The first ever ACT contestants on My Kitchen Rules were the first to be eliminated last season, but another local pair is getting a shot to prove Canberra is a culinary force to be reckoned with.
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Mother-daughter duo Gina and Anna Petridis will get to fly the Canberra flag on the reality cooking show when the season returns to television screens next month.
The women owned Canberra school uniform store Savvy School Wear with three stores around town, before recently selling the business to concentrate on their true passion – food.
"Growing up in a Greek household, food is the most important thing in the world," said 48-year-old mother, Gina.
"My mum cooked a lot and my grandmother was a big cook as well, so as a child they would say, 'come on, come and have a look how we do things – because a Greek woman has to know how to cook'."
And it was this passion that she passed onto her own daughter.
"Mum and I take cooking very seriously and it's something I've learnt from her mostly – I've got the drive from her," said 25-year-old Anna.
"I'm the experimenter, so I like to make things that are really wacky. I probably lean a bit towards Asian-style flavours, but more fusion. And I love something to look like an explosion of flavour on the plate. "
Gina said having worked together for so long will make them a stronger team when put under pressure on My Kitchen Rules.
"Anna and I we work really well together, there's no ego. I know I'm older and I've got more experience, but I'm always open to new ideas. So we don't fight ever in the kitchen," she said.
The family is already part of the Canberra food scene – Gina's husband Phil Petridis and his brother Angelo Petridis have owned My Café in Manuka for more than 15 years – and working around their My Kitchen Rules filming schedule, the Petridis women have plans to play an even bigger role.
While she's reluctant to give away too much information, Anna said she is working on three projects together with both her parents.
"Two of our concepts are really fun and really different to anything in Canberra," she said.
"We've got our eye on a couple of locations that we're looking at to take and do a fitout and get that all happening. We've got staff ready to go."
Gina said that while they're heading on My Kitchen Rules to win, no matter what happens, their future is in the kitchen.
"Food makes us happy. I find that I'm happiest when I cooking – cooking relaxes me and I'm just like a pig in mud," she said.
"That's why I'll never be skinny minny – I love cooking. I exercise now six days a week just so I can enjoy my food."
PRIME7 is currently keeping the rest of the details about the show under wraps, except for saying that it will air some time in February 2015.
