Secondary School Teacher

State: VIC

Age: 26

Born in Georgia, before emigrating to Australia as a seven year old, Alice’s love of food was influenced by traditional Georgian styles and cooking alongside her mum, aunties and grandmothers. Her great grandfather was a cook in the Bolshevik Army - in fact, everyone in Alice’s family love to cook.

A self-confessed “Ferd” or “Food Nerd” Alice is bubbly, bright, loves exercise and is a real theatre buff. She says she hasn’t repeated an outfit for three years.

“I’m not very serious except when it comes to 3 things - and they all start with F - Food, Fashion and Fitness.”

Alice has left her career as Deputy Head of Humanities & Middle School English teacher behind to go as far as she can with MasterChef. Her dream is to combine her love of teaching and food to inspire and teach children how to make food fun - and fast. She once ran for her local council and although she didn’t win, her platform was education.

Alice’s childhood memories all have something to do with food - helping grandma with dumplings, making Georgian sauces with her mum and watching her grandad make wine. These days, she cooks mostly for her boyfriend, Nick - “I love to see his face light up as he loves to eat” - and friends. Her Jewish background has also influenced her cooking style - it was a Salmon Bagel that cemented her place in the Top 24.

Alice feels most at home making main courses and using proteins. She tries to eat only organic and her signature dish is one of her Mum’s recipes: Georgian char-grilled egg-plant with homemade garlic aioli and coriander.

“I like food that punches you in the mouth - lots of garlic and spices - and I am very health conscious. I am experimental, instinctive and a bit of a perfectionist in the kitchen”

Alice cites a trek to Everest Base Camp as one of her biggest achievements but even then, it is the food memory that stands out. “I was so ill I could only eat boiled potatoes, carrots, Pringles and chocolate biscuits!”

Her motto in life is “nothing ventured, nothing gained” and Alice aims to get a laugh out of everything she does. She is very driven and sees herself as a winner.