Victorian barista, Nat Thaipun, has emerged victorious in the 2024 edition of MasterChef Australia. Thaipun, in a thrilling grand finale, outcooked her competitors to take home a grand prize of $250,000 and a residency at Crown Melbourne's Alumni restaurant.

In the grand finale, Thaipun faced off against Tasmanian butcher, Josh 'Pezza' Perry. The final challenge involved cooking with black peppercorns as the hero ingredient. Thaipun's culinary prowess saw him score a total of 71 points, edging out Perry by a narrow margin of just three points.

"I feel so good, this is crazy. It feels like a dream but it's not, it just happened, I just won MasterChef Australia," Thaipun exclaimed after the victory.

Despite the close defeat, Perry didn't walk away empty-handed. The Tasmanian butcher was awarded $40,000 for his efforts. In addition, third-place getter Sav Perera received $10,000.

Thaipun's victory in MasterChef Australia 2024 not only cements her place in the culinary world but also promises to bring a fresh perspective to the Alumni restaurant at Crown Melbourne. As previously reported on Mi3, this year's collaboration between Crown and MasterChef went live at the entertainment venue’s Melbourne site giving the reality TV show’s fans and foodies an opportunity to enjoy a meal created by MasterChef Alumni chefs. For Crown, the unique physical experience is a clear effort towards manifesting the new brand positioning and promise it debuted last September, ‘Here’s Where Things Get Interesting’.

As the latest MasterChef Australia champion, Thaipun joins a prestigious list of previous winners who have used the platform to launch successful culinary careers. The victory is a reminder of the opportunities and exposure that such competitions provide for aspiring chefs and food enthusiasts.