Victoria, 23, Marketing Executive

When COVID-19 hit in early 2020, Trent Vu faced what many other Australians were battling and was made redundant from his job. Determined not to let it get him down, he used the opportunity to reassess his career, embracing his passion for food and launching his own food blog.

Born and raised in Melbourne’s south east, Trent was immersed in the area’s vibrant Vietnamese community and credits his mum with teaching him the basics in the kitchen.

Inspired by Nigella Lawson, Poh Ling Yeow and Darren Purchese, Trent cites Janice Wong as a game changer for desserts, mesmerised by her cassis plum when he visited 2am Dessert Bar in Singapore.

Trent received a resounding “yes” from the judges at the auditions when he presented his coral reef dessert, consisting of desert lime cheesecake, yoghurt sorbet, milk skin, coral tuille and fresh finger lime.

Trent describes his cooking style as conceptual and fun, taking inspiration from nature and fantasy to make plated desserts and patisserie creations. Some of his signature dishes include tarts, cakes and risotto. One to watch in pressure tests, Trent is confident when following recipes and using his instinct to adjust them as required.

Graduating from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Arts and Diploma in Languages in 2018, Trent dreams of one day writing his own column for a food magazine. Confident with desserts and native Australian ingredients, he admits he will need to work on his seafood skills, particularly filleting fish, if he wants to remain at the top of the pack.

Besotted by pop music from the early 2000s, when he’s not cooking up a storm in the kitchen, Trent enjoys indulging in karaoke, writing and photography.