Age: 34

State: New South Wales

Occupation: Brand Consultant

Instagram: @olaolus.kitchen

Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Olaolu Olorunnimbe’s immediate family of four were part of a large extended family and vibrant community, with life growing up busy and chaotic but happy.

Moving to England to attend boarding school at age 12, while Olaolu appreciated the opportunity, it was one of the toughest times in his life, feeling misunderstood and struggling to fit in. He spent a lot of time listening to how people spoke, so he could adopt their accent.

Having put up with bland and boring mass-catered food at school for five years, as soon as he hit uni, Olaolu made sure his accommodation had its own kitchen so he could cook for himself and recreate some of the flavours of home.

Moving to Sydney in 2017 to forge his next chapter, it was another huge move that once again proved his resilience. With full-time work in brand marketing demanding, and it was during Covid times where necessity in the kitchen struck again. He missed Nigerian food so much and, with travel not an option, rallied his mum, sisters, aunts and friends who would text him recipes, and he started cooking up a storm to satisfy his cravings.

Sharing the food of his culture with friends drove Olaolu’s desire to further champion Nigerian culture, to have it be better understood. It led to a pop-up passion project, cooking the famous Nigerian dish of Jollof rice from his home kitchen, taking limited orders. It was a labour of love, but the feedback blew him away and reinforced the inherent power of connection through food.

It’s a spark that continues to grow as Olaolu enters MasterChef Australia, ready to showcase Nigerian flavours and how easy it is to bring into everyday kitchens. An eager student, he looks forward to adding more skill and techniques during the competition.

Cheered on by his fiancée, Ash and his family back home in Nigeria, Olaolu also hopes to make his late father proud of the way he is representing their culture.

In the future, Olaolu hopes he can continue to shine a light on Nigerian food through a restaurant, products, and one day, a food truck that travels all around Australia.