Victoria, 26, Product Manager

Mimi enters the MasterChef Australia kitchen not only with skills nurtured by her beloved grandmother, but with a competitive edge born from being a girl with two brothers.

Having grown up in Melbourne with mum, dad and two older brothers, Mimi always held her own with the boys around the house and the three siblings enjoyed their sports, with Mimi excelling at tennis, skiing and running.

Having inherited her love of food from her grandmother, Mimi has memories of visiting her and grandad at home in Adelaide and spending all their time in the kitchen.

Following school, Mimi completed a Bachelor in Media and Communications at Deakin University, before taking on a marketing role in a children’s book publishing company, where she has worked ever since. While she enjoyed her work, Mimi could definitely hear the call of the kitchen.

With plans in the pipeline to launch a brand of sports leisure clothing or “sweats” alongside brother, it is clear that Mimi is happy in the role of both creator and entrepreneur. In fact, she and her brother would love to one day open a trendy Melbourne café together, with a focus on fresh and simple produce. If Mimi has her way, that day will not be too far off: she is already dreaming up menus and picking out the décor.

In addition to her grandmother’s teachings, Mimi is inspired as a cook by the likes of Daniel Wilson, Margaret Fulton, Brent Owens, Yotam Ottolenghi, Nigella Lawson, Heston Blumenthal, Marco Pierre White and Jamie Oliver.