The MasterChef craze has spread into the sandpit, with children as young as two flocking to cooking classes on the back of the show’s popularity.
Operators say there has been surge in demand for kids cooking courses since the second series of MasterChef began in April, as more budding chefs show a keen interest in the kitchen.
"It’s has a massive effect," said chef Michelle Campbell from Adelaide-based cooking school KinderChefs.
"And I’m not complaining — we have gone from four classes to 14 in a matter of a term. It’s fantastic."
Ms Campbell, who teaches children aged two to five, said her students got excited just by recognising things from the show — such as a chef’s uniform — and were usually prepared to give anything a go.
"The parents are gobsmacked. They say ‘my child’s not going to eat a lentil meatball’ — but they do," she said.
The level of interest is just as keen among primary and early high school-age children, said Vivian Cini, who teaches classes at Kitchen Kids in Melbourne’s west.
"They all watch [the show] and they like to compare it with what goes on in our kitchen," she said.
"The kids pick up mistakes on the show, like whether the hygiene standards are right or not. It makes me more aware too."
She said many of her students had applied to be involved in the Channel Ten spinoff Junior MasterChef, due to air later this year.
Meanwhile, kids cooking continues to be a hot topic on MasterChef’s hugely popular online forums.
"I have small children (4) and we all love the show," wrote one mother, spongecook.
"The older 2 are looking at recipes on this site and we have been making lots of new recipes … School hols and the kitchen is a busy place!"
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