Aspiring Chef of Sri Lankan Heritage Wins Junior Masterchef Australia

At 11 years old, most of us may remember ‘helping’ our parents in the kitchen, upsetting bowls, dropping plates and burning whatever was on the stove.

Enter Georgia, a young, aspiring chef of Sri Lankan heritage who won Junior Masterchef Australia with her exceptional culinary skills!

She bagged the title and $25,000 during the grand final, with contestants Filo and Carter finishing as runners-up and taking home $5,000 each.

Throughout the competition, Georgia infused her Lankan roots into her cooking. Her close relationship with her Sri Lankan grandparents kept her inspired, with her dishes being mainly influenced by her grandmother’s recipes. She also sparked Georgia’s interest in cooking, having taught her to make various Sri Lankan dishes at a tender age.

A scrumptious pork curry, cashew curry, eggplant curry, yellow rice, pappadums and cucumber raita, as well as a unique dessert, won over the judges hearts in the end.

Georgia, whose initial goal was just to make it past the first week of the competition, expressed surprise upon learning that she had won. She still isn’t certain about what she is going to do with her prize money but says she has seven years to think about it (she gains access to it once she turns 18) and that she will definitely use it for something food-related.

She also encourages other children of her age to audition for the renowned cooking show, telling them to “have fun and work hard”.

Go Georgia!