Kirsten Tibballs, proclaimed by MasterChef Australia as ‘the Queen of Chocolate’, is one of Australia’s most celebrated and internationally respected pastry chefs and chocolatiers.
As the sole ambassador in Australia for leading chocolate manufacturer, Callebaut, Kirsten regularly travels throughout the world demonstrating her craft in chocolate and patisserie.
Kirsten collaborates with many local and internationally renown brands including Bulla Family Dairy, Jura Australia, Miele, and Stone Ambassador, to name a few. A recent Bulla Murray St x Kirsten Tibballs collaboration has seen 3 of Kirsten’s signature desserts be transformed into an ice cream range.
Kirsten represented Australia at the World Pastry Team Championships in Las Vegas, USA, where she was recognised as the best in the world for her handmade chocolates. Kirsten has also won a Gold and Bronze medal for her patisserie and chocolate artistry in the Pastry Olympics in Germany.
As a testament to her skills, Kirsten was given the honour of judging the World Chocolate Masters in Paris, The Patisserie Grand Prix in Japan and The World Chocolate Masters selections in London. Most recently, Kirsten travelled to Paris and served as Head of Jury for Taste at World Chocolate Masters 2022, as well as globally launching a new concept in chocolate to 50 of the world’s leading food media in Venice.
Continuing to educate and inspire, Kirsten’s TV show, The Chocolate Queen, premiered in 2019 and aired both in Australia and internationally. Focussing on home-bakers, Kirsten presented an array of achievable recipes and innovative chocolate tips and tricks. The show was so well-received that an additional three seasons were filmed, with season four airing in 2024. The popularity of Kirsten’s show has seen it broadcasted across 89 countries.
With talents that extend beyond the kitchen, Kirsten is the author of three patisserie books, Chocolate to Savour, Chocolate, and the recently released, Chocolate All Day. Kirsten’s first book, Chocolate to Savour, was self-published and won the award for Best Photography from Gourmand in the UK.
Kirsten makes regular television appearances, including Everyday Gourmet with Justine Schofield, and has presented numerous chocolate challenges on MasterChef Australia to test and inspire the contestants. She appeared in the 2017 MasterChef Australia Grand Finale, presenting the final challenge for the season. In 2023, viewers saw Kirsten as a contestant in the first season of the MasterChef spinoff, Dessert Masters, where esteemed pastry chefs and sweet creators competed in decadent challenges.
With a desire to pass on her knowledge to other passionate food enthusiasts and professional chefs, Kirsten established Savour Chocolate & Patisserie School in Brunswick, Melbourne in 2002. In 2013, Kirsten extended the school’s reach by launching an online platform featuring video tutorials tailored to a global audience. Savour offers students the unique opportunity to learn from and work alongside world-renowned chefs. Boasting a state-of-the-art kitchen, Savour Chocolate & Patisserie School has hosted numerous internationally recognised pastry chefs. Savour was the first school in Australia solely dedicated to teaching the art of chocolate and patisserie, and many of the school’s students have gone on to open their own boutique chocolate shops and patisseries worldwide.
