MasterChef star and Adelaide restaurateur Laura Sharrad and chef husband Max welcome first child

MasterChef star and acclaimed Adelaide restaurateur Laura Sharrad has revealed she and chef husband Max were surprised to welcome a baby girl this week.

Leading Adelaide restaurateurs Laura and Max Sharrad have welcomed their first child, a baby girl they describe as their “angel”.

Florence Rosa Sharrad arrived on Tuesday morning at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, and Laura told The Advertiser they were certain she was going to be a boy.

“She’s honestly so perfect and such an angel,” she said.

“We were very convinced we were having a boy, and the utter delight of her being a girl made keeping the gender a surprise the best news of them all. She’s simply perfect.”

The former MasterChef star said they named her after her nonna Rosa, while Florence was a nod to her Tuscan heritage and “Italy being one of our most special places in the world”.

The couple, who are behind top local eateries Fugazzi Bar & Dining Room and Nido, became engaged in Tuscany, Italy, during a European holiday in 2017.

In a social media post, Laura also thanked her “incredible” obstetrician Dr Sarah Cash, the WCH midwives and their families.

“We never knew this much love could exist,” she captioned the post.

The couple announced they were expecting in October, describing the impending arrival as “our little miracle”.

Laura and Max Sharrad have shared this picture on Instagram after welcoming their first child, Florence Rosa Sharrad. Picture: Instagram

Laura and Max Sharrad, with dog Alfie, when they announced they were expecting a baby. Picture: Mish at Olive Leaf Studio

On Monday, Laura gave an insight into the birth in an Instagram story.

“Very, very f***ing painful, hard and fast contractions, no level of comfort,” she wrote.

“Max has copped it quite a bit, so I’ll be nice to him now that I’ve got some sort of relief.

“Wasn't sure to share or not, but a few pieces to the puzzle is nice – and raw and real, and we don’t share enough of that.”

Their baby joy comes after the couple, who have been married five years, revealed last year they had suffered a miscarriage.

“Honestly, we’re just so overjoyed, we’re still taking it all in,” Sharrad said in October, adding the couple were keeping the gender a surprise until the birth.

“After loss, it’s definitely harder to celebrate straight away, but you can’t not help but smile knowing what’s happening.”