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Marion Grasby

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Marion Grasby
Grasby in Thailand, January 2013
Born (1982-09-29) 29 September 1982 (age 42)
Darwin, Northern Territory
NationalityThai Australian
EducationJournalism, law, gastronomy
Alma materQueensland University of Technology
University of Adelaide
Years active2006–present
Known forTelevision cook and presenter, cookbook author, food journalist
TelevisionMasterChef Australia, Season 2 (Network 10, 2010)
MasterChef Australia All-Stars (Network 10, 2012)
The Celebrity Apprentice Australia, Season 2 (Nine Network, 2012)
Marion's Thailand (Lifestyle Food Channel, Foxtel, 2013)
Wok vs Pot (SBS, 2020)
SpouseTim Althaus
Children2

Marion Grasby (born 29 September 1982) is a Thai-Australian cook and food entrepreneur.[1] She is also a television presenter, cookbook author and food journalist.[2]

Early life and education

Grasby started life in Darwin, Northern Territory. At the age of four she moved with her family to [[Papua New Guinea]], where she attended primary school. She later moved to Brisbane where she boarded at Somerville House. Her heritage is Thai on her mother's side and Australian on her father's side.

Grasby's mother, Noi, a professionally trained Thai chef, is her hero and mentor. Growing up, her mother’s recipes had a huge influence on Grasby, who says, “My mum is the reason I cook and eat the way I do.”[3] Grasby also credits Noi with inspiring her with a natural love of food. [4] “We travelled and ate our way across so many places when I was growing up and that sense of adventure translates into the food I cook now. The way we cook and the way we eat tell us so much about who we are and where we’ve been.”[5]

After graduating from high school, Grasby studied law and journalism at the Queensland University of Technology, completing a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws in 2005.[6]

Journalism career

After university, Grasby was employed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in Adelaide, South Australia, as a journalist. Between 2006 and 2008, Grasby was a reporter with the ABC. She filed reports for a range of radio and online services, including The World Today [7] AM, [8] and ABC Rural. She also worked as a producer for Stateline.[citation needed]

Culinary career

In 2008 Grasby left her journalism career and returned to university to study for a Master of Arts in Gastronomy at the University of Adelaide.[9]

MasterChef Australia, Season 2

In 2010 Grasby took a break from her Masters of Arts in Gastronomy course to compete in the second television series of MasterChef Australia. She went from strength to strength throughout the competition and was a favourite among viewers to win the series.[10]

The Weekly Review journalist Corrie Perkin wrote that “Grasby’s contribution to … MasterChef was immense. She was a generous and optimistic contestant, a creative thinker and a talented technician who raised the bar and forced her opposition to jump higher.[11]

Grasby's highlights in the series include winning a celebrity chef challenge against Movida's Frank Camorra [12] and being singled out by Heston Blumenthal as the best performer during a MasterChef challenge in the UK, which Grasby says is her proudest cooking achievement. [13] When Grasby was eliminated from the competition, her shock departure made front-page news across the country. [14]

After leaving MasterChef, Grasby was offered opportunities to cook, write and present. [15] Trudi Jenkins, then editor-in-chief, MasterChef Magazine, said that, “I was really interested in signing Marion because MasterChef Magazine is all about integrity and credibility. Marion has a background as a journalist at the ABC, she is passionate about food and cooking and is studying for a Masters degree in Gastronomy – she’s perfect columnist material and immensely likeable [16].”

Marion's Kitchen (food company)

In 2010, after finishing at MasterChef, Grasby started her own food company called Marion's Kitchen. The company launched with a range of meal kits including Pad Thai, San Choy Bow and Thai curries.

In 2015 Marion’s Kitchen products launched in US supermarkets,[17] before switching to a US direct-to-consumer subscription service in 2019 called Marion’s Kitchen All Access USA.[18]

The Marion's Kitchen range of products includes stir-fry sauces, marinades and salad dressings and are sold in retailers across Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia.[19]

In early 2017 Marion’s Kitchen launched a studio in Bangkok, Thailand, to create food and lifestyle video content for the Marion’s Kitchen and Marion Grasby social media channels. In 2020 a second filming studio was set up in Noosa, Australia.

