Collette’s Thermie Kitchen: Local retiree teaching thousands to cook from new Helensvale home

The Gold Coast’s newest influencer is sharing foodie skills to a global audience, with thousands of followers (Thermo)mixing together. WATCH THE VIDEO

The Gold Coast’s newest influencer is sharing her self-taught kitchen skills to a global audience, with thousands of followers (Thermo)mixing together to create an online community of foodies.

Baby boomer Collette Mitrega spends her post-retirement days making foodie content in her Thermomix for 112k followers online as a much-loved Gold Coast influencer. Picture Glenn Hampson

Baby boomer Collette Mitrega might not be a digital native like so many of her fellow internet personalities, but she hasn’t let that slow her down.

“If there’s an opportunity for me, I’ll always give it a go – I’m a big believer in opening doors and trying things because that’s how you grow and learn,” she said.

Ms Mitrega’s life experience has helped cement her as an expert in the kitchen, boasting a win on SBS program, The Chefs’ Line.

Back in 2017, she filmed a one-minute audition clip and was selected for a cook-off in NSW against a number of chefs.

“I got through to the final and actually took out one of Australia’s best French chefs, so that was incredible,” Ms Mitrega said.

“You just have to go for these things in life, it makes it fun and enjoyable.”

The idea of sharing her skills online dawned on Ms Mitrega about a year and a half ago, and she said Google has been her “best friend” throughout the journey.

Baby boomer Collette Mitrega spends her post-retirement days making foodie content in her Thermomix for 112k followers online as a much-loved Gold Coast influencer. Picture Glenn Hampson

“There are so many tutorials on the internet and you can ask Google anything, so I’ve been able to learn it all myself,” she said.

“It’s been a fun – sometimes frustrating – journey, and that knowledge led to me launching my blog just last month.”

The blog adds to Ms Mitrega’s successful social media efforts across YouTube and Facebook, quickly becoming a source for super chefs and amateur cooks alike, amassing 100,000 followers already.

Having built her dream home locally and moving in at Helensvale to retire, Ms Mitrega has been blown away by the Gold Coast’s beauty.

“We’re just settling in but there’s so much to do here and I’m really looking forward to exploring this amazing area,” she said.

Since her followers are scattered across the world, Ms Mitrega also offers digital cooking classes via Zoom.

“So I could have 500 people from all over, cooking with me from my kitchen from the comfort of their own, and it’s such great fun,” she said.

The foodie wiz said gratitude plays a big role in her work, proud of the partnership she’s developed with her audience.

“I’ve got an amazing, supportive community – I support their learning and they support my business, it’s wonderful,” Ms Mitrega said.

“That fuels me.”

Her family has been incredibly supportive of Ms Mitrega in her content creation journey, with husband Andrew taking on the role of cameraman.

“He’s even got a little following now, the ladies in the comment section just love him,” she said.

“My mum was a fantastic cook but she had to take care of my very ill father, so she never really had a chance to pass on those skills.

“So I studied cookbooks and, from there, the passion has continued to grow.

“The Thermomix came into my life and that passion just exploded.”