GE 31, MARKETING DIRECTOR (ELIMINATED 17TH) Growing up in a tiny fishing village on the south coast of England, Lucy had an idyllic childhood with her parents, sailing, crabbing and cooking. Her two siblings are 10 years older than her, and she relished being an only child when they were at boarding school.

It was Lucy's mum, a chef, who brought her up with a huge love of food and a great passion for cooking.

"I used to sit on the counter watching her as she floated around the kitchen concocting delicious dishes. She is not one for recipes, everything is perfected by senses and this is one of the most important cooking lessons I learnt from her."

Lucy's mum had a successful catering company in the UK, and Lucy is certain she would have followed in her footsteps, although her mother advised her against it due to the long hours and impact on family and social life. A move to Australia to follow the man of her dreams, her husband Sam, saw Lucy continue in the corporate world of digital marketing in Sydney and leave her food dreams behind.

"I have always wanted to cook for a living. I turned 30 and it suddenly dawned on me that I have been working in a profession I didn't choose. We spend about 70 per cent of our waking days at work so we should be doing something that we love and makes us happy. For me, that's cooking."

Lucy has rubbed shoulders with royalty on more than one occasion. As a Silver Service waitress in the UK, she used to manage the Royal Box at Wimbledon. She once spilt coffee on Prince Phillip, dropped a tray of glasses in front of Queen Elizabeth II and has many friends in common with Prince William and the Duchess Of Cambridge, Kate Middleton.

A keen runner, Lucy cites completing her first half marathon as one of her greatest achievements. She also overcame dyslexia as a teenager and went on to study and get great marks at university. Lucy's dream is to have a cafe on the northern beaches in Sydney that people travel to from far and wide knowing they will be rewarded with delicious, nutritious, wholesome, freshly made food.

"This is a place where you can't walk past due to the smell being so tantalising and the sight of food in the window breathtakingly beautiful."