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Justine Schofield was born and raised in Sydney. However, she was brought up in a bilingual household with her French mother and Aussie father and speaks the language like a native. After completing a diploma in hotel management, Justine decided to follow her two great passions - travel and food. On the agenda was a trip each year to some far flung destination, where she could soak up the lifestyle and learn about the cuisine. In particular, she took regular visits to France to further discover her heritage.
"My fascination with the food, and the French way of life draws me back every time, it’s amazing how the food and culture change each time you arrive in a different region," she says. "I am equally proud of my French heritage as I am of my Australian and when the opportunity arises I would like to live in France for a while to discover every little corner I can!"
Work in her sales position became a way of funding her many trips oversees and even though she enjoyed her job, before too long it was clear she needed to find something that would allow her to combine her love of globetrotting and gastronomy!
2009 brought the opportunity for Justine to apply for the first ever series of MasterChef. She made it through a gruelling audition process to the Top 20 and then went on to blow the judges away week after week with the extent of her food knowledge and her calm and organised approach to cooking. Her highlights in the series where cooking for one of her icons, Jacques Reymond, and cooking off against Celebrity Chef Matt Moran. From around 7000 applicants Justine made it to the top 4 of the highly acclaimed series and ended up with her fair share of fans!
Since leaving the MasterChef kitchen the opportunities have been endless. She is incredibly busy travelling the country doing appearances and catering for private functions. She also has an open ended invitation to do work experience in some of Australia’s top restaurants such as Matt Moran’s Aria.
In 2010 Justine is considering several TV projects and planning her next trip overseas.
