Since he first appeared in season 11 of MasterChef Australia in 2019, Tim Bone has been busy cooking up a toasted sandwich empire, Tim’s Toasties in his home town of Ballarat, Vic.
“Everyone loves a toastie,” the 39-year-old, who is back competing in the MasterChef kitchen for the latest season, Back To Win, tells Woman’s Day.
Starting out as a mobile gourmet sandwich business, Tim has grown his company to include a bricks-and-mortar store in Ballarat.
He says a trip to New York where he ate the best grilled cheese on the Lower East Side helped inspire his business.
“I went there and thought how can a toastie taste so damn good? But it wasn’t until after I was on MasterChef in 2019 that I had the confidence to throw in the towel at my teaching job,” says the Good Chef, Bad Chef host.
“MasterChef changed the trajectory of my life and I’ve been flipping toasties since!”
FOLLOWING HIS DREAM
Tim’s business isn’t the only thing that’s grown since he came fourth on season 11.
He and his wife Abbey are also busy raising their two adorable sons, Toby, four, and 15-month-old Jude.
“The reason I’m back on MasterChef is to teach my boys that you can follow your dream, and to back yourself and have a crack,” Tim tells. “I’m really excited to show my kids how to take life by the horns and run with it.”
Toby and Jude are already inheriting their dad’s love of cooking, helping Tim and Abbey out in the kitchen.
“Jude’s got a little stand at the kitchen bench where he can stir,” Tim shares. “Whereas Toby’s a bit older so he’s getting into the chopping side of things.”
For his second season on MasterChef, Tim’s hoping to prove his skills in the kitchen are worthy of winning.
“I’m a bit starstruck competing against the likes of Sarah Todd, Callum Hann and Laura Sharrad,” Tim admits. “Cooking alongside them, it’s not only daunting but it’s also pretty cool to be considered worthy of being in the same class as them.”
TIM’S TOASTIE TIPS
QUALITY BREAD
Regular sliced bread doesn’t cut it for Tim.
He says the perfect toastie begins with sourdough.
LOTS OF BUTTER
“You want a good lathering of real butter on the outside of the toastie,” Tim says.
“That’s what gives you that golden crunch.”
MIX OF CHEESES
Tim likes to use a mix of cheeses including goat, camembert and brie.
