Western Australia Age: 27 Occupation: Lawyer

One of nearly 30 close cousins, Benjamin says holidays and family celebrations were always big affairs, with food featuring as the primary focus point.

Together with his younger sister Eliza, Benjamin was raised in the Perth Hills of Glen Forrest and he developed an early love and appreciation for sustainable food production from his father, who worked as a farmer.

After graduating from Perth’s Guildford Grammar in 2006, Benjamin started degrees in Law and Commerce at Murdoch University. In his final year, Benjamin was selected as one of six students nationally to compete for the Law Student of the Year Award, the greatest achievement of his education.

After university, Benjamin took a year off to travel, driving across the US in a van for three months with his best mate. The trip cemented his love of big, bold flavours, as he learnt to cook southern style BBQ. The boys then trekked through Canada where Benjamin worked under a fleischmeister (a German “meat master”), before travelling across Europe, exploring the food scenes of France, Italy, Greece and Germany.

The experience led to a big year of personal growth for Benjamin, and tasting and experimenting with different cuisine styles encouraged him to start cooking with different techniques.

Benjamin is now the co-director of a law firm in Perth, but he says food remains his passion, citing French-born Perth chef Alain Fabregues as his food idol.

Following MasterChef Australia, Benjamin seeks to gain experience in kitchens and one day hopes to open his own small restaurant, focusing on fresh, locally-grown seasonal, sustainable and organic produce.