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OUR HOSTS
Michael Weldon
Michael hails from South Australia. An Adelaide boy at heart – Michael’s culinary tastes can easily take you on a journey from fresh food, small unique restaurants, boutique wineries and farms.
As the MasterChef 2011 runner up, he quickly became a popular and entertaining personality within the food industry. His love for cooking has only grown since this experience.
Successfully running catering companies, working as head chef, hosting cooking demonstrations, and being proud ambassador for Coles, Michael is a valuable member of the Farm to Fork team.
Louis Tikaram
Chef Louis Tikaram was raised on a 110-acre farm in Mullumbimby, on the coast of New South Wales. At an early age, he began exploring his Fijian heritage in the kitchen beside his Fijian Chinese grandmother, but his appreciation for his family’s culture and cuisine was fully developed while living in Fiji as a pre-teen.
Even if you don’t know Louis Tikaram’s name, you’ve possibly eaten the fruits of his work at Longrain, Tetsuya’s or Bentley restaurants in Sydney. It was at Longrain that Tikaram was named “2014 Josephine Pignolet Young Chef of the Year” by the Sydney Morning Herald.
Tikaram has worked in restaurants around the globe from Barcelona to New York, he then headed to Los Angeles for the opportunity to run the kitchen at E.P. & L.P.
After six extremely successful years in the kitchen in the USA, Tikaram also featured in popular media such as “The Today Show”, CBS “This Morning” and features in “Food and Wine Magazine”, “Vice” and he also stared in an EMMY award winning episode of “The Migrant Kitchen” showcasing Tikaram & his unique culture and food in Los Angeles.
Louis has now been lured back to Australia as head chef at Stanley, a Cantonese restaurant at Brisbane’s Howard Smith Wharves.
When he is not working in the kitchen, Tikaram enjoys Family time with his wife and two Daughters, running and cycling, as well as surfing. A chef who maintains a profound respect for the sea and its creatures, Tikaram is a supporter of various ocean conservation advocacy groups.
Brent Draper
Brent is the oldest of four siblings, raised by a father who dedicated his career to the meat industry and a mother who expertly managed their lively household.
During his childhood, Brent traveled across Australia in a small caravan, spending time in Katherine, NT. After finishing school, he began his career in concrete pumping before completing an apprenticeship as a boilermaker in Brisbane.
In 2011, Brent met his future wife, Shonleigh, when they were neighbors. Shortly after, they moved to Perth, WA, where they fell in love with the stunning coastline. An avid waterman and passionate surfer, Brent married Shonleigh in 2016 in an intimate ceremony overlooking his favorite beach in Coolangatta.
A few years later, their son was born almost in their bedroom in Palm Beach, QLD. Now residing in the Northern Rivers, NSW, Brent feels he has found his true home, perfectly blending beach life with the tranquility of the hinterland. He proudly became the winner of MasterChef 2023!
Courtney Roulston
The youngest of six, from a small farm in Kellyville. Taking her inspiration from Margaret Fulton’s cookbooks, Courtney’s passion for food evolved as she experimented with home cooking in the family kitchen.
Courtney’s success in the kitchen first started as a popular contestant on Series 2 of MasterChef in 2010. Since then, she has shared her passion for reinventing the humble salad in her very own book – promoting exciting dishes, using fresh, healthy ingredients.
Courtney continues to be a great influencer in the food industry. Her many accomplishments include head chef for the Sydney Swans Football Club, an ambassador for Coles, running her ever-growing catering business, and appearing at the Food and Wine Show around Australia.