MasterChef judge Jock Zonfrillo settles District Court case over former Rundle Street wine bar

MasterChef judge Jock Zonfrillo has settled a court case over a wine bar he operated in Adelaide’s East End.

Celebrity chef Jock Zonfrillo has paid an undisclosed amount to settle a court case over a wine bar he operated in Adelaide’s East End.

His former landlord, Steve Maras, took legal action in the District Court over $275,869 he claimed was owed to his company, Rundle East Company Pty Ltd.

In its statement of claim, Rundle East alleged the money was outstanding from a wine bar, Mallozzi, which Zonfrillo ran with a former business partner, Shaun Lau.

Mallozzi went into liquidation in August, 2019, while Zonfrillo was renting another building on Rundle St from Rundle East Company to operate two restaurants, Bistro Blackwood and the nationally acclaimed Orana.

MasterChef Australia judges Jock Zonfrillo, left, Melissa Leong and Andy Allen. Picture: Ten Network

The court heard process servers encountered difficulties delivering legal papers involving the case to Zonfrillo, eventually obtaining a judge’s permission to stick them to the doors of the MasterChef set in Melbourne.

The legal dispute was resolved last month, with Zonfrillo and Lau agreeing to pay Rundle East an amount which remains the subject of a confidentiality order.

Mr Maras said he could not comment because of the order. Zonfrillo could not be contacted.

The court case began in July last year, three months after Orana closed during the pandemic.

Together with Bistro Blackwood, which closed in late 2019, creditors were owed $1.45m, including $348,000 in rent allegedly owed to Rundle East Company.

Rundle East later voted against accepting a $100,000 settlement offer made to creditors by Zonfrillo and his wife, Lauren.

The couple had moved to Melbourne when Zonfrillo became a MasterChef Australia judge.

The former home of Orana since has been leased by Rundle East Company to another hospitality operator who opened a new bar and restaurant last month, Two Pot Screamer.