A bit about me.

Derek Lau was the clear fan favourite in MasterChef Series 11 (2019). Known for his dumplings and fried chicken it was his knack for pushing boundaries that made the impossible possible, such as making doughnuts in record time.

Born in Perth to a mother and father from Hong Kong descent, Derek is the youngest of four. He was in the kitchen with his Mum from an early age, where she taught him all the basic fundamentals that he needed to know and his love for sweets was born.

Derek graduated with a double Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Commerce, he is now a
qualified Chartered Accountant and an Investor Relations Analyst. He is keen to explore more opportunities in the food space to showcase his creative potential, more than a career in the financial sector would allow.

Confident that it would be his sweets that would set him apart from his fellow contestants, he quickly gained recognition for his savoury creations such as his dumplings with George referring to him ‘undoubtably as the dumpling master’.

Matt praised his Korean Fried Chicken as ‘up there as one of the three best I’ve ever had in Australia’.
In addition to Katherine Sabbath, Derek cites Adriano Zumbo, Kate Reid and Gordon Ramsay as his culinary idols.

When he’s not working and cooking, he enjoys 4WDing, motorbike cruises and supporting his AFL team - the West Coast Eagles.