It looks like there was a 2 month break betwwen finishing filming Masterchef Secrets and Surpises and start of filming of Masterchef Dessert Masters
1 Like
Fiona Byrne tonight revealed the identity of ten contestants on Dessert Masters. They include the chocolate queen herself, Kirsten Tibballs; experts Adriano Zumbo and Anna Polyviou; former MasterChef contestants Jess Liemantara and Reynold Poernomo; and pastry chefs Morgan Hipworth, Kay-Lene Tan, Andy Bowden (aka Andy Bowdy), Rhiann Mead and Gareth Whitton.
Kay-Lene is executive pastry chef at The Ritz-Carlton Melbourne.
Andy has his own pastry shop in Enmore in Sydney.
Rhiann is pastry chef at The Charles brasserie in Sydney, and once worked with Peter Gilmore at Quay and Bennelong.
Morgan and Gareth had both been guest chefs on past seasons of MasterChef Australia.
3 Likes
Ten could easily air Dessert Masters strright after Secrets and Surpises if they wanted to
1 Like
Is that the best thing to do for the show’s ratings? No.
4 Likes
Plus, 10 needs decent first-run content to compete against The Block in October and November.
2 Likes
There are only 10 contestants so likely to only run for 10 episodes. Would probably have a short run of 3 weeks maybe.
1 Like
Soufflé Hello To Your Dessert Masters.
Who Will Prove Themselves And Who Will Melt Under Pressure?
Be still our beating tarts, filming is officially underway for the delicious debut series of Dessert Masters. Coming soon to 10 and 10 Play, this mouth-watering series will see 10 of Australia’s most decorated pastry chefs, chocolate connoisseurs and baking experts whisk it all to be named Australia’s first ever Dessert Master.
Like cinnamon and sugar, some pairings are perfection, and our judges are no exception. Melissa Leong and Amaury Guichon are ready to taste their way through what will be some of the most inventive and irresistible desserts Australia has ever seen.
Reflecting on the incredible talent ready to put their skills to the test, Melissa Leong said: “Our cast for Dessert Masters is a loaded-to-the-gills, top-of-the-pops, créme de la créme of Australia’s pastry industry. It doesn’t get any better, more high calibre, more magical than these chefs, who all bring their own unique take on sweet creations to their own worlds, and now, to ours. I am beyond thrilled - and honoured - to be working with such brilliant, talented and generous people… but boy do I have my work cut out for me!”
Revealing he’s been blown away by the prowess of Australia’s purveyors of pastry, Amaury Guichon said: “I am so happy to be in Australia to experience its unique pastry scene and be a part of Dessert Masters. What I’ve experienced so far, I haven’t seen in a long time - a tight knit community of chefs who share great camaraderie, skill and passion for their craft. This is a once in a lifetime cast of incredibly talented Australian pastry chefs and it is an honour to be judging them. Their creations are so good, I think the audience will want to lick the television screen!”
With such seriously sweet talent battling it out to be the nation’s first Dessert Master, and with $100,000 on the line, the stiff peaks are high. So, are you ready to meet the 10 chefs vying for that cherry on top?
**Kirsten Tibballs @**kirstentibballs
Kirsten Tibballs is one of Australia’s most celebrated pastry chefs and chocolatiers, earning her the nickname of “The Chocolate Queen”. Having founded Savour School to share her incredible knowledge with first-timers through to sweet-specialists, Kirsten has authored sell-out cookbooks and is a fan-favourite guest chef on MasterChef Australia. Internationally recognised for her talents, can Kirsten add the Dessert Masters trophy to her collection?
Reynold Poernomo @reynoldpoer
After mesmerising audiences in his debut appearance on MasterChef Australia in 2015, Reynold Poernomo was dubbed the nation’s “Dessert King” thanks to his wizardry in the kitchen. Since opening his dessert bar KOI with his mother and brothers, as well as Monkey’s Corner, Reynold has developed a cult following and spends his days creating and perfecting desserts that look almost too good to eat.
Anna Polyviou @annapolyviou
From the kitchen to the jungle, Anna Polyviou and her distinctive mohawk are now walking through the Dessert Masters doors, putting her unmatched creativity to the ultimate test. She’s won countless prestigious awards in the culinary industry, but the pièce de résistance would be taking home the title of Australia’s first ever Dessert Master.
Adriano Zumbo @thesweetassassin
Adriano Zumbo is one of Australia’s most celebrated pâtissiers. He introduced the nation to the croquembouche and made macarons a household name. As Australia’s answer to Willy Wonka, Adriano is ready to bring his quirky creations to life in his quest to take home sweet, sweet Dessert Masters victory.
Jess Liemantara @jesslemon
She was the youngest contestant in the 2020 season of MasterChef Australia, but that didn’t stop Jess Liemantara from standing out against her fellow contestants and blowing the judges away with her delightful dishes. The pastry chef is known for creating colourful cakes and picture-perfect pastries and hopes to delight the judges with her signature skills in the Dessert Masters kitchen.
