Savindri Perera’s best life
Adelaide’s Savindri Perera has shelved her career in banking to pursue her love of cooking, scoring a spot on the latest season of MasterChef Australia.
Give us a brief insight into what you do? I am a former banking consultant who is hoping to find her way in the food world in Adelaide. I have been running a little catering and special occasion hustle on the side in addition to my day-to-day work and I hope to take this further, post my time on MasterChef. I am incredibly passionate about cooking and food and being in the MasterChef kitchen is making me realise that the food industry is where I want to be.
What brings you joy in life? Cooking, hosting and having friends and loved ones over is perhaps what I love most. I love planning menus, curating experiences through food for the people I love. I absolutely love drilling down to the details when I host – themed cocktails, florals, plates that are to the theme, considered and intentional food – that is absolutely what I am about.
What is the hardest lesson you’ve had to learn? For me, losing my mum was the hardest thing I have had to go through. What I’ve learned from it is the capacity of my own resilience. Perhaps the most difficult thing about the grieving process for me to learn was how to move with not having my mum around, especially to celebrate my life’s milestones.
What is your most treasured photograph and why? This is one the last pictures of my mum that I ever took before her cancer diagnosis. I always remember her this way.
Savindri Perera’s mother
Top five songs on your play list
Too Sweet – Hozier
6:45 – Naika
Damage Gets Done – Hozier ft Brandi Carlile
Good Swimmer – Morgan St Jean
Labour – Paris Paloma
My life philosophy is …. It’s a waste of time to be eating mediocre food. Don’t settle for mediocrity in anything, especially nourishment.
MasterChef Australia airs Sunday – Wednesday at 7.30pm on 10 and 10 Play.