Adelaide MasterChef star Laura Sharrad on cooking for her one-year-old baby Florence and getting ready for a special Mother’s Day

She’s used to facing the heat in the MasterChef kitchen but this Adelaide celeb chef is learning there are far tougher tasks masters out there.

Laura Sharrad is used to facing the MasterChef judges but her toughest critic might be the youngest member of the family.

The Adelaide restaurateur said her one-year-old daughter Florence initially spurned her cooking as she made the switch from liquids to solids earlier this year.

“I was so excited to be finally able to feed my daughter but she hated solids for the first two months,” said the MasterChef Back To Win contestant.

“It broke my heart at first. (Husband) Max actually laughed at me and said, ‘You’re not coping with someone rejecting your food, are you?’”

Laura and Max Sharrad at home with one-year-old baby Florence. 8th May 2025 Picture: Brett Hartwig

But that didn’t last long and now Florence can’t get enough of her mum’s cooking – just like the rest of the country.

“She’s just become this pasta-eating machine,” said the Fugazzi Bar and Dining Room co-owner.

“I can’t keep up. She eats anything and everything. She’ll have her dinner and then she watches us have dinner and she wants to have what we’re having.

“I feel like I’ve raised her well.”

Making her third appearance on Channel 10’s reality show, Sharrad said motherhood had added an extra layer of difficulty beyond her work in the kitchen.

“MasterChef wasn’t a regular experience for me. I’ve breastfed Florence until recently so obviously that meant she had to come on set and be fed on set,” she said.

“She adapted so well and it’s been a true joy but it was hard to switch off from mum mode.”

Yet Sharrad said it was important to give back to the program which had given her so much.

“I felt I owed it to them to return … and I love it, I’m a sucker for punishment,” she said.

As she prepares for her second Mother’s Day, Sharrad said she can’t wait to enjoy the simple pleasures with her young family.

“I’m looking forward to breakfast in bed, have a sleep-in, and to see the family,” she said.

“I’m just excited to have a proper Mother’s Day with Florence where she’s aware of what’s happening and is active.”

Originally published as Adelaide MasterChef star Laura Sharrad on cooking for her one-year-old baby Florence and getting ready for a special Mother’s Day