Age: 36

State: New South Wales

Occupation: Council Worker

Instagram: @mcgravy_train

Growing up in Bathurst, Pat McGarry’s culinary journey started early. Fascinated by food for as long as he can remember, he remembers peppering his grandmother with questions in the kitchen and watching his dad, Ron, cook most afternoons.

Ron was a bricklayer, and Pat’s ultimate food idol. He would cook dinner from scratch every night for Pat and his two sisters after a 10-hour workday, and once spent all day preparing a six-course Chinese meal from the Women’s Weekly Cookbook. For Pat, it wasn’t just a lavish meal; it was a transformative moment when he realised you can create anything you want with food. Mum Leonie was also integral in broadening Pat’s palate, always taking him out to eat at different venues, and encouraging him to chase his food dreams, including applying for MasterChef Australia.

Now based on the NSW Mid North Coast, where he works for the council, Pat is engaged to his soul mate Emma, and they are parents to two-year-old daughter Frankie, with another bub on the way. Being away from his girls will be the hardest part of the competition for Pat, but they’ll be his motivation, and with him in spirit, thanks to a turtle ornament in his pocket matching Frankie’s back home.

Describing his cooking style as trial and error, Pat loves nothing more than starting with the inspiration for a dish, building and finessing it in his mind before getting stuck in. Happiest when creating without a recipe, he is more of a savoury cook, with a big love of seafood and beef, and often recreates dishes for Emma that they have tried at restaurants.

Pat has already had a taste of what a future in food might look like, and he was hooked. Frustrated during the pandemic by the lack of available food options, he and a mate started a successful burger pop-up and delivery service, selling out 300 burgers at a time! He dreams of one day opening a café called Frankie’s, a place with a seasonal menu, full of his signature dishes.

With the ability to stay calm under pressure, pragmatic thinker Pat backs himself to hold his nerve in the MasterChef Australia kitchen, ready to chase his dreams with his family right behind him.