How and why did you come to be on MasterChef?
I remember watching as an 11-year-old and when Julie Goodwin (inaugural winner of MasterChef) did an appearance at Eastlands, I was beside myself! I remember meeting her and just crying, I was so overwhelmed.  It sounds crazy but I somehow knew I would be on MasterChef one day.  Fast forward and post-uni, I wanted to travel but Covid put an end to that…so I applied to be a contestant on MasterChef instead.

MasterChef looks incredibly exhausting and stressful. What was it really like?
It was exhausting but it was such huge fun, I didn’t really feel stressed. I just took each week as it came, if you did a bad cook you just put it behind you and tried to clear your mind for the next day. I just had so much gratitude to be there and wanted to make the most of it. I just wanted to have fun, make something tasty and hit the brief.

And life after MasterChef?
I’m working in Sydney as a management consultant and would love to bring my interests in food and business together one day. For now I’m popping down to Hobart every so often for food-related things like The Taste – I did that last year and will do it again this year. And now I’m making videos for Hill Street.

How long have you been a Hill Street customer?
Since I was little, really all my life.  Mum and I would go to the West Hobart store with the Greek music pumping.  Now I go to the Sandy Bay store and West Hobart.  The Sandy Bay store really helped me out during The Taste last year – I was buying about a 100kg of pinkeyes every day. I used 600kg of scallops and a tonne of pinkeyes at my stall – it was crazy!

What’s your cooking philosophy?
Cook seasonally, simply and always be produce-driven – and support local Tassie growers.

Will you open a restaurant one day?
Probably not a restaurant but I’d love to bring a high-end, quality takeaway concept to the market – there’s a gap in that space, and it would bring my interests in food and business together.

What’s your favourite ingredient?
Definitely fish. Flathead, blue eye, then probably flounder.

Signature dish?
I guess up at the shack we would cook up a huge seafood feast, so that’s it: a seafood feast.

What’s your comfort food?
Roast chicken. There is so much you can do with a roast chicken – things you can learn and adapt, like using different compound butters, different starches, to make it so tasty.

Is there any food you can’t stomach?
Well I used to be a really fussy eater as a kid – but now no. I’d say natural oysters is a texture I struggle with – I much prefer them grilled.

Favourite restaurant in Hobart?
Fico for something special, also Pitzi. I like Lucinda as a wine bar. For pastries, Little Miss Patisserie in Argyle Street. And up in Swansea – Waterloo, such good food and so much fun.

Favourite place in Tasmania?
Coles Bay of course!

Next holiday destination?
Vietnam.

Best piece of cooking advice you every received?
It starts with the ingredients. You can’t turn a bad ingredient into a good dish. It’s all about the ingredients.

And what can Hill Street customers expect to see coming out of your kitchen?
I’ll be presenting a recipe series for the busy working person, with no more than about eight ingredients, which are super tasty and healthy, and will get dinner on the table in 30 minutes. The recipes will also use every part of what you buy because I like zero waste, and I’ll also focus on using ingredients in season when they’re the cheapest and the best.

We can’t wait to see Sabina in action in her kitchen - follow her on Facebook and Instragram – keep an eye on your socials in the next few weeks!

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