MasterChef Australia contestant Rue Mupedzi’s time on the show was cut short when she was sent home a few weeks before the final.
But that doesn’t mean the Zimbabwe-born chef didn’t impress the judges and viewers with her innovative recipes.
The oral health therapist, 30, certainly left her mark, as she’s scored one of the biggest prizes the contest has seen.
Rue was left speechless when she won an immunity challenge after judges fell in love with her sweet and spicy BBQ sauce recipe, BarbeRue.
Not only was she free from elimination that week, she won the life-changing prize of having her sauce produced, packaged and sold in all Coles stores across Australia.
MasterChef Australia star Rue Mupedzi’s BBQ sauce becomes a global hit after it’s launched in Coles
Speaking to Yahoo Lifestyle after being dumped from the competition this week, Rue said she is delighted people are enjoying her sauce and getting to sell it in Coles is ‘the cherry on top’ of her MasterChef Australia experience.
The Perth-native said she has received messages from fans across the world wanting to try her sauce.
‘Everyone’s like, “We would love to try this sauce, can you tell us it’s coming to our country?”‘ she told the publication.
Rue was left speechless on the show two weeks ago when she won an immunity challenge after judges fell in love with her sweet and spicy sauce
‘And you know what? Maybe that is something I should think about, something that could be a possibility. I don’t know, but that would be an absolute dream come true.
‘Being [on MasterChef] made me believe in myself so much more. It’s opened my mind up to the world of food, and it’s opened my mind up to possibilities that are there for me – like, a product in Coles was never on my list.”
Rue’s sauce will now be available through Coles for a limited time.
A delighted Rue appeared on Channel 10’s The Project last week to talk about the new sauce.
Admitting she had never tried BBQ sauce before arriving in Australia nine years ago, she gave a preview of what fans can expect from her saucy concoction.
‘It’s mild for me,’ Rue laughed, after The Project host Georgie Tunny said that the label on the BarbeRue bottle had a chilli rating of three – meaning it was extra spicy.
‘I love chilli, but I have a bit of a sweat coming on,’ added The Project’s Steve Price, who tested out the sauce.
Later Rue advised that ‘if you eat it straight from the jar, it’s going to be very spicy.’
She won the life-changing prize of having her sauce produced, packages, and sold in all Coles stores across Australia
The fan favourite described the taste of BarbeRue as ‘smokey, sweet and spicy’.
Taking to Instagram after the episode aired on Thursday, she said she was ‘speechless’ when she won the prize.
Sharing a carousel of photos of her and her new product, Rue wrote: ‘I am a woman of many words and I feel so speechless, overwhelmed, nervous and grateful all in the same breath.
‘Never did I ever think I could get on MasterChef, let alone be in the top 10 then proceed to win one of the biggest wins in the competition,’ she continued.
A delighted Rue appeared on Channel 10’s The Project on Friday night to talk about the new sauce
‘It’s mild for me,’ Rue laughed, after The Project host Georgie Tunny said that the label on the BarbeRue bottle had a chilli rating of three – meaning it was extra spicy
‘I feel like everything was lined up for this win. I truly believe all things worked together for my good.’
The chef went on to thank the judges of her season, Andy Allen, Melissa Leong and the late Jack Zonfrillo.
Rue continued: ‘I am so so grateful for the continued support from the judges. They have helped my confidence grow in the kitchen and have continued to see something in me that I myself sometimes could not see.
‘I honestly feel like I can do anything I set my mind to moving forward.’
Rue’s sauce is now be available through Coles for a limited time
