George Calombaris facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Calombaris
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Calombaris in 2016
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| Born |
George Dimitrios Calombaris
4 October 1978 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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| Occupation | Chef, restaurateur, TV personality |
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| Spouse(s) |
Natalie Tricario
(m. 2018) |
| Children | 2 |
George Calombaris (born 4 October 1978) is a famous Greek Australian chef. He is also a restaurateur, meaning he owns and manages restaurants. Many people know him as a television personality. George was a judge on the popular TV show MasterChef Australia from 2009 to 2019. Before that, he was often seen on another cooking show called Ready Steady Cook.
George used to own several restaurants in Melbourne. His most famous restaurant, The Press Club, won "Best New Restaurant 2008" from The Age Good Food Guide. George himself was named "Chef of the Year 2008". He gets his cooking ideas from his Greek, Cypriot, and Italian family background.
In 2019, George Calombaris's company, MAdE Establishment Group, had a problem. They found out they had not paid some of their employees enough money. This was a mistake that added up to about $7.83 million for 515 staff members. The company paid all the money back to the employees. They also agreed to pay $200,000 to the Australian Government. In early 2020, most of his restaurants had to close down.
Becoming a Chef: George's Education
George Calombaris went to Mazenod College in Mulgrave. He then studied cooking at Box Hill Institute of TAFE. While he was still learning to be a chef, he won a special award called the Bon Land scholarship in 1999.
George Calombaris: His Culinary Career
When George was 23, he took part in a big cooking competition. It was called the Bocuse d'Or culinary grand prix in Lyon, France. He finished in 16th place, which was a great achievement.
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George worked for two years at a restaurant called Reserve in Melbourne. At just 24 years old, he won "Young Chef of the Year". The restaurant also won "Best New Restaurant" and received two chef's hats from The Age Good Food Guide. In 2004, a magazine called Global Food and Wine Magazine named him one of the top 40 most important chefs in the world.
In 2006, George opened his own restaurant in Melbourne. It was called The Press Club. Later, in 2008, he opened two more restaurants in Melbourne. These were Maha Bar and Grill and Hellenic Republic. He also opened his first international restaurant in 2008. This was The Belvedere Club, located on the Greek island of Mykonos. George continued to open more restaurants in the following years, including P M 24, St Katherine's, and Mama Baba. In 2019, The Press Club closed and was replaced by a new restaurant called Elektra.
George Calombaris has also written five cookbooks. Some of his books include The Press Club and Hellenic Republic: Greek Cooking from The Hellenic Heart. He also wrote Cook With Us with his MasterChef Australia co-judge, Gary Mehigan.
He is listed in Who's Who in Australia for 2011. He also appeared at the 2011 Good Food & Wine Show.
In 2021, George Calombaris surprised many people. He was revealed as the "Duster" on the TV show The Masked Singer Australia. He was the second person to be eliminated from the show. In 2022, George returned to TV with a new cooking show on Network Ten. It was called Hungry, and he hosted it with former MasterChef Australia contestant Sarah Todd.
George Calombaris: His Personal Life
George Calombaris married Natalie Tricarico in 2018. Their wedding took place in Greece. They have two children, a son born in 2011 and a daughter. The family lives in Melbourne, Australia.
George is a big fan of the Melbourne Victory soccer team. He was even their No.1 ticket holder for the 2012–13 season.
