South Australia, 34, Insurance Claims Manager

After securing one of the final aprons on offer following the second chance cook, Aaron Sanders is out to prove he deserves his place in the MasterChef kitchen.

Born and raised in Adelaide, Aaron was a sporty kid and to this day, loves stand up paddle boarding, snowboarding and playing baseball.

With a preference for cooking savoury dishes but tasting something sweet, Aaron’s childhood was spent battling severe food allergies, limiting his experience and exposure to a variety of cuisines and dishes. After growing out of many of these allergies, he now relishes the opportunity to expand his horizons and palate.

Despite his late introduction to food and cooking, Aaron’s skills developed quickly as he embraced his new passion. He quickly turned to food idols including Heston Blumenthal, Jamie Oliver and MasterChef Australia judge Jock Zonfrillo, to enhance his knowledge of techniques and flavours.

Aaron’s favourite ingredients include native herbs and spices, duck and fennel, and he admits that he never fails to impress with his signature crispy skin pork belly.

With a passion for fishing, Aaron hopes his skills with seafood will help him survive challenges set in the MasterChef kitchen. But as a master of cooking through touch and taste, Aaron rarely uses recipes and knows this may hurt him should he find himself in a pressure test.

Aaron dreams of creating a dinner party restaurant at home, similar to Melbourne’s famed Enter Via Laundry. He’d love to open his own café serving food from a backyard garden, while teaching others and sharing his love of food.