Morgan Hipworth @morganhipworth
He launched his now iconic Melbourne bakehouse, Bistro Morgan, aged just 15 and it didn’t take long for Morgan Hipworth to carve out a reputation as “The Donut King”. With an eye for visually striking creations and a taste for unique flavour combinations, it’s safe to say that Morgan will be a tough competitor alongside his industry idols.
Kay-Lene Tan @kaylenetan_
Having trained under decorated chef Joël Robuchon, Kay-Lene Tan has worked as a pastry chef at some of the most prestigious and delicious restaurants around the world. Currently an Executive Pastry Chef, Kay-Lene loves to create dishes that evoke memories and she plans to draw upon her expansive experience to trifle the competition.
Andy Bowdy @andybowdy
His mission was to make cakes taste as good as they look and correct the cream-to-cake ratio, and holy dooley did Andy Bowdy deliver. His desserts have won trophies, accolades and the hearts of his customers and now he’s ready to break the chocolate mould to take home the highest of achievements.
Rhiann Mead @rhiannmeadpastry
Now Head Pastry Chef at The Charles in Sydney, Rhiann Mead formerly held the same post at iconic Sydney restaurant, Bennelong, and ran the pastry section at Quay under Executive Chef Peter Gilmore. Her job requires a huge variety of pastry skills and techniques, from precise piping, baking to intricate sugar and chocolate work, Rhiann looks set to whip up the competition.
Gareth Whitton @gareddio
He was the Head Pastry Chef at Dinner By Heston Blumenthal (Melbourne) and now Gareth Whitton is the not-so-anonymous founder and Pastry Chef of Tarts Anon. With over 15 years of experience working alongside some of the world’s most renowned chefs, will the competition see Gareth rise to the challenge or crumble under pressure?
Produced by Endemol Shine Australia (a Banijay company), Dessert Masters is a world first for the MasterChef franchise.
2 Likes
Love the new Dessert Masters logo.
1 Like
This show/concept doesn’t seem appealing at all.
I thought the same when it was first announced (as I was expecting it to be amateurs attempting desserts) but I am impressed with this lineup. I was not expecting to see such big dessert names on there. It will be interesting to see many people that have set pressure tests over the years competing. Bringing back a couple former contestants is a nice touch too.
4 Likes
Dessert shows have rarely worked on FTA in primetime. Even Bake Off didn’t become a hit until it went to Foxtel.
Plus apart from the dessert theme, looks like it’s just a rebadged version of ‘MasterChef: The Professionals’. I’m looking forward to the next season of ‘MasterChef All Stars’ coming up in 2024.
Spin-offs of reality shows have rarely worked in Australia full stop. Even though the line-up is impressive, I doubt Dessert Masters will buck that trend.
Viewers will be able to catch the first glimpse of Kay-Lene’s work when she appears as guest chef on MasterChef Australia’s immunity challenge on Thursday, June 22.
1 Like
10-second preview of Dessert Masters shown tonight during MasterChef grand final.
I am sure a longer promo will air later.
1 Like
Well that was a quickie
1 Like
Dessert Masters premieres on 10 in November.
In the latest episode of Something to Talk About podcast (an excerpt of which is published in today’s Stellar magazine inside News Corp papers), Melissa gives a brief glimpse on the new show.
Do you want to know a secret? I’m not a sweet tooth. I will always choose the cheese course over the dessert course every single time, and people out there must just be going, ‘Oh, come on. Why did you choose her then?’ Well, I think it’s actually good that I’m not a dessert fiend because I’m not looking at this through sugar-encrusted lenses. I’m looking at desserts and sweets with a critical point of view for balance and for what makes a dish, sweet or savoury, great. It just so happens that we are working with 10 of the best pastry chefs in the country, so they make the job incredibly hard but, ultimately, I have to lean back on my journalistic roots and my critical roots to say, well, I need to not love it too much. I need to look at it from the outside, because that’s how I can judge most objectively and that’s what gives, I believe, my weight to my role within the show.
2 Likes
First look promo.
2 Likes
Something Sweet Is Coming.
Dessert Masters Coming Soon To 10 And 10 Play.
The delicious debut season of Dessert Masters is coming soon to 10 and 10 Play.
This mouth-watering series will see 10 of Australia’s most decorated pastry chefs, chocolate connoisseurs and baking experts whisk it all to be named Australia’s first ever Dessert Master.
Juggernaut judges Melissa Leong and Amaury Guichon are ready and raring to taste their way through what will be some of the most inventive and irresistible desserts Australia has ever seen.
As for the 10 seriously sweet pastry chefs battling it out to be the nation’s first Dessert Master, expect to see Kirsten Tibballs, Reynold Poernomo, Anna Polyviou, Adriano Zumbo, Jess Liemantara, Morgan Hipworth, Kay-Lene Tan, Andy Bowdy, Rhiann Mead and Gareth Whitton all put their reputations on the line.
2 Likes