Age: 22

State: Victoria

Occupation: Marketing Coordinator

While she might be the youngest contender in the MasterChef Australia kitchen this season, Lourdes Leschen looks set to hold her own, with a grace beyond her years.

Growing up in Melbourne, Lourdes is fortunate to have had a heavy Spanish influence in her life and her cooking. With her mother Laly and Yiayia Ana Maria hailing from Catalonia, the family has strong ties to its maternal homeland.

This connection has instilled in Lourdes a deep love of cooking, teaching her how delicious healthy and simple food can be. A two-month student exchange to Madrid during high school further deepened her appreciation for her culture. While croquettes, paella and churros are all up there, her favourite Spanish fare is the traditional bocadillo de tortilla, a simple yet decadent sandwich.

With a variety of Mediterranean influences, this youngest of three children became a vegetarian for a time during her teens, which saw her cook for herself a lot more. A perfectionist in many areas of her life, as an academic high achiever, Lourdes already has a university degree under her belt and is working in marketing.

Not content with her achievements to date, Lourdes is out to prove to herself that she is up to the MasterChef Australia challenge, backing her abilities. What she might lack in experience, she knows that she will make up for in sheer hard work and a will to deliver her best. Her versatility and time management will be assets in the kitchen, as will her ability to work well under pressure.

With a huge collection of cookbooks that she is constantly working her way through, Lourdes also loves consuming food media and is ready to take on any feedback to help her grow as a cook.

While she loves savoury, Lourdes also admits to a strong sweet tooth, so she hopes her broad palette will be an asset. With her family, friends and boyfriend at home cheering her on, Lourdes hopes to do them proud, pushing herself towards her dream to pen her very own cookbook, combining her two passions, food – no doubt with a Spanish focus - and photography.