Laura Sharrad
State: South Australia
After coming in runner-up in season six, Adelaide chef Laura Sharrad knows she only needs to break down one more wall to claim the coveted trophy which eluded her so many years ago.
Far from the fresh-faced teenager who battled it out against eventual winner Brent Owens, Laura (known then as Laura Cassai) took the skills and opportunity from the MasterChef kitchen and parlayed them into an enviable food career. After the show she worked as the pastry chef alongside new judge Jock Zonfrillo at his acclaimed hatted restaurant Orana, before moving onto Andres Cucina for three years. She spent time at the award-winning Hently Farm in the Barossa Valley in 2018, before embarking on her own restaurant, Nido Bar and Pasta which she opened last year. The venture was a special one for the now 24-year-old, opening the space alongside her new husband and fellow chef Max Sharrad.
The dish that secured Laura's spot in the top two was her Chestnut Forest dessert from Season 6, Episode 59.
