MasterChef winner Nat Thaipun embracing the heart of Hobart’s hospitality

MasterChef winner Nat Thaipun has always “had a soft spot” for Tasmania. Here’s how she spent her time leading up to a pop-up collaboration with one of Hobart’s hottest restaurants >>

Nat Thaipun 2024 MasterChef Australia winner who is doing a two night only pop-up event at Aloft restaurant in Hobart. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

More than a decade ago Nat Thaipun came to Dark Mofo on her own while her friends all went to Phuket.

“I used to be obsessed with Mona,” she recalls.

“Long story short, I ditched everyone who was going to Phuket and came to Tasmania instead.”

Now, a year after winning the 2024 season of MasterChef, Ms Thaipun is hosting her own pop-up at award-winning restaurant Aløft during the festival.

She is set to bring a Thai influence and love of native ingredients to Aløft’s vibes.

Ms Thaipun was excited to be a part of the festival in the city she has always “had a soft spot for”.

“It feels like the whole entire town is like a really comfortable snug hug,” she said while filming a Hobart-based episode of social media miniseries For Now.

Ms Thaipun recalled applying for her season of MasterChef on a whim, while staying at an Airbnb in Hobart at her friend’s request which changed the trajectory of the trained barista’s life.

“She didn’t want to see my cooking skills go to waste,” she said.

Ms Thaipun said seeing the work that goes into producing, growing and preparing the food gave her a deeper respect for the ingredients.

Ms Thaipun has spent the week ahead of the two-night pop-up at Aløft this Friday and Saturday meeting a diverse range of Tasmanian producers.

She said getting into the water at an oyster farm, heading out to forage for ingredients or taking on the elements to visit a farm gives her a greater appreciation for ingredients.

“To actually go out and brave the rain, brave the cold, go see the producers, and even get in the water, it makes you appreciate the things that you’re using so much more,” Ms Thaipun said.

“When it comes to creating the dishes for the collaboration and writing this menu I put so much effort into driving out and meeting all these people, it makes you want to really honour the produce.”