Victoria, 27, Restaurant Manager

Conor Curran may have spent ten years working in restaurants, but he is the first to admit he’s been on the wrong side of the pass. Now he’s taking a leap across the divide, confident and keen to explore and showcase what he’s learnt along the way.

With a love of traditional Greek recipes and flavours from his mum and yiayia, Conor credits his grandmother with encouraging his love of food. Born and raised in Melbourne, he’s used his decade of experience working in Melbourne’s bustling and vibrant restaurant scene like a sponge, soaking it up, ready to squeeze it out in the MasterChef kitchen.

With a passion for travel, Conor says while he often cooks with Greek techniques, he’s worked mostly in South East Asian restaurants, spent time exploring Middle Eastern and Mexican cuisines, and lived in a predominantly Caribbean neighbourhood while in London for two years. It’s this mash of cultures and cuisines that Conor hopes will propel him forward to take home the coveted MasterChef Australia trophy.

With strengths in dish creativity, presentation and culinary knowledge, Conor admits he may need to work on his pastry and dessert skills. Following his MasterChef Australia journey, he dreams of one day opening an eclectic deli shop named Sit Down Dora after his mum, with an adjacent hidden bar named Shut Up Mike after his dad.

Conor is inspired in the kitchen by local chefs John Paul Twomey, Scott Lord and Joshua Clarke, and internationally he raves about Akis Petretzikis, Yotam Ottolenghi and New York’s acclaimed Ovenly bakers, Agatha Kulaga and Erin Patinkin.

Away from the kitchen, Conor splits his time between maintaining his plants and enjoying a quiet beer with mates at his local.