My Kitchen Rules 2019: meet Group 1

These are the first 8 teams who will face off in the 10th Anniversary Season of My Kitchen Rules on Seven.

Hosted again by Pete Evan, Manu Feildel and Colin Fassnidge, the Seven season is teasing a record number of perfect scores this season.

Teams will also be paired up in open homes to produce a three-course menu for the public and one team of total strangers will be teamed up in Group 2.

On offer is another $250,000 and plenty of media attention.

As tipped by TV Tonight, this season is also launching in an earlier timeslot.

On 10 years of MKR?

Manu: There’s at least one thing, one big thing that’s changed in 10 years… we were 10 years younger. And I think I was 10kg lighter, haha.
Pete: We’re definitely richer for the experience. All of those amazing dishes, and we must have eaten thousands over that time. I’m super proud of everything that’s unfolded on this journey. I’ve learnt so much from the contestants and from the food as well.
Manu: Yes, all of the cultures, all of the cuisines. It’s been a huge learning curve for both of us as well. I’m still pinching myself. When we started we had no idea we’d be here 10 years later, with more to come. It’s incredible! And what better thing to do with your best mate. It’s not even like coming to work.
Pete: It’s pretty awesome. We get to work with our best mates, have a lot of fun, try some amazing food and see people achieve their dream.

What’s the secret to MKR’s success?

Pete: Real people cooking real food. Teams from different walks of life, ethnic backgrounds, age groups and relationships who have all got their own authentic story to share, which is translated onto a dinner plate. How cool is that!
Manu: The challenge that we throw out to our teams every year is to cook their food, for us. We don’t give them a recipe to replicate, we only ask them to cook for us with what they know.
Pete: That’s quite unique as far as a cooking competition goes.

Group 1:

Stacey & Ash, NSW – Recently Engaged

“Food has always been a passion of mine,” says Stacey. “It’s really exciting that we get to be a part of MKR and make our own little magic on air.”
“And how lucky are all the teams coming to Byron!” gushes Ash about his hometown.
The social media marketers hope to get a bunch of likes for their market-fresh cuisine.
“We like to keep it pretty authentic,” says Ash. “We’re super into food that will pop on a plate.”
“We communicate really well so I think that’s going to be a massive advantage for us,” adds Stacey. “We can win this competition because we’ve got the right attitude.”

Amanda & Blake, WA – Sister and Brother

“Our biggest advantage in MKR is that we’re brother and sister,” says Blake. “Blood is thicker than water. We’re like twins. There’s not much that comes between us.”
The best friends, who share a background in retail, live by the rule ‘‘gym, tan, laundry.”
“But as much as we love our GTL, family is definitely number one,” says Amanda. “We want to make them proud.”
“We didn’t grow up in a rich family,” Blake explains. “There were five of us in a two-bedroom house. I shared a room with my brother. Amanda was with mum and dad. And dad worked 15 hour days to put food on the table for us.”

Karito & Ian, WA – Married Couple

“Cooking is a way to show my beautiful daughter and my amazing husband my love for them,” says Karito, who was born and raised in Colombia “with rhythm in my blood.”
Karito, a business development executive and online fashion retailer, was taught to cook by her late grandmother.
“I can’t believe I’m sharing, for the first time in My Kitchen Rules, Colombian culture,” she says. “I’m here to honour my grandmother, my background and make my daughter proud.”
Ian meanwhile is “your typical skip.”
“Falling in love with a Latino really spiced up my life,” the business owner reveals.

Chris & Lesley, QLD – Flight Attendants

“In our job, we’ve experienced some amazing cuisines and we’ve brought those experiences home with us to share,” explains Chris, who has been flying for 28 years (“longer than the age of some people at the table”).
“Chris is the Cary Grant of the air,” confides Lesley, about her great friend of more than 20 years.
“I’m going to blush,” jokes Chris, who plans to show off his Italian heritage in the kitchen (“classic with a modern twist”).

 

Andy & Ruby, QLD – Passionate Peruvians

“We want to put Peru on the map,” explains Andy, who moved to Australia in 2006. “A lot of Aussies are still very unfamiliar with Peruvian cuisine so we want to be able to showcase our heritage and how amazing our food is.”
“Australian food is boring; a bit bland,” says Ruby, who relocated to Brisbane in 2007 where she met Andy through a mutual friend 10 years ago.
“Peruvian food is bold, citrus, spicy,” says Andy. “Chilli is in our DNA.”
MKR’s first Peruvian team aren’t shy at letting people know what they think.
“We have that Latin fire so we can get very passionate about food at times,” admits Andy, a food blogger. “We both love eating out and we are very critical of the food we eat.”

Mick & Jodie-Anne, VIC – Hubby and Wife

“We’re doing this for the so-called country bumpkins,” says Mick.
“We’re going to showcase some good food,” adds Jodie-Anne. “Bring the country to them city folk!”
The loved up, semi-retired couple enjoy nothing more than spending an arvo at their “slice of heaven” on the Murray River, having a beer and a wine, and cooking.
“We like depth of taste without being over the top fancy,” says Jodie-Anne, who describes herself as a “passionate cook without too many bells and whistles.”
“I don’t need many fine things in my life. I have Mick!” she laughs, ribbing her husband of 16 years.
“We’re a good team,” says Mick.

Ibby & Romel, NSW – Socialites

“Not that we’re going to tell the other teams that,” confides Romel, who runs an agency in the fashion industry.
The stylish friends, who met seven years ago, will draw on their shared Middle Eastern heritage in the kitchen.
“With our Persian and Lebanese backgrounds, we can come up with some very cool menus,” says Ibby. “I learnt to cook at a young age watching my grandmother and from then I knew I wanted a career in food.”
While Ibby knows flavours, Romel promises to add some spice at the table.
“Confrontation has never been something I have shied away from,” he reveals. “I am not afraid to speak my mind and put people in check should I feel they are overstepping the line.”

Josh & Austin, NSW – Home Schooled Brothers

“We’re amateur cooks and we’re going in this to learn and get better and better until we win,” says Austin.
“Our philosophy is if you decide to commit to something, you better give it everything you’ve got,” says Josh. “And we’re here to win a competition.”
Raised by missionary parents and home schooled in different countries, the devout Christian brothers are set to ruffle feathers with their no- nonsense approach.
“Every time I open my mouth I’ve got word vomit,” Josh admits. “But just because our opinion is somewhat obscene or offensive to you, doesn’t mean it’s wrong.
“And just because I don’t appear sociable doesn’t mean I don’t know how to work people.”
“One of the perks of being home schooled is that you’re not raised into the system,” Austin reveals.

7pm Monday January 28 on Seven.