Greece was the theme of Wednesday night’s episode of MasterChef Australia.
Contestants visited the National Gallery of Victoria’s Temple of Boom, a replica of the Parthenon, to partake in the Greek Service Challenge, with a twist.
“We want to see Greek food, but we want to see it reimagined,” one of the judges said.
This year’s MasterChef competition has had Greek flavour from the get go however, with contestant Theo Loizou.
“I’ve got the whole Greek community on my shoulders,” are the words Loizou proclaims, as he looks to be named the winning MasterChef.
Loizou’s parents came to Australia with nothing, his mum from Greece and his dad from Cyprus.
After working 12 years as an electrician, Theo decided to finally chase his dream of becoming a baker.
In 2019, he packed his life and moved to France and despite not speaking French, landed a job in a Parisienne boulangerie.
He originally planned to stay for six months, but after meeting his now partner, he stayed for three years, honing his baking skills before relocating back to Melbourne.
The 37-year-old sparky always had a deep affinity for food, especially from his culture, growing up learning from his parents and grandparents.
As a young boy Theo recalls his dad bringing home his yiayia’s freshly baked bread, still warm from the oven
When he’s not in the kitchen, Theo enjoys travelling, hitting the gym, and boxing.
For life after MasterChef, Loizou plans to open an artisanal bakery that specialises in sustainable bread, with flour and grain sourced from local farmers and using only the best possible ingredients.
With his dream to work in food beyond the competition already fully formed, Theo hopes to win the competition to make sure it happens.