At just 24, Grace Jupp wears many hats – wife, stepmother, business owner, university graduate, cooking enthusiast, and olive producer on the Mornington Peninsula. Now she’s hoping to add the title of ‘master chef’ to that list.
Born in Victoria and growing up in Queensland, Grace spent countless hours in the kitchen with her mum and Baba and remains inspired by her family’s rich Croatian heritage. Grace has never known anyone to care more deeply about feeding people than her Baba, and she instilled in her a true admiration for produce. To make her Baba’s pita – or spanakopita – is a spiritual experience, and Grace hopes to showcase Croatian flavours for the 2023 MasterChef judges with her own modern spin.
Her husband Tim, a former chef, has also provided much inspiration in the kitchen, introducing her to a new world of food, flavours and techniques. Grace loves discovering new restaurants and making memories through food, which the pair did on their 2022 foodie honeymoon, including visits to Victoria’s iconic Brae and Lakehouse restaurants.
While she can’t forego olive oil, garlic and potatoes, Grace predicts that desserts and vegetables will be among her strengths, alongside the secret ingredient of her positive attitude.
Away from the kitchen, Grace loves going on long walks with friends and being in nature, sharing good food and coffee, reading and photography. Having been diagnosed with endometriosis and adenomyosis at the age of 19, Grace has endured surgeries and often managed severe pain. While she still suffers flare-ups, she is now more confident in not letting her condition dictate the opportunities she goes after, proud to be chasing MasterChef success.
Looking ahead, Grace would love to expand the current food offering within her business, but the ultimate dream is to own land with Tim where they would grow and farm everything on site, creating a true farm-to-plate-style property to share with others.
MasterChef screens on Network Ten.
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