"I'm obsessed with food, which is strange because I used to be food phobic!"

Until she was in her late teens, Julia confesses that she was an extremely fussy eater and could never have imagined herself becoming a cook but now she is determined that her future lies within the food industry. "Basically I didn't take much of an interest in food as a child or even into my teens," she explains. "I ate a lot but it was all very basic, I'd take a plain bread roll to lunch at school every day. I didn't like a lot of food. If I had pasta I would only eat it with cheese and butter and it was only when I was 13 that I tried a plain tomato sauce."

Things changed when she took a trip to Japan and because plain food wasn't readily available, she had to broaden her horizons. However, still by no means adventurous, the real change for Julia came when she took a cooking course at 19. "This course was all about regional food and I learnt so much, and tried everything, because I knew it would all be perfect. I really got my food confidence, even trying offal for the first time!"

"I suddenly became crazily and insanely interested in food. I progressed very slowly but then it became an obsession. I would then think about food all the time. He taught me heaps and taught me about what food is good and because he knows everything about Italian food I learnt so much."

Not thinking she could pursue a career in food, Julia moved from Perth to Melbourne and settled there in an everyday office job. But after a year decided that she wanted to work in the food industry in some way. "I never thought I could work as a cook because I don't have any formal training. I'd been looking for jobs behind the scenes in the industry in some way."

"When the advert for MasterChef Australia came around it was perfect and I applied straight away." While Julia is thrilled to have made it this far in the competition, she is still forming her end goal. "I'm not 100% on my goal but if I won this I would go away and open my own place, I think. It would be somewhere small with lots of great wine and great small plates of food, all very seasonal. I want to show that food doesn't have to be fine dining to be great."

"I'm quite quiet compared to the other contestants and I'd just like to show that I know what I'm doing and I want to learn more. I have skills and I have some talent but I need more. There are a lot of things I don't know how to do."

With mixed views from the judges, Julia knows she has to finesse her technique. "There is a joke that all my food is brown! But it's good food – beautiful roast chicken, bread salad…but I need to work on presentation!"