Victoria, 25, Marketing Coordinator

Describing cooking as “me time”, Katrina Dunnett says spending time behind the kitchen bench gives her solace and peace.

Inspired by cuisine diversity, Katrina credits her Indonesian oma (grandmother) for teaching her about different flavours and her Australian grandmother for teaching her classics like pavlova.

When it comes to sweet treats, Katrina says nothing compares to the boulangerie aromas of Nathaniel Doboin and Thomas Teffri- Chambellands’ Chambelland, a daily indulgence during a six-month stint living in Paris.

Born and raised on a berry farm in Beechworth with her parents and three older siblings, as a five-year-old Katrina would sell homemade cakes from the farm gate shop and by 10 was routinely making family dinners. She describes her childhood as idyllic, spending most of her time outside in nature with animals.

After finishing high school in Albury, Katrina moved to Melbourne to follow her creative dreams and study Graphic Design. She soon switched to a Bachelor of Business and kickstarted her career in marketing.

Securing one of the final aprons of the series in the second chance cook, Katrina’s audition dish of green eggs and yams was a nod to her long-held food beliefs of living a paddock-to-plate lifestyle and cooking with fresh, seasonal vegetables. Passionate about food education, Katrina is excited by her goal to promote awareness around food choice, access and availability.

Katrina takes great inspiration from the streets around her and her food idols include Peter Savage from Gerald’s Bar, Congress’ Jack Stuart and Free to Feed’s Loretta Bolotin. Internationally, Katrina loves to watch Tessa Kiros, Solla Eiriksdottir and Yotam Ottolenghi.

Away from the kitchen, Katrina loves throwing parties and hosting friends for intimate dinners. She enjoys fashion, reading books and creating artwork to adorn the walls of her inner-city Melbourne home.