NSW Season 10 @aldoortado

Sharing food was the key to Aldo Ortado’s warm childhood growing up in the Italian province of Bacoli. Each day his Nonna would make his favourite lunch, and Aldo recalls it always being about fresh ingredients and comfort dining. Raised alongside an older and younger sister, Aldo says he was fortunate to be regularly spoiled by extended family. It’s a family he longs to return and see, as COVID restrictions have kept him in Sydney for the past few years.

In 2009 after leaving school, Aldo moved to Rome to study statistics and four years later headed to Australia seeking new adventures.

He started working for an event and catering business as a food attendant on the floor, before taking on a restaurant manager role with a local Italian restaurant, Giro Osteria.

In early 2014 Aldo met Mark, and the pair married two years ago.

Following his MasterChef Australia journey, Aldo appeared on television in numerous cooking segments, and opened pop up restaurants in Sydney. But he relishes being back home in the MasterChef kitchen and wants his fellow contestant to be under no illusion, he’s back to win.

Aldo dreams of one day opening his own café and restaurant, focussing on classic southern Italian food with a relaxed feel during the day, which transforms into a fine dining experience at night. He says he wants the feel to reflect that of his childhood, a place where from the time you step inside, you just feel like you’ve arrived home.