Mirko Grillini did not want to be a chef at first, his dream job was to be a forensic scientist but his schooling skills were not heading in that direction. His mother made his decision for him; packed his bags and sent him to a boarding school for hospitality on the Adriatic Sea, where Mirko graduated as Chef... and he has never looked back.

Mirko worked in kitchens throughout Italy and Europe, eventually moving to the famou San Lorenzo restaurant in Knightsbridge London where he was extremely popular among VIP’s in the political, sporting and entertainment worlds, his highlight being at the service of Princess Diana and her young sons. Mirko’s passion for preparing food was soon eclipsed by another love, that of an Australian girl. He left London to follow her to Brisbane and fell instantly in love with Australia.

Realising his skills as a chef were highly regarded, Mirko established authentic Italian cooking classes, his friendly character, cultural background and fine food quickly made these classes very popular. As word spread of his authentic Italian cooking Mirko, with his wife Amanda, opened a very successful Italian restaurant in Paddington, which would win Best Italian Restaurant 2002 and was a finalist as best new business. Understanding the importance of personal presentation Mirko committed to and achieved a full graduation in performing arts.

With his love of adventure and the lure of the Aussie outback calling, Mirko sold his restaurant to commence travelling the regional towns of Australia, taking his unique brand of Italian cooking classes on the road to rural communities. Mirko’s natural charisma and enthusiasm has not gone unnoticed, he has prepared his recipes on cooking programmes such as the Food Lover’s Guide to Australia and is a regular presenter on Lifestyle programmes. His natural talents have also extended his career to the big screen as an actor, appearing in numerous short films, television series and feature films. He is also an accomplished photographer, but it is Italian food that drives his soul; he is a self-confessed ambassador of Italian traditional cuisine and food history. He continues to learn and teach encouraging everybody in maintaining health and happiness in kitchen, body, mind and soul.