Dessert Masters on 10 -Anonymous No More. Gareth Whitton From Tarts Anon Is Crowned The First Ever Dessert Master.
Tonight, Gareth Whitton was crowned the first ever winner of Dessert Masters, walking away with the inaugural title and a sweet, sweet $100,000.
The night saw three finalists – Jess Liemantara, Gareth Whitton and Reynold Poernomo – battle it out in a two-course sweet service challenge, feeding 15 diners and the judges in four hours.
Gareth decided to create harmonious flavours between his two courses by incorporating indigenous ingredients into both of his dishes. For course one, he made an elevated ‘Rhubarb Tart’ with lemon verbena and pepperberry. For his second course, Gareth created a ‘Wattleseed and Chocolate Mousse’ entremet. During the rush of the cook, he cut his finger which cost him precious time, but he rushed to catch up.
Jess decided to lead with a berry theme for her menu. For her first course she created ‘Not So Strawberries and Cream’, which featured a coconut sorbet, strawberry chiboust with a strawberry gel insert and balsamic strawberries.
Worry struck when her chiboust texture wasn’t quite right, but she had no time to remake it. For her second course, Jess wanted to show how far she had come since her first appearance on MasterChef, recreating the ‘Pink Petal’ dish from season 12. The judges were concerned at her plan to prepare 50 petals for each dessert – 850 in total, but she was determined. Eventually, she resigned to scale each dish back to a more achievable 20 petals per plate. Upon plating her blackberry sorbet, Jess realised that she left it in the blast freezer for too long, putting its texture at risk.
Reynold finally made it to a grand finale after coming so close in season 12. He decided to elevate two of his best desserts from his restaurant, KOI Experiential. His first course, ‘Floral’, featured a feijoa cremeaux, strawberries, jasmine gelato, with a delicate sugar flower and yuzu jelly on top, as well as two types of snow: elderflower sake and strawberry. For his second course, Reynold made ‘Milk and Honey’, including citrus crème fraiche in a honeycomb mould, and orange blossom gelato. Throughout the cook Reynold struggled to unmould his crème fraiche element without them breaking and settled on a batch with a thicker layer, compromising on his vision.
At tasting, the theatre of Jess’ ‘Not So Strawberries and Cream’ was complimented, however Mel sensed a bit of haste in the plating.
Amaury’s dish was missing the strawberry gel insert inside the chiboust, so while the coconut sorbet was refreshing, he did not have the same eating experience as Melissa. Jess’ ‘Pink Petal’ was stunning despite the reduced number of petals. For Amaury, the mousse was light, fruity and not overly sweet and he admired the chocolate cake, but noted the texture of the sorbet was a little grainy. Mel thought the dish delivered Jess the redemption she was seeking. Jess earned herself a strong 27/40 for her incredible effort.
Reynold’s ‘Floral’ was highly complimented. Mel and Amaury loved the look of his dish and thought the flavours were very clever, however Amaury noted that overall the dish was a bit too cold. Melissa loved Reynold’s ‘Milk and Honey’ dish, praising him for creating a beautifully fragrant dessert that was not overly sweet. Amaury unfortunately didn’t find the dessert to his liking as all the elements were frozen; noting he would have liked to see contrast in both temperature and texture. Reynold achieved an admirable 28/40 from the judges.
Gareth’s ‘Rhubarb Tart’ was what Amaury called his favourite type of dessert, and Mel referred to it as almost faultless, noting it was smart, solid cooking. In course two, Gareth’s ‘Wattleseed and Chocolate Mousse’ was instantly celebrated. Amaury could tell just how much work had gone into this dish. Mel agreed, noting that while his mix of flavours seemed odd, it just worked. Gareth was awarded an incredible 35/40, earning him the title of Australia’s first ever Dessert Master.
Reflecting on the win, Gareth said:
“I couldn’t be happier to have been asked to be involved in the very first Dessert Masters, and to come out the other side with the chocolates makes it that much sweeter. I always knew that I was somewhat of an underdog coming into this competition, however I knew that a few unique skills and years of tough restaurant work could be enough to shake things up.
“The relationships that I have made in this competition will stay with me forever. I have forged some professional and personal connections that have made this experience one of the most enjoyable and constructive in my career, and the inspiration and friendship my fellow contestants and the judges provided, has motivated me in ways that words can’t describe.”
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Dessert Masters on 10
Podcast with Morgan Hipworth HERE
Dessert Masters on 10
Dessert Masters on 10 – About the Show
Soufflé Hello To Your Dessert Masters. Who Will Prove Themselves And Who Will Melt Under Pressure?
Be still our beating tarts, filming is officially underway for the delicious debut series of Dessert Masters. Coming soon to 10 and 10 Play, this mouth-watering series will see 10 of Australia’s most decorated pastry chefs, chocolate connoisseurs and baking experts whisk it all to be named Australia’s first ever Dessert Master.
Like cinnamon and sugar, some pairings are perfection, and our judges are no exception. Melissa Leong and Amaury Guichon are ready to taste their way through what will be some of the most inventive and irresistible desserts Australia has ever seen.
