Kirsten Tibballs
Kirsten Tibballs is an Australian pastry chef and chocolatier.
In 2004, Tibballs represented Australia at the World Pastry Team Championships in Las Vegas, USA, winning 1st in the Individual Chocolates category, and won gold medal in the Live Patisserie Competition at the Pastry Olympics in Germany. Tibballs has also served as the Head of Jury for Taste at the 2022 World Chocolate Masters held in Paris.
In 2002, Tibballs founded in Brunswick, Melbourne. Tibballs is the author of three cookbooks and a regular contributor to pastry publications. In addition to hosting her own television show, The Chocolate Queen, she has featured on several television programs, including MasterChef Australia.
As one of the most followed female pastry chefs on Instagram, Tibballs is regularly referred to as the ‘Queen of Chocolate’ due to her contributions to the chocolate industry.
Career
Tibballs is an ambassador for Bulla Family Dairy and the sole global ambassador for Belgian chocolate brand Callebaut.Savour Chocolate and Patisserie School
In 2002, Tibballs founded . Tibballs cited the local Australian market as "lagging" compared to the European market and so wanted to open an institution that offered the resources for Australian pastry chefs who could not afford to travel to Europe. As the owner and director of Savour Chocolate & Patisserie School, Tibballs runs the business. The school teaches a variety of classes on chocolate and patisserie.In 2013, Kirsten Tibballs expanded the Savour Chocolate and Patisserie School by launching an online platform featuring video tutorials designed for a global audience. By 2024, the Savour platform hosts a comprehensive library of over 550 online classes.
Savour Chocolate and Patisserie School has hosted numerous world renowned, industry-leading guest chefs who have conducted both hands-on and online classes.
The Chocolate Queen Television Show
The Chocolate Queen, a show aimed at home bakers, features accessible recipes along with innovative chocolate tips and techniques. The series, hosted by Kirsten Tibballs, premiered in 2018 and was broadcast both in Australia and internationally. Its success led to four additional seasons and the show was broadcast across 89 countries.Collaborations
In 2023, Kirsten Tibballs partnered with Bulla Family Dairy to launch a Murray Street Ice Creamery range, inspired by her signature desserts.Demonstrations
Tibballs travels across Australia, showcasing her chocolate and patisserie skills through live demonstrations at industry events such as The Good Food & Wine Shows and the Cake Bake & Sweet Shows.Cookbooks
Kirsten Tibballs has authored three cookbooks. In 2012, she self-published Chocolate to Savour, which won the Best Photography Cookbook of 2012 award from Gourmand in the UK. In 2016, Tibballs released her second cookbook, Chocolate. In 2023, her third book, Chocolate All Day, was published.Television appearances
In addition to her own television show, The Chocolate Queen, Kirsten has made a variety of guest appearances on other programs.Tibballs has appeared on MasterChef Australia numerous times including the Series 9 season finale where she presented her 'Trio of Fruits.
Tibballs has appeared several times on Everyday Gourmet with Justine Schofield, a Foxtel Lifestyle product hosted by Justine Schofield, a contestant from MasterChef Australia’s first season.
Tibballs' cooking program, The Chocolate Queen, has aired 5 seasons across Foxtel and SBS Food in Australia.
In 2023, Tibballs participated as a contestant alongside other esteemed pastry chefs and dessert creators in the inaugural season of Dessert Masters, a MasterChef spinoff.
| Year | Series | Original Airdate | Week | Episode Event |
| 2013 | MasterChef Australia series 5 | 29 July 2013 | 9 | Pressure Test 3 Kirsten Tibballs: The Louros Cake |
| 2013 | MasterChef Australia series 5 | 1 August 2013 | 9 | MasterClass 9 |
| 2015 | MasterChef Australia series 7 | 24 June 2015 | 8 | Team Challenge: Afternoon Tea at The Hotel Windsor |
| 2017 | MasterChef Australia series 9 | 21 May 2017 | 4 | Mystery Box Challenge: Kirsten Tibballs' Mystery Box Challenge and Flower Affinity Invention Test |
| 2017 | MasterChef Australia series 9 | 24 July 2017 | Finals week | Grand Finale Challenge: Kirsten Tibballs' Trio of Fruits dessert |
| 2018 | MasterChef Australia series 10 | 28 June 2018 | 8 | Elimination Challenge: Chocolate Wheel Elimination Challenge |
| 2019 | MasterChef Australia series 11 | 1 July 2019 | 10 | Pressure Test: Kirsten Tibballs' Apple Pie |
| 2020 | MasterChef Australia series 12 | 26 May 2020 | 7 | Immunity Challenge: Immunity Pressure Test: Kirsten Tibballs' "Meljito" |
| 2020 | MasterChef Australia series 12 | 12 July 2020 | 13 | Elimination Challenge: All-In Elimination: Four-Course Service |
| 2021 | MasterChef Australia series 13 | 11 May 2021 | 4 | Pressure Test: Kirsten Tibballs' Three Chocolate Desserts |
| 2022 | MasterChef Australia series 14 | 28 June 2022 | 11 | Pressure Test: Kirsten Tibballs Pressure Test |
| 2023 | MasterChef Australia series 15 | 2 July 2023 | 9 | Elimination Challenge: Kirsten Tibballs Dessert Elimination Challenge |
| 2025 | MasterChef Australia series 17 | 6 May 2025 | 2 | Pressure Test: Kirsten Tibballs' Coffee Caviar Tin |
Competitions and awards
- 1st in the Individual Chocolates category, 2004 World Pastry Team Championships, Las Vegas, USA
- Gold medal, Live Patisserie Competition, 2004 Pastry Olympics, Germany
- Tibballs served as the Head of the Jury for Taste at the 2022 World Chocolate Masters held in Paris