Colin Fassnidge

Colin Fassnidge

Dublin born chef and restaurateur Colin Fassnidge first appeared as a guest judge on My Kitchen Rules in 2012 and spent eight years on the program, becoming a fan favourite on the top-rating show. Colin has since gone on to host Kitchen Nightmares Australia and also hosted his own two-part series ‘Colin’s Ireland’, showcasing his home country and the local culinary delights, all from the back of his motorbike.

Known for his nose to tail cooking philosophy, the cheeky and outspoken Irishman firmly believes the secret to cooking a great dish is planning and “having a bit of love for the food”.

Colin, who counts pork, potato, lemon and peas among his favourite ingredients to cook with, says he was drawn to cooking as a career at the age of 12 after seeing esteemed French chef Raymond Blanc on a television program.

The father of two began his career at London’s Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in 1994 where he completed his apprenticeship under his idol, Raymond Blanc.

Colin stayed in London for five years before heading to Australia after deciding to combine his love of travel with work. Arriving in Australia in 1999, Colin worked at some of Sydney’s most acclaimed restaurants including Banc and est. While working at est, Colin he met his wife Jane, who hails from Northern Ireland.

These days, Colin can be found in the kitchen at one of his two venues, Banksia Bistro or the Castlereagh by Fassnidge. Colin was previously Executive Chef of two- hatted restaurant, The Four in Hand Dining Room from October 2005 to January 2016, as well as hatted restaurant 4Fourteen, from 2011 to 2018.

Crowned GQ Magazine’s Chef of the Year in 2013, Colin released his first cook- book Four Kitchens in 2014, followed by The Commonsense Cook in 2020, and is a regular contributor to Delicious Magazine.

When he’s not cooking, filming or writing recipes, Colin’s a family man and an avid supporter of numerous charities, including Oz Harvest and the Starlight Children’s Foundation.