South Australia, 28, Graphic Designer

With just $500 in her pocket, at age 18 Jessie Spiby packed her bags and headed for the UK. Looking back now she wonders how she did it, but she took the challenge in her stride, living and working in London for 18 months and in Edinburgh for six months.

While based in Europe, Jessie visited Italy, Turkey, Poland, Croatia and the Czech Republic (she had visited France and Spain as a child). More recently she has been to Asia, with Vietnam a firm favourite and a major influence on her cooking.

Growing up in Adelaide, Jessie learnt to cook from her mum and grandma. She further developed her skills while travelling. As well as Vietnamese food, Jessie loves fresh vibrant flavours like Thai and Spanish.