A Tasmanian butcher who has long dreamed of setting up his own paddock-to-plate dining experience has come second place in MasterChef for 2024.
Josh ‘Pezza’ Perry, 43, the owner of Perry’s Quality Meats in Smithton, has been a standout on the Channel 10 show for several weeks, backed by a huge wave of support from his tiny hometown.
Pictures of his face have filled shop windows and locals are even hosting watch parties of the final episode on big screens in community halls and local businesses.
Pezza faced off against winner Nat Thaipun from Victoria in the grand finale on Tuesday, preparing a ribeye with peppercorn sauce and pureed Brussels sprouts as his wife and children looked on.
“Got a bit of Tassie in here and that’s what we need in this place,” he said.
“It’s got all the flavours I love. I’m a butcher, I love meat. I’m gonna stay true to what I believe in, the way I cook and just put up a dish that’s a real ripper.”
Although the butcher missed out on $250,000 in prize money, he did walk away with $40,000 to jumpstart his next adventure.
“I’m happy. Top two of MasterChef. Biggest cooking show in the world,” he said.
“If the wife comes with me, we might do something really special and hopefully you guys can all come and eat there one day.”
Pezza was a favourite to win the competition, consistently impressing the judges with his modern take on traditional Tasmanian cuisine throughout the season.
A self-proclaimed carnivore, Pezza grew up on a dairy and beef farm in the state’s north-west and worked as a livestock agent before becoming a butcher and beef farmer.