Press and media

Grasby has appeared on TV programs such as Good News Week,[20] the Nine Network's Mornings, [21] Everyday Gourmet with Justine Schofield and The Living Room. Grasby also joined MasterChef All-Stars and Nine's Celebrity Apprentice for charitable purposes. Grasby nominated Save the Children as her charity for both shows.[citation needed]

In February 2013, Grasby was nominated as a campaign ambassador for American Express Australia's 'Realise Your Potential in 2013' competition to help inspire people to aim high and achieve their dreams.[22]

Grasby is currently based in Noosa Queensland with her family, where she develops and films food and lifestyle content for her brand, Marion’s Kitchen.[citation needed]

Books

  • Grasby, Marion (2014). Asia express : 100 fast & easy favourites. Sydney, NSW. ISBN 978-1-74261-288-1. OCLC 878076444.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

Television series

Marion’s Thailand

In 2013 Grasby's series Marion's Thailand debuted on Lifestyle Food for Foxtel. The 10-part series was shot on location in and around Marion's traditional family home in Thailand and highlighted authentic Thai meals.[23]

Wok vs Pot

Wok vs Pot, a three-part series, aired on SBS in August 2020. Hailed as a “delightful new series reminiscent of that classic, The Cook and the Chef”.[24] Each episode featured Grasby and chef Silvia Colloca cooking a dish in their own style – Grasby using a wok to cook an Asian-style dish, and Colloca using a pot for her traditional Italian dishes.  

References

  1. ^ Perkin, Corrie. "The book that Marion made". The Weekly Review. Archived from the original on 26 April 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  2. ^ Books, Shearer's (3 June 2011). "Shearer's Books Blog: Interview: Marion Grasby". Shearer's Books Blog. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  3. ^ "In my mother's kitchen". The Sydney Morning Herald. 11 May 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  4. ^ Dean, Lucinda (19 July 2011). "Marion is master of her destiny". Morning Bulletin. Retrieved 20 April 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ "Masterchef Australia | About Marion | Thai Recipes and Stories". web.archive.org. 8 March 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  6. ^ "Marion Grasby – QUT News". Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  7. ^ Grasby, Marion (29 July 2006). "The World Today - Grape oversupply plunges Aust wine industry into crisis". www.abc.net.au. Retrieved 20 April 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ Grasby, Marion (29 July 2006). "AM - Symphony set to rock Adelaide". www.abc.net.au. Retrieved 20 April 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ "MasterChef favourite gets the chop". www.abc.net.au. 8 July 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  10. ^ BRUNERO, TIM (21 June 2010). "MasterChef poll puts Marion Grasby as favourite". NewsComAu. Retrieved 10 March 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ Perkin, Corie (26 April 2013). "The book that Marion made @ The Weekly Review". web.archive.org. Retrieved 20 April 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ "MasterChef contestant beats the best". The West Australian. 27 May 2010. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  13. ^ "Five minutes with: Marion Grasby". MINDFOOD. 10 August 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ "Satay skewers Marion in MasterChef shock". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 July 2010. Retrieved 20 April 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ^ Dean, Lucinda. "Marion is master of her destiny". Morning Bulletin. Retrieved 20 April 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ "MasterChef Magazine signs exclusive deal with Marion Grasby | NewsSpace". web.archive.org. 6 April 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  17. ^ Robb, Kirsten (19 June 2015). "The great Grasby: MasterChef's Marion Grasby takes her business to the US and shares five tips for global expansion". SmartCompany. Retrieved 20 April 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. ^ "Marion's Kitchen All Access". get.marionskitchenallaccess.com. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  19. ^ "Start with the good stuff". Marion's Kitchen. Retrieved 20 April 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. ^ Knox, David (17 July 2010). "Marion Grasby on GNW | TV Tonight". https://tvtonight.com.au/. Retrieved 10 March 2013. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. ^ Davies, Rebecca (30 March 2011). "'MasterChef's Marion Grasby: 'I'm lucky'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 10 March 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ^ "Social Networks Bring Childhood Dreams to Life". Woman.com.au. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  23. ^ "Cooking shows continue to bubble up". The Sydney Morning Herald. 15 April 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  24. ^ Enker, Melinda Houston and Debi (25 August 2020). "Two of TV's most charismatic cooks team up for delightful series". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
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