BOWRAVILLE Central School has welcomed home Billie McKay, a former student and twice winner of MasterChef.

Head Vocational Education and Training (VET) teacher Eve Riches introduced Billie, saying how well-known and respected her family is within the Bowraville Community, and what an inspiration Billie has been to the students of Bowraville Central.

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“The students of the hospitality academy have researched facts, food trends and chefs,” she said.

“We’ve conducted our own MasterChef competitions, team challenges, and mystery-box cooks, dropping the MasterChef logo on its side to represent Bowraville MasterChef,” said Eve Riches.

Billie McKay spoke to the assembly, describing how she had a passion for cooking from an early age and that her grandmother was a wonderful cook.

“I was a student of this school and, coming from a small county town, twice winning MasterChef shows that you as students can do anything if you want to,” said Billie.

Winning MasterChef’s seventh season in 2015 taught Billie that with passion, hard work, and lots of research you can do anything if you put your mind to it.

As a new mum, accepting to take part in the 14th season for 2022 was a much bigger decision than in 2015, she said.

Being away from her daughter Ada for months was a big call for her young family.

“As a new mum I was really quite anxious about being away for over six months, in the end part of the reason I accepted was for my daughter Ada, as a mum I want to be a good role model for her.”

When asked by a student what she wanted to do next Billie answered, “We live in a very special little town, I’d like to set up a small café or something”.

News Of The Area spoke with Billie after the assembly, asking how it felt to find herself back at her old school talking with students, and later demonstrating her talents with a mystery box cook off organised by the Bowraville Central Hospitality Academy.

“It’s very special to me, I’ve great memories of my years here, many of the buildings are familiar, it’s great to know this school is here,” she said.

“To be honest I have a few butterflies in my stomach with today’s cooking, it seems harder than being on MasterChef.”

Billie McKay is no stranger to the pressures of cooking in a commercial kitchen, and she took the 40-minute cooking session in her stride.

Eve Riches said the Bowraville school’s pantry contained ingredients from local food sources and bush tucker.

Billie answered questions from students as she cooked ingredients from both the pantry and the mystery box.

By Karen GRIBBIN