourne, and it’s where Blake now works as he manages the bar and works front of house.

He was raised in Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula alongside his three younger sibling Brigette, Angus and Amelia. Blake grew up fishing in the summer and picking wild mushrooms in the winter around Red Hill.

After a stint at Monash University studying a Bachelor’s degree in Arts, with a major in European politics and minor in French language, Blake decided to take time off to work. He made his start in advertising before landing in real estate, but it was the lure of food which brought him back to his parent’s restaurant, with dreams of one day opening his own tapas bar.

Crediting his mum with teaching him to cook the basics from her Italian family, Blake says he grew up making pasta, and his earliest memories are of helping her out in the kitchen. Moving out of home at 18 forced him to expand his cooking, and he now cites his strengths as breaking down meat and seafood.

A lover of good food, he describes his food style as Mediterranean, and says his favourite cuisines are French, Spanish and Japanese.

Admiring professional chefs including Jock Zonfrillo, Ben Shewry, Massimo Butturo and the late Anthony Bourdain, Blake says when he’s not cooking he loves to ski, surf and hang out with friends and girlfriend, Kate.