Local business owner returns for another sizzling season of popular show
By Kirra Livingstone
WHILE most locals know Jamie Fleming as the co-owner of Maleny’s Spill Wine, the award-winning chef is once again in the national spotlight, returning to compete on MasterChef: Back to Win.
Mr Fleming first appeared on MasterChef in 2014, placing fourth in season six.
More than a decade later, he’s back to take another shot at the top prize.
“When you apply for MasterChef it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity that you grab with both hands,” Mr Fleming said.
“So given that I’ve been offered that “once in a lifetime opportunity” again it’s pretty hard to say no.
“I think there’s something very special about the competition and the way you can sort of push yourself within it, but also you get to completely immerse yourself in cooking.”
After his initial appearance, Mr Fleming ran the award-winning Alba Bar & Deli in Brisbane, which operated for five years.
He then opened Spill Wine in Maleny, serving as his “love letter to the wine world”.
His career in hospitality began long before the reality show, with early roots in the kitchen.
“I started in kitchens when I was 12, I think the first time I said I wanted to be a chef was when I was about six,” he said.
“I started cooking when I was six or seven-years-old, I’ve always been in the food game.
“The first recipe I ever followed successfully when I was about seven-years-old was the Thai green curry, and that was it.”
Mr Fleming first applied for MasterChef while overseas during its debut season.
“I actually applied when I was overseas and had an afternoon off in an internet cafe,” he said.
“That didn’t eventuate into anything but I got a call five years later because I was dobbed in by a friend.”
Reflecting on the current season, Mr Fleming said the connections made were among the most rewarding aspects.
“What I enjoyed most about it was the people… there were a few people from my original series that were back to win this year,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to working with a lot of the people I got to meet on the show in the future.”
For Mr Fleming, food is as much about connection as craft.
“For me, food is the way I tell people that I love them, it’s a big communicative tool for me,” he said.
“Any opportunity to just concentrate solely on creating something delicious… that’s kind of what it’s all about.”
He added that his personal favourites span the globe.
“I love and adore French bistro cooking… a classic homely Italian meal… or a 20-piece nigiri set at an amazing sushi bar,” he said.
“Food is a connective tool and can completely transcend any cultural or any background… during COVID although stuck at home – I still felt I was able to travel the world through my cooking.”
Jamie Fleming appears on MasterChef: Back to Win, airing Sunday to Thursday at 7.30pm on Channel 10.