Six years ago, Hoda Hannaway put a Master’s degree aside to pursue her love of cooking on the 10th edition of Masterchef.
Now this Campbelltown star is raising her tea cup to help those affected by cancer.
Ms Hannaway is an ambassador for Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea – getting on board after her dad was diagnosed with cancer last year.
One of four children, Hoda grew up in a large Lebanese family where celebrations were just “constant layers of food”.
She started cooking at 15, often helping her mother prepare meals while her parents worked long hours.
She found that creating beautiful dishes for her family connected them on a deeper level, which ignited her passion for cooking.
Although food was her passion, Ms Hannaway pushed the plates aside while she pursued a career in mental health, an industry that she also grew to love.
At the same time as working in mental health support services and raising four children, she completed her master’s degree in social work in 2016.
Despite relishing her job Ms Hannaway felt there was something missing in her life.
After much encouragement from her family, she auditioned for the 10th season of Masterchef Australia.
Since finishing 11th overall in 2018 she has made multiple TV appearances, giving audiences her best tips and tricks for rustic, share style and family friendly meals.
She also recently discovered that she is gluten-intolerant and is setting out to show her social media following that gluten-free meals are just as delicious!
Ms Hannaway dreams of one day owning a food truck, operating a creative pop-up cooking school for parents and children in disadvantaged areas, combining her two passions: cooking and social work.
In the meantime, she’s an ambassador for Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea, getting on board after her father was diagnosed with lung cancer last year.
Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea is on Thursday, May 23. Check out more information here www.biggestmorningtea.com.au
