A family tragedy and a restaurant romance: Everything we know about MasterChef's Laura Sharrad.

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This year’s season of MasterChef has captured Australia’s imagination.

The re-jigged version of one of Australia’s favourite reality TV shows came along at just the right moment.

While Australians have quickly become addicted to watching their MasterChef favs battle it out in the MasterChef kitchen, they’ve noticed some recurring themes.

If you’re not watching MasterChef: Back to Win, please do watch the trailer. Post continues below.

Like Poh somehow pulling everything together perfectly at the last minute, Reynold creating both savoury and sweet culinary works of art with such precision and planning, and Laura making pasta almost every, single episode.

But beyond the pasta obsession, there’s so much more to the Adelaide-based chef.

 

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A dream come true, cooking for @gordongram in the Masterchef kitchen #masterchefau

A post shared by L A U R A S H A R R A D (@laurasharrad) on Apr 13, 2020 at 4:14am PDT

Laura Sharrad, formerly known as Laura Cassai, grew up in Templestowe, Victoria. But after her cousin, 22-year-old David Cassai, was coward punched and killed in 2013, her family relocated to McLaren Vale, South Australia.

“My cousin David was a big inspiration for me, even before he tragically passed away,” Laura told Adelaide Now.

“He was always so passionate about life and his attitude to ‘get sh*t done’ was half the reason I applied.”

So, Laura deferred her Bachelor of Health Science degree at Flinders University and applied for MasterChef 2014.

Laura was 19-years-old at the time and became the youngest contestant to ever make it to the top three. She became runner-up in season six, missing out on the title to Brent Owens.

 

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1 year ago today – wouldn’t change a thing… @brent.owens . Goodluck tonight ladies, you have no idea whats about to happen to you… @masterchefau #MasterChefAU #GrandFinal

A post shared by L A U R A S H A R R A D (@laurasharrad) on Jul 27, 2015 at 2:54am PDT

After finishing the reality TV series, Laura was quickly on to the next big thing.

In 2015, she released her cookbook, My Italian Kitchen. She then began working for one of the new MasterChef judges, Jock Zonfrillo, at his restaurant Orana, as the pastry chef.

 

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Paybacks a biatcccch @zonfrillo #deadwinemakerssociety ????????

A post shared by L A U R A S H A R R A D (@laurasharrad) on May 31, 2015 at 5:15am PDT

After working there, she spent three years at the Italian restaurant, Andre’s Cucina, in Adelaide.

 

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This weeks special swam out the door @andrescucina ••• Saffron & Prawn Tortellini, Prawn Bique & Fennel ••• ~ stay tuned for next weeks special ~ #andrescucina #pasta #italy #mangia #weeklyspecials

A post shared by L A U R A S H A R R A D (@laurasharrad) on Nov 17, 2016 at 9:49pm PST

On a personal level, Laura has been with her partner, fellow chef Max Sharrad, for over five years. And fun fact: if it wasn’t for Jock Zonfrillo, the two wouldn’t have met.

After doing some light investigating (stalking) we discovered that Max worked at Zonfrillo’s restaurant Orana from 2014 to 2016 as the Junior Sous Chef. While Laura began there are the pastry chef in 2015.

Two years later, after plenty of pasta making and falling in love, he proposed to her in Italy in 2017.

“I knew from day one. I could just tell, it was love at first sight,” Max told The Adelaide Advertiser in 2017.

 

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Soon to be Mr & Mrs Sharrad 19.03.17 #engaged #underthetuscansun????????????

A post shared by L A U R A S H A R R A D (@laurasharrad) on Apr 3, 2017 at 1:31am PDT

“As soon as he pulled out the little box, I just started crying and blubbering… I cried the whole time. It was simply beautiful, just perfect,” she shared with Adelaide Now.

The couple married in October 2018.

 

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Mr & Mrs Sharrad #meetthesharrads

A post shared by L A U R A S H A R R A D (@laurasharrad) on Oct 6, 2018 at 2:45am PDT

 

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The best day of our lives.

A post shared by L A U R A S H A R R A D (@laurasharrad) on Nov 28, 2018 at 11:54pm PST

A few months later, the newlyweds opened their Italian pasta restaurant, NIDO.

 

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“ROOTELLO BONNATO” NIDO © #nidobarpasta

A post shared by NIDO BAR | PASTA (@nidobarpasta) on Mar 28, 2019 at 1:03am PDT

And now, Laura is back to claim the title of MasterChef 2020.

Read more on MasterChef:

• Wikipedia leaks next contestant to be eliminated, plus all the other MasterChef Australia 2020 spoilers.
• “Contestants are given a heads-up on challenges”: 9 MasterChef behind-the-scenes secrets.
• In 2009, Chris and Julia were competing for the MasterChef crown. Then they fell in love.

Feature image: Instagram/@laurasharrad