Reflecting on the incredible talent ready to put their skills to the test, Melissa Leong said:
“Our cast for Dessert Masters is a loaded-to-the-gills, top-of-the-pops, créme de la créme of Australia’s pastry industry. It doesn’t get any better, more high calibre, more magical than these chefs, who all bring their own unique take on sweet creations to their own worlds, and now, to ours. I am beyond thrilled – and honoured – to be working with such brilliant, talented and generous people… but boy do I have my work cut out for me!”
Revealing he’s been blown away by the prowess of Australia’s purveyors of pastry, Amaury Guichon said:
“I am so happy to be in Australia to experience its unique pastry scene and be a part of Dessert Masters. What I’ve experienced so far, I haven’t seen in a long time – a tight knit community of chefs who share great camaraderie, skill and passion for their craft. This is a once in a lifetime cast of incredibly talented Australian pastry chefs and it is an honour to be judging them. Their creations are so good, I think the audience will want to lick the television screen!”
With such seriously sweet talent battling it out to be the nation’s first Dessert Master, and with $100,000 on the line, the stiff peaks are high. So, are you ready to meet the 10 chefs vying for that cherry on top?
Kirsten Tibballs @kirstentibballs
Kirsten Tibballs is one of Australia’s most celebrated pastry chefs and chocolatiers, earning her the nickname of “The Chocolate Queen”. Having founded Savour School to share her incredible knowledge with first-timers through to sweet-specialists, Kirsten has authored sell-out cookbooks and is a fan-favourite guest chef on MasterChef Australia. Internationally recognised for her talents, can Kirsten add the Dessert Masters trophy to her collection?
Reynold Poernomo @reynoldpoer
After mesmerising audiences in his debut appearance on MasterChef Australia in 2015, Reynold Poernomo was dubbed the nation’s “Dessert King” thanks to his wizardry in the kitchen. Since opening his dessert bar KOIwith his mother and brothers, as well as Monkey’s Corner, Reynold has developed a cult following and spends his days creating and perfecting desserts that look almost too good to eat.
Anna Polyviou @annapolyviou
From the kitchen to the jungle, Anna Polyviou and her distinctive mohawk are now walking through the Dessert Masters doors, putting her unmatched creativity to the ultimate test. She’s won countless prestigious awards in the culinary industry, but the pièce de résistance would be taking home the title of Australia’s first ever Dessert Master.
Adriano Zumbo @thesweetassassin
Adriano Zumbo is one of Australia’s most celebrated pâtissiers. He introduced the nation to the croquembouche and made macarons a household name. As Australia’s answer to Willy Wonka, Adriano is ready to bring his quirky creations to life in his quest to take home sweet, sweet Dessert Masters victory.
Jess Liemantara @_jesslemon_
She was the youngest contestant in the 2020 season of MasterChef Australia, but that didn’t stop Jess Liemantara from standing out against her fellow contestants and blowing the judges away with her delightful dishes. The pastry chef is known for creating colourful cakes and picture-perfect pastries and hopes to delight the judges with her signature skills in the Dessert Masters kitchen.
Morgan Hipworth @morganhipworth
He launched his now iconic Melbourne bakehouse, Bistro Morgan, aged just 15 and it didn’t take long for Morgan Hipworthto carve out a reputation as “The Donut King”. With an eye for visually striking creations and a taste for unique flavour combinations, it’s safe to say that Morgan will be a tough competitor alongside his industry idols.
Kay-Lene Tan @kaylenetan_
Having trained under decorated chef Joël Robuchon, Kay-Lene Tan has worked as a pastry chef at some of the most prestigious and delicious restaurants around the world. Currently an Executive Pastry Chef, Kay-Lene loves to create dishes that evoke memories and she plans to draw upon her expansive experience to trifle the competition.
Andy Bowdy @andybowdy
His mission was to make cakes taste as good as they look and correct the cream-to-cake ratio, and holy dooley did Andy Bowdy deliver. His desserts have won trophies, accolades and the hearts of his customers and now he’s ready to break the chocolate mould to take home the highest of achievements.
Rhiann Mead @rhiannmeadpastry
Now Head Pastry Chef at The Charles in Sydney, Rhiann Mead formerly held the same post at iconic Sydney restaurant, Bennelong, and ran the pastry section at Quay under Executive Chef Peter Gilmore. Her job requires a huge variety of pastry skills and techniques, from precise piping, baking to intricate sugar and chocolate work, Rhiann looks set to whip up the competition.
Gareth Whitton @gareddio
He was the Head Pastry Chef at Dinner By Heston Blumenthal (Melbourne) and now Gareth Whitton is the not-so-anonymous founder and Pastry Chef of Tarts Anon. With over 15 years of experience working alongside some of the world’s most renowned chefs, will the competition see Gareth rise to the challenge or crumble under pressure?
Dessert Masters on 10
Produced by Endemol Shine Australia (a Banijay company), Dessert Masters is a world first for the MasterChef franchise.
Dessert Masters on 10
TV Central 10 content HERE
Dessert Masters on 10
