Matt Preston
Encyclopedia
Matt Preston is a British-Australian food journalist
and restaurant critic
. He is best known for his role as a judge on Network Ten's MasterChef Australia
and his weekly food column in the Herald Sun
'Taste' supplement. Preston is also a writer for MasterChef and Delicious magazines as well as the former columnist for The Age newspaper’s food section, "Epicure" and Vogue Entertaining + Travel. Preston was the Creative Director of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival
. until 2009.
and graduated from the University of Kent
with a BA Hons
in Politics and Government. He began his career in the sales and marketing departments of British magazines, including City Limits where for five years he wrote the "Backhanders" column. Preston then spent four years with UK
magazines, TVTimes and What’s on TV, becoming the head of promotions and marketing. He continued to work for these publications after moving to Australia in 1993, as an Australian soap opera
correspondent
.
Preston also works as a regular food correspondent in a number of publications, including Taste, a supplement in the Herald Sun
, MasterChef Magazine, Delicious (Senior Editor), Australian Good Taste as the drink reviewer, The Guardian
newspaper (UK) and Time Out (London). Preston was a weekly contributor to Epicure between 2000 and 2009, writing a weekly review of a cafe or restaurant. He also wrote a weekly column in The Age's A2 and was a senior editor at Vogue Entertaining & Travel. Preston has made many appearances on Australian radio.
and George Calombaris
on the judging panel of the first season of MasterChef Australia
(Network 10), a reality television competition to find Australia’s best amateur chef. Preston says that his favourite part of MasterChef Australia
is ‘the joy that comes from the contestants delivering us a delicious dish that’s a pleasure to eat’. Preston has gone on to judge two more series of MasterChef Australia
(2010,2011) and is rumoured to be involved with the fourth.
.
His biggest cooking triumphs are: "The national award I've won for my jam recipes and cooking a BBQ for 1,000 people at the Noosa Food and Wine Festival with some volunteers and chef mates. His favourite inspirational cooking quote: "It's not the food on the table but the eyes across the table that matter" - Robert Castellani, chef at Melbourne's Donovan's restaurant.
(US) and has previously contributed to The Age Good Food Guide.
- 2003 Food Media Club of Australia Grand Marnier Award for Best New Writer Winner: Matt Preston for articles published in the Epicure section of The Age.
- 2004 Food Media Club of Australia Australian Mushroom Growers’ Award Best Food Article Winner: Matt Preston for “The Temple Kitchen”, Epicure, The Age.
- 2006 Food Media Club of Australia Calypso Mango Award for Best Recipe Feature in a Newspaper or Newspaper Magazine Winner: Matt Preston for “Preserving knowledge”, Epicure, The Age.
- 2008 Le Cordon Bleu World Food Media Awards, Food Journalist of the Year for articles in Delicious Magazine and the Epicure section of The Age. .
- 2010 The Graham Kennedy Award for Most Outstanding New Talent (Male)
- 2011 Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards Winner – Awesome Oldie
- Preston appears in Who's Who in Australia
2011 edition.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and restaurant critic
Food critic
The terms food critic, food writer, and restaurant critic can all be used to describe a writer who analyzes food or restaurants and then publishes the results of their findings. While these terms are not strictly synonymous they are often used interchangeably, at least in some circumstances...
. He is best known for his role as a judge on Network Ten's MasterChef Australia
Masterchef Australia
MasterChef Australia is a Logie award winning Australian competitive cooking game show based on the original British MasterChef. It is produced by FremantleMedia Australia and screens on Network Ten. Restaurateur and chef Gary Mehigan, chef George Calombaris and food critic Matt Preston serve as...
and his weekly food column in the Herald Sun
Herald Sun
The Herald Sun is a morning tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia. It is published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Limited, itself a subsidiary of News Corporation. It is available for purchase throughout Melbourne, Regional Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital...
'Taste' supplement. Preston is also a writer for MasterChef and Delicious magazines as well as the former columnist for The Age newspaper’s food section, "Epicure" and Vogue Entertaining + Travel. Preston was the Creative Director of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival
Melbourne Food and Wine Festival
Launched in 1993, the annual Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is one of Victoria’s hallmark events. Each March the festival celebrates Melbourne and Victoria’s vibrant food and wine culture...
. until 2009.
Biography
Preston was educated in SussexSussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
and graduated from the University of Kent
University of Kent
The University of Kent, previously the University of Kent at Canterbury, is a public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom...
with a BA Hons
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Politics and Government. He began his career in the sales and marketing departments of British magazines, including City Limits where for five years he wrote the "Backhanders" column. Preston then spent four years with UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
magazines, TVTimes and What’s on TV, becoming the head of promotions and marketing. He continued to work for these publications after moving to Australia in 1993, as an Australian soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
correspondent
Correspondent
A correspondent or on-the-scene reporter is a journalist or commentator, or more general speaking, an agent who contributes reports to a newspaper, or radio or television news, or another type of company, from a remote, often distant, location. A foreign correspondent is stationed in a foreign...
