By Goya Dmytryshchak
Altona’s ‘Fresh Prince of Baklava’ is back home cooking up a storm after his elimination from MasterChef Australia last week.
Walleed Rasheed was among 24 amateur cooks chosen for Ten’s reality cooking show, serving up plates for judges Matt Preston, Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris.
His business, Fresh Prince of Baklava, trades from Kensington and South Melbourne markets and he plans to expand.
Mr Rasheed, who featured in 31 episodes, said he loved every single minute of his television experience.
“The most challenging part of the whole show was to think on your feet and to be able to cook … while you’ve got a massive clock above you, you’ve got people shouting and you’ve got producers asking you a question.
“I knew I could cook – I love food – but it really tested your ability to cook under those pressures.”
Born in Melbourne to Egyptian parents, the father of twin five-year-old daughters said he now hoped to expand his Fresh Prince of Baklava business, which he has run as a side hustle to his corporate job.
“We don’t really have a shopfront, which is obviously in our longer plan but we usually do markets around Melbourne,” Mr Rasheed said.
