Who is chef Kasae Fraser MasterChef: The Professionals 2023 finalist?

Ahead of MasterChef: The Professionals 2023, which airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from Monday 23 October, we find out more about the chefs taking part.

Introducing Kasae Fraser, Head Chef, Bath.

Australian-born Kasae, 29, works in Bath as Head Chef of a contemporary Japanese restaurant. She has travelled extensively, cooking in kitchens all over the world.

She now lives with her boyfriend Vincent who is also a chef.

Name

Kasae Fraser

AGE

29

Where are you from/where do you live

Yate, near Bristol, originally from Australia.

CURRENT AND PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

In Melbourne, Kasae started out as a waitress in Mercer’s which, at the time, was a one-hat restaurant. Drawn to the buzz of the kitchen, she soon made the leap over and hasn’t looked back.

She trained classically and has worked in Michelin-starred restaurant Operakallaren Matsalen in Sweden, Gemmayze Street, in New Zealand and now heads up the kitchen at Robun in Bath.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO COOKING AND WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT IT?

“In Australia, we always watch the likes of Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver, and while that might have sparked my interest, it was my first job in the industry that really ignited it and kept that flame going. I started as a waitress in a small fine dining restaurant in the suburbs of Melbourne, Mercer’s. I then moved to trainee front of house manager, trainee sommelier, and then into the kitchen for my apprenticeship."

"At this point, I didn’t fully understand the industry. I just knew that I wanted to be a part of the creation, camaraderie, and apparent ‘bad boy’ lifestyle that I thought it was. It wasn’t until around the second year in my apprenticeship that I realised how much Mercer’s would shape my aspirations and career goals."

"Between running a restaurant, being head chef and training us apprentices, my bosses Ute and Stephen Mercer managed to coach me through cooking competitions, qualifying and all. Stephen had competed in the culinary Olympics in the late 90s, so he was such a rock when it came to my technique and training for cooking competitions.”

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE OF COOKING AND ANY INFLUENCES ON IT?

“Describing my food is really tricky. I think at 29, in an industry that is always moving so fast, it is hard for me to have my own ‘style’. If I had to answer, I would say playful, generous, ‘diet be damned’ and refined. If all of those things can even exist together, that would be what I would describe as my style.”

WHY DID YOU WANT TO TAKE PART IN MASTERCHEF: THE PROFESSIONALS?

“I want to meet like-minded people, other chefs and industry professionals. Sometimes it is so easy to get laser focused on what you’re doing that you forget to reach out and talk to your peers and MasterChef: The Professionals is a unique opportunity to do this with such a range of chefs. I want to meet the judges, hear their opinions on everything to do with cooking and restaurants."

“I also hope to invigorate myself by throwing me back into the world of cooking competitions. It is such a great challenge to be in the spotlight and see how you perform under pressure. It’s one of the greatest stresses and purest moments of professional pleasure I’ve experienced at the same time."

“And of course, I’d love to win. No one enters without the objective of winning. Even if you’re not sure it’s possible, it’s in our nature to want to succeed. Winning is the end goal.”

OUTSIDE OF COOKING WHAT ARE YOUR PASSIONS?

“Cooking is my main passion and I find it occupies a lot of my time. However outside of that, I love running (currently training for a half and then a full marathon). I love horse riding, although I haven’t had much of a chance to do that since I moved to England - in Australia I had my own horse. And then when I’m not cooking or running, I love gardening. My dream is to have a large vegetable garden that we can eat from and give to our friends.”