.
Preston also works as a regular food correspondent in a number of publications, including Taste, a supplement in the Herald Sun
Herald Sun
The Herald Sun is a morning tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia. It is published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Limited, itself a subsidiary of News Corporation. It is available for purchase throughout Melbourne, Regional Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital...
, MasterChef Magazine, Delicious (Senior Editor), Australian Good Taste as the drink reviewer, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
newspaper (UK) and Time Out (London). Preston was a weekly contributor to Epicure between 2000 and 2009, writing a weekly review of a cafe or restaurant. He also wrote a weekly column in The Age's A2 and was a senior editor at Vogue Entertaining & Travel. Preston has made many appearances on Australian radio.
Masterchef
In 2009, Preston joined Gary MehiganGary Mehigan
Gary Mehigan is an English chef, restaurateur and a judge of the Network Ten series MasterChef Australia.Mehigan also co-hosts two shows on Australia's Lifestyle Food Channel, Good Chef, Bad Chef, and Boy's Weekend and will be appearing at the 2011 Good Food & Wine Show.Mehigan trained at The...
and George Calombaris
George Calombaris
George Calombaris is an Australian chef and a judge of the Network Ten series MasterChef Australia. Prior to his role on MasterChef, Calombaris regularly appeared on the daytime Ten cooking show Ready Steady Cook. He owns three restaurants in Melbourne and one in Mykonos, Greece...
on the judging panel of the first season of MasterChef Australia
Masterchef Australia
MasterChef Australia is a Logie award winning Australian competitive cooking game show based on the original British MasterChef. It is produced by FremantleMedia Australia and screens on Network Ten. Restaurateur and chef Gary Mehigan, chef George Calombaris and food critic Matt Preston serve as...
(Network 10), a reality television competition to find Australia’s best amateur chef. Preston says that his favourite part of MasterChef Australia
Masterchef Australia
MasterChef Australia is a Logie award winning Australian competitive cooking game show based on the original British MasterChef. It is produced by FremantleMedia Australia and screens on Network Ten. Restaurateur and chef Gary Mehigan, chef George Calombaris and food critic Matt Preston serve as...
is ‘the joy that comes from the contestants delivering us a delicious dish that’s a pleasure to eat’. Preston has gone on to judge two more series of MasterChef Australia
Masterchef Australia
MasterChef Australia is a Logie award winning Australian competitive cooking game show based on the original British MasterChef. It is produced by FremantleMedia Australia and screens on Network Ten. Restaurateur and chef Gary Mehigan, chef George Calombaris and food critic Matt Preston serve as...
(2010,2011) and is rumoured to be involved with the fourth.
Personal life
Preston married his wife, Emma, in 1999 and the couple have three children. A football fan, Preston supports Chelsea FC and Melbourne VictoryMelbourne Victory
Melbourne Victory Football Club is an Australian professional football club based in Melbourne, Victoria, that plays in the A-League....
.
His biggest cooking triumphs are: "The national award I've won for my jam recipes and cooking a BBQ for 1,000 people at the Noosa Food and Wine Festival with some volunteers and chef mates. His favourite inspirational cooking quote: "It's not the food on the table but the eyes across the table that matter" - Robert Castellani, chef at Melbourne's Donovan's restaurant.
Books
Preston's book Cravat-A-Licious, a collection of food writing, launched on 1 October 2009. He is a contributor to Food and WineFood & Wine Magazine
Food & Wine is a monthly magazine published by American Express Publishing. It was founded in 1978 by Ariane and Michael Batterberry. It features recipes, cooking tips, travel information, restaurant reviews, chefs, wine pairings and seasonal/holiday content and has been credited by The New York...
(US) and has previously contributed to The Age Good Food Guide.
Accolades
Preston has won a number of awards, both individually and as the leader of an organisation, including:- 2003 Food Media Club of Australia Grand Marnier Award for Best New Writer Winner: Matt Preston for articles published in the Epicure section of The Age.
- 2004 Food Media Club of Australia Australian Mushroom Growers’ Award Best Food Article Winner: Matt Preston for “The Temple Kitchen”, Epicure, The Age.
- 2006 Food Media Club of Australia Calypso Mango Award for Best Recipe Feature in a Newspaper or Newspaper Magazine Winner: Matt Preston for “Preserving knowledge”, Epicure, The Age.
- 2008 Le Cordon Bleu World Food Media Awards, Food Journalist of the Year for articles in Delicious Magazine and the Epicure section of The Age. .
- 2010 The Graham Kennedy Award for Most Outstanding New Talent (Male)
- 2011 Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards Winner – Awesome Oldie
- Preston appears in Who's Who in Australia
Who's Who in Australia
The Who's Who in Australia is an Australian biographical reference first published by Fred Johns in 1906 as Johns's Notable Australians. It has been used by academics as a resource that identifies Australia's leading individuals, and has been analysed when studying the social backgrounds –...
2011 edition.