State: VIC

Age: 37

Occupation: Office Manager

For many MasterChef contestants, cooking begins at home learning the basics. But for Dee Williams, attending boarding school in the Sri Lankan city of Kandy for 12 years meant everything was provided, and she rarely found herself in the kitchen making meals.

But she relished going home on holidays, and it was there her mum encouraged her to read cookbooks, teaching her the basics of classic Sri Lankan and southern Indian dishes.

The oldest of four children, Dee’s family lived on a tea plantation and in 2007 she packed up and moved to Australia to complete a Bachelor’s degree in Hotel Management at Homesglen, graduating in 2011.

Arriving in Australia, Dee says she was inspired by the variety of cuisines and cooking cultures on offer, and cites her strengths in the kitchen as Asian and Sri Lankan, a confident allrounder in Malaysian, Thai and Singaporean flavours.

Currently working as an office manager, she hopes her skills with time management will help her progress in the competition. But while she’s skilled at multitasking, Dee admits her weakness may be floundering when the pressure gets too high in the kitchen.

A self-described savoury cook still capable of sweet dishes, she dreams of hosting a cooking school in the Yarra Valley showcasing both Sri Lankan food and other cuisines she’s mastered over her years living in Australia.

Inspired by Donna Hay for her techniques and easy to follow recipes, Dee also hopes to see Gordon Ramsay and Curtis Stone walk through the MasterChef doors.

She lives at home her husband Michael who she married in 2012, and brother Ebenezer who lives with the couple in Melbourne’s east.