Meet Canberra’s very own ‘MasterChef’

I recently caught up with MasterChef top 6 finalist and Canberran, Trent Harvey to chat all things MasterChef, food and life after the show.

I first met Canberra’s very own ‘MasterChef’, Trent Harvey on a Wednesday afternoon at A.Baker in New Acton. We ordered a beer and before I knew it, a few hours had passed after chatting all things food and his MasterChef experience.

Trent is a genuine, nice guy who is down to earth and really easy to talk to. I’m very excited about hosting Eat Canberra’s first event at The Truffle Farm this Saturday 12 November. Guess who will be cooking an amazing two-course lunch? Trent will be! He’ll be bringing his wealth of knowledge and skills he learnt on MasterChef Australia as well as his love of whole foods and local produce to cook you a lunch to remember.

While on the show he learnt from well-known chefs including Curtis Stone, Marco Pierre White, Nigella Lawson and the insanely creative Heston Blumenthal. Guests at the event will be able to ask Trent all about his time on MasterChef, the amazing people he met and the delicious food he created.

Before starring on MasterChef Trent was a sparky, specialising in building automation in the construction industry. He had just landed a job that he’d been wanting for a long time and then he got the call to say he was a finalist. Going on the show was a big sacrifice but he’s proved that anything can happen if you take a risk, work hard and are passionate.

“I was really hesitant and undecided at first because it was such a big lifestyle change and a huge commitment. But it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and the pros outweighed the cons,” he said.

Trent’s love for wholesome food started at a young age without him even realising it. He grew up on an apple orchid in the small country town of Batlow. His family grew their own fruit and vegetables and they had cows and chooks. They would eat the produce they grew and use the milk from the cows. He said his Nan was a great cook and a big influence on him.

“We would go fishing and eat the fish we caught. The concept of plate to paddock was something that I grew up with but to me it was just the normal way of living.”

Trent moved to Canberra when he was in secondary school. His passion for food grew as he travelled around the world living in Canada and the US where he spent a few years. He also visited parts of Asia and food was always a highlight of his travels.

Trent hadn’t thought about a career in cooking until his fiancée bought him a cooking class at River Cottage. During the class someone mentioned that applications for MasterChef had opened. With some encouragement from his fiancée, he eventually applied.

In three words he described the experience as “intense, surprising and appreciative.”

“One of the best experiences for me was cooking at Inglenook Estate in the Napa Valley. I cooked a grilled quail will cauliflower skordalia and agrodolce sauce dish and to me it was my best cook.“

“Another one of my favourite dishes was the beef dish with a smoked butter and red wine sauce that I cooked in an elimination round. I got great feedback and Matt Preston said it was one of the best dishes he’s eaten is his life,” he said.

Life after MasterChef led him to work at the amazing Local Press Café and he’s now doing private catering and other boutique foodie events.

He initially wanted to start his own café or restaurant but that’s on hold for now. Trent and his gorgeous partner are getting married in December and after a well-deserved break he will come back in 2017 ready big things in the food world.

If you want to find out more about Trent’s experience on MasterChef and get some insider knowledge about the food he’s eaten and cooked then come along to our event on Saturday 12 November at The Truffle Farm. Trent will be cooking a delicious lunch just for you. We only have 5 tickets left and they’re not going to last. We’re releasing the menu for the first time, check it out below.

Entrée

Creamy Burrata, fresh tomatoes, crispy prosciutto and macadamia pesto seasoned with truffle salt

Main

Slow-roasted lamb shoulder with dukkah roasted cauliflower, carrots, roasted chickpeas and spiced yoghurt

Dessert by Naked Foods Braddon

Mango, coconut and macadamia cream cake

Pomegranate, raspberry and rose chocolate cheesecake

Cherry and vanilla tart

We have also teamed up with some incredible local food businesses who have contributed lots of giveaways and goodies so each guest will walk away with a foodie gift bag valued at $50!

There will be giveaways from:

• The Essential Ingredient
• QuickSand Food
• Ainslie IGA & Ainslie Cellars
• The Local Larder
• The Canberra Wine House
• Naked Foods Braddon

Gift bags will include vouchers, recipes and treats from:

• Jasper & Myrtle
• Adore Tea
• Ali King – Desserts, Cakes & Events
• Naked Foods Braddon
• Stripey Sundae
• Local Press Cafe recipe from QuickSand Food

We only have a handful of tickets left so don’t miss out in this exclusive event!

BOOK YOUR TICKETS.