Age: 31

South Australia

Instagram: @savisquishles 

Previous season & place: Season 16, placed 3rd

Admitting she lies awake at night thinking about what brought her unstuck in the season 16 semi final, Sav Perera definitely has unfinished business in the MasterChef Australia kitchen. Second chances don’t come around too often in life, and Sav is determined not to waste hers.

Following last year’s competition, the former banking consultant gathered experience in restaurant kitchens before launching her own business and now works as a private chef and in event catering, bringing the bold, delicious flavours of Sri Lanka to her clients’ tables.

Her star is on the rise in her beloved Sri Lanka, where Sav enjoyed a hero’s welcome on recent visits, such is the immense pride her community felt at seeing her bring traditional Sri Lankan food to the global stage.

Born in Colombo where she lived until moving to Adelaide aged 18, food permeates Sav’s childhood memories growing up with older sister Chethanee, her late Mum Chandrika and Dad Chethiya. It was to her mother she dedicated much of her season last year, but this year Sav declares that she is doing it just for herself.

With nothing to prove this time around, Sav expects to feel a certain freedom in the kitchen without as much self-imposed pressure. She’ll definitely still feel the nerves, but if there’s one thing she knows about herself, it’s that she will never back down from a challenge, and never give up.

Having hosted pop-ups and kitchen collaborations, Sav still dreams of opening her own café, admitting though that this is now more of a long-term goal. For now, she wants to continue promoting Sri Lankan food around the world, and focus on growing her business.

Admiring chefs including Kylie Kwong, Nornie Bero, Gayan Peiris and Analiese Gregory, Sav says her three favourite ingredients to cook with are onions, garlic and curry leaves.

She wants the judges to expect the unexpected from her cooking, moving away from creating predominantly Sri Lankan dishes, and intending to push boundaries and blend some of her newfound French and Japanese techniques.