Marion Grasby started life in the tropical city of Darwin, where the papaya salads are spicy and the mangoes are sweet and sticky. Marion is a little bit Thai (courtesy of her Mum) and a little bit Australian (courtesy of her Dad).
Her love of food and travel became ingrained at an early age as her globe-trotting parents lived and travelled in Papua New Guinea, Thailand and Australia. Marion eventually settled in Brisbane long enough to complete bachelor degrees in Law and Journalism. Straight after university she was snapped up by the ABC and bundled off to Adelaide, South Australia where she worked for three years as an ABC TV and radio reporter, before deciding to leave it all behind to follow her passion for food.
Current work
Since leaving the MasterChef competition Marion has been inundated with opportunities to cook, write and present. Marion has published her first cookbook - Marion: Recipes and Stories From a Hungry Cook - launched her own product range - Marion's Kitchen - and happily divides the rest of her time between personal appearances, cooking demonstrations, private catering and various media activities.
Previous experience
Education: In 2008 Marion left her journalism career and went back to university to study for a Masters of Gastronomy. Marion's studies allowed her to indulge her fascination with the historical, political and social aspects of food and wine.
Masterchef: In 2010 Marion took a break from her Masters to compete in the second series of MasterChef. She made it through a rigorous audition process to get into the Top 24.
Her creative flair with Asian flavours mixed with her penchant for classic European technique and a calm kitchen presence impressed the judges and celebrity chef guests alike.
Her highlights in the series include winning a celebrity chef challenge against Movida's Frank Camorra and being singled out by Heston Blumenthal as the best performer during a MasterChef challenge in the UK.
Media: Marion's sense of fun, generous smiles and talent in the kitchen made her a favourite to win the 2010 MasterChef competition. Her elimination before the finals week of the show made front page news across the country.
