Pete Campbell

PETE CAMPBELL – MasterChef 2021 Australia Runner Up, MasterChef Back to Win 2025 (had to pull out due to illness), Chef, Content Creator, Digital Influencer & Brand Ambassador

After cultivating his fine-dining culinary skills under the tutelage of renowned Executive Chef Peter Gilmore at Sydney’s most prestigious dining room, Quay, Pete was then snapped up by Effie’s before being introduced to Poly by Jock Zonfrillo where he is currently working with Campbell now on his way to becoming one of the country’s finest self-taught chefs. As runner up in the 2021 nail-biting finale of MasterChef Australia, not to mention the mastermind behind the two-minute tasty peanut butter muffin viral sensation, this former high-flying corporate exec turned tattoo artist proves you don’t have to be classically trained to perfect classic cuisine that’s not only the talk of the table but the talk of the town!

In 2025, Pete was invited back by MasterChef Australia for their highly anticipated ‘Back to Win’ season — a moment fans had long awaited. But in a heartbreaking twist, his return was cut short in the first week when Pete was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Ever the fighter, Pete stepped back, faced the challenge head-on, and has now completed his treatment — receiving the life-affirming news that he’s officially cancer free. With resilience as refined as his flavour profiles, Pete has returned to Poly, back in the kitchen where his story continues — stronger, sharper, and more inspired than ever.

Pete’s love affair with food is as layered as his dishes. Though the early years were meat and potatoes (with a side of boyhood rebellion), it wasn’t until a globe-trotting foodie pilgrimage with his wife — spanning Asia, Europe, and the US — that his culinary compass was truly set. Uprooting their young family to Los Angeles, Pete delved deep into taste, culture, and creativity, evolving not just as a cook, but as a storyteller through food.

Now, as he balances the beautiful chaos of fatherhood with the alchemy of the kitchen, Pete continues to live by a life philosophy he hopes to pass onto his two daughters: take the uncharted road, even when it’s terrifying — it might just lead you to what you love most.