Sydney CookOff

Chef Alejandro Saravia is widely credited with introducing Peruvian cuisine to Australia’s food culture. His passion for authentic food made with love, is combined with his wealth of experience gained through cooking in world-class kitchens across three continents.

As Executive Chef of Foxtrot Hospitality, Blaze now oversees the culinary programs across three of WA’s most dynamic venues: Nieuw Ruin, Edward & Ida’s, and Foxtrot Unicorn. Her leadership is marked by a fearless approach to flavour, a deep respect for local produce, and a commitment to fostering a positive kitchen culture.

Brendan Pang is a cook, author, and content creator known for sharing the bold, nostalgic flavours of his Chinese-Mauritian heritage. A proud Perth local, Brendan’s passion for food began in his family kitchen, learning to make wontons from scratch with his Grandmere - a tradition that still inspires his cooking today. Brendan first rose to fame on MasterChef Australia in 2018 and 2020, and later founded Bumplings, a dumpling kitchen and pop-up cooking school in Fremantle. Over five years, he served thousands of dumplings and helped build a community around Asian street food.
After spending time living and cooking in Asia, Brendan is now based in Sydney, where he continues to share his love for street food through cookbooks, cooking classes, and social media, inspiring home cooks to explore bold but approachable recipes rooted in family and tradition.

Dublin-born chef and restaurateur, Colin Fassnidge first appeared as a guest judge on My Kitchen Rules in 2012 and has since become a full-time judge in both Australia and New Zealand. Known for his cheeky and outspoken demeanour, Colin's culinary journey began in Dublin and has taken him around the world.

His cooking career in earnest began at the age of 18 as an apprentice chef at Sheraton on the Park in Sydney. After stints at Hayman Island and Rockpool as Head Chef, Corey now runs 20 Chapel in Marrickville.

As one of the most popular contestants to come out of Series one of ‘MasterChef’ in 2009, over a decade on, Justine has built a career out of everything she loves and has well and truly established herself as a familiar and well-respected face of the Australian food and media industry.

Founded by mother and daughter duo, Sivine Tabbouch and Karima Hazim, Sunday Kitchen speaks to the heart of Lebanese food and culture, while providing an inclusive and unforgettable cooking experience each week. Combining the essence of family, community and shared feasts, each session brings to life a love of storytelling and enduring tradition.

Matt Moran has a plethora of awards to his name, TV shows, best-selling cookbooks and ownership of some of Australia’s most celebrated dining establishments, it’s safe to say that Matt Moran is an Australian food icon.

Born in Murcia in the south of Spain, Miguel Maestre's love of food was set from a young age — and it's taken him from kitchens around the world to making Sydney his home. He's cooked alongside some of Australia's best, including Serge Dansereau at Bather's Pavilion and Tony Bilson, and was inspired by Ferran Adrià at El Bulli before opening his own Spanish restaurant, El Toro Loco, on the Manly waterfront.

These days Miguel is best known as a co-host of Network 10's The Living Room, alongside credits including Boys Weekend, Miguel's Tropical Kitchens, Ready Steady Cook Australia and a memorable stint as King of the Jungle on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!. He's also the author of three bestselling cookbooks and founder of Maestre Enterprises, his own range of Spanish produce.

Miguel is a longtime supporter of OzHarvest and brings his infectious energy for food and life to CEO CookOff — turning rescued ingredients into something worth celebrating.

Byron Bay’s Mindy Woods is a celebrated Indigenous chef, proud Bundjalung woman, and owner of Karkalla Byron Bay. Renowned for her work preserving and sharing Indigenous food culture, Mindy’s contributions were recognised when she won a World’s 50 Best Restaurants award. Mindy combines native ingredients with sustainable, community-focused cooking to tell powerful stories of culture, place, and connection.

Neil Perry AM has become one of Australia’s leading and most influential chefs and is a restaurant industry veteran.
He has founded several famed Australian institutions renowned for their fresh produce and excellent service and hospitality.