Age: 30

State: Queensland

Occupation: Pharmacologist

With a degree in pharmacology and toxicology to his name, David Tan’s day job is as a national clinical trials administrator. While he is committed to his important work with cancer patients on their crucial treatments, David has put his profession on hold to see where his MasterChef Australia journey may lead.

Growing up in Singapore, in a food culture that underpins society, David jokes that eating is the national hobby and notes that his family of five would think nothing of driving to Malaysia on the weekend just for lunch.

With fond memories of cooking from both his father and grandmother, David knows that cooking was their love language, with care and culture expressed through delicious traditions. Along with his sister who is based in Darwin, David tries to return to Singapore annually to reconnect with family and come together over food.

Making the move to Australia seven years ago and settling on the Gold Coast was a big push for David to hone his cooking skills. His interest peaked as he began to truly understand the science behind cooking and how to achieve the flavours and textures he desired.

Inspired by a host of chefs including Joshua Weissman, Josh Niland, Grant Crilly, and Lucas Sin, David is most confident in the savoury space and loves the sense of achievement in recreating technical recipes.

Joining MasterChef Australia in 2024 is a chance for David to deep dive into his passion for food and test how far he has come as a home cook, and just how far he might go. This pragmatic cook knows that he will need to lean into trusting and building on his intuition while nurturing his creativity in the kitchen.

Set to bring his scientific sensibilities into the competition, will it make David the master of texture and flavour or the MasterChef Australia kitchen’s mad scientist?