Channel Ten has confirmed that a second season of MasterChef Dessert Masters will premiere on Monday, 14 October 2024.
The mouthwatering series will see contestants bring to life some of the most inventive and irresistible desserts Australia has ever seen. They will be competing for the top title of Australia’s second-ever Dessert Master and the $100,000 prize money that comes with it.
Who are the judges on MasterChef Dessert Masters?
Veteran MasterChef judge Melissa Leong will return to judge the series alongside world-famous French-Swiss pastry chef Amaury Guichon.
“I could not be more thrilled with the calibre of this season’s Dessert Masters line up! Building on our amazing first season, this year’s crop only further celebrates and showcases the diversity and creativity of Australia’s pastry scene. With sugar on top…of course!” Melissa shared in a statement when the news was first announced.
Who won MasterChef Dessert Masters in 2023?
Renowned Pastry Chef and co-founder of cult Melbourne-based pastry shop Tarts Anon founder Gareth Whitton was crowned as the first-ever ‘Dessert Master’ in MasterChef Australia history.
At the time, Gareth described his win as “out of this world.”
“I never expected myself to be here in the finale of all places,” he added.
Who is competing in MasterChef Dessert Masters in 2024?
Channel Ten has confirmed the 10 contestants who will compete in MasterChef Dessert Masters in 2024.
Widely regarded as some of Australia’s top pastry chefs, chocolate connoisseurs, and baking experts, we are certain competition will be tough!
The 10 contestants joining this season of Dessert Masters are:
- Emilia Jackson
- Reece Hignell
- Darren Purchese
- Katherine Sabbath
- Alisha Henderson
- Christy Tania
- Dan Pasquali
- Donato Toce
- Jana Lai
- John Demetrios
Meet the contestants competing on MasterChef Dessert Masters 2024 below:
Emilia Jackson
After finishing third on season six of MasterChef in 2014, Emilia returned in 2020 for an all-stars season that she ultimately won. Now, she returns for her third round in the kitchen and will lean on her pastry expertise and skillset to take out the competition.
You can follow Emilia on Instagram here.
Reece Hignell
Reece made his debut in the MasterChef kitchen in 2018 for the show’s 10th season where he placed sixth and returned in 2018 where he placed fifth. We’re sure the Newcastle-based cake baker will prove tough competition to beat in Dessert Masters.
You can follow Reece on Instagram here.
Darren Purchese
The British chef, author, and television personality may have experience as a guest chef on MasterChef, and as a judge on The Great Australian Bake Off, but we are sure his time competing in the Dessert Masters kitchen will prove itself to be quite the challenge.
You can follow Darren on Instagram here.
Katherine Sabbath
Also known as ‘Sydney’s Cake Queen’, Katherine’s quirky cake designs have taken social media by storm! She’s also the author of three best-selling cookbooks; Katherine Sabbath Greatest Hits: The Pop Edition (2017); Bake Australia Great (2019); and Bake My Day (2022).
You can follow Katherine on Instagram here.
Alisha Henderson
Alisha owns her own business, Sweet Bakes, which sells a range of delicious cakes. She has continued to grow her business and now has over 228,000 followers on Instagram.
The baker also co-founded the Co. Bake space in 2023, a premium event and activation space available for hire in Richmond, Victoria. On top of this, Alisha is also the author and illustrator of a series of children’s books with easy recipes for kids to follow!
You can follow Alisha on Instagram here.
Christy Tania
Christy is said to be one of Australia’s most creative and inventive pastry chefs… we’re so excited to see what’s in store this season! She owns a series of artisanal dessert shops in Melbourne that transformed Australia’s dessert scene.
Christy has also worked at The Ritz Hotel in Paris and served as Head Chef at Om Nom at the Adelphi Hotel. She has also gained recognition from her guest chef appearances on MasterChef Australia. Now, after welcoming her son Ben into the world, Christy is excited to return to her culinary roots.
You can follow Christy on Instagram here.
Dan Pasquali
Dan was the 2019 runner up in The Great Australian Bake Off, best known for his outrageously glittery cakes. He has also appeared on Everyday Gourmet with Justine Schofield and is ready to share his creations on Dessert Masters!
Dan is said to be one of Australia’s most creative bakers. You can follow him on Instagram here.
Donato Toce
Donato is Gelato Messina’s Chief Creative Chef and though he has less of a social following compared to the other contestants, he has been in the game a lot longer! He earned his stripes in Melbourne kitchens from the age of 13, before heading to Sydney in 2007 to work as Head Chef at hatted restaurant A Tavola.
You can follow him on Instagram here.
Jana Lai
Jana is a pastry chef, born and raised in Melbourne. She has studied at William Angliss Institute in Melbourne and after traveling to the pastry capital of the world, Paris, decided to pursue her dreams of becoming a pastry chef.
Jana is now a Pastry Chef Instructor at École Bellouet Conseil in Paris. She also made history in 2023 as she became the first female to join Team France in the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie (World Pastry Cup), where she achieved an impressive second place. You can follow her on Instagram here.
John Demetrios
John began his career as a baker at the young age of 19, moving overseas to work in restaurants across London and Sweden. On his travels, he worked various with Michelin-starred chefs including Pierre Koffmann and Magnus Ek. After he returned to Australia, he went on to lead the pastry teams at Melbourne’s top restaurants, including Vue de Monde.
Now, John is the Executive Pastry Chef at Omnia in Melbourne. You can follow him on Instagram here.
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