When it comes to passion, Australians have it in bucketloads, and what is everyone’s ultimate love affair? You guessed it—food! From savouring the joys of a classic barbeque to exploring mouth-watering new flavours to jazz up a trusty sausage sizzle, we Aussies sure know how to indulge our taste buds.

And today, we're thrilled to dish out an Aussie success story that revolves around a cherished culinary tradition. Get ready for some tasty inspiration!

How many of you avid home cooks have fantasised about changing the culinary scene with a sensational recipe?

In the case of Perth-native dental health professional-turned-MasterChef Australia contestant Rue Mupedzi, this is more than a dream—it's her reality.

For Rue Mupedzi, it was her first fine-dining experience in Sydney in 2014 that set her on the path towards the MasterChef kitchen. Credit: Instagram/masterchefau.

The Zimbabwe-born culinary whizz left a lasting mark on the judges and viewers of MasterChef Australia with her innovative techniques and recipes. Despite not making it to the finals, Rue's talent did not go unnoticed, as she took home one of the show's biggest prizes, transforming her from TV chef to commercial sauce producer.

Rue was thunderstruck when she clinched a MasterChef immunity challenge, which revolved around her unique sweet and spicy BBQ sauce, curiously and aptly named 'BarbeRue'.

But that's not all. Alongside immunity came the life-altering prospect of mass-producing her sauce to be sold in all Coles stores across Australia.

In conversation with Yahoo Lifestyle, 30-year-old Rue gushed about the response she's been receiving from fans.

'Everyone's like, “We would love to try this sauce. Can you tell us it's coming to our country?”' she said. 'And you know what? Maybe that is something I should think about.'

This overwhelming response has her considering international prospects for her sauce—a prospect she gleefully describes as a dream come true.

Destined for the Australian market, BarbeRue will be appearing in Coles aisles for a limited time.

If you're wondering what the sauce tastes like, Rue describes it as 'smokey, sweet, and spicy' and warns that it may indeed be on the spicy side if consumed on its own, according to an appearance on Channel 10's The Project.

Despite her recent launch into barbecue-sauce stardom, Rue admits she'd never even tried BBQ sauce until she'd been living in Australia for nine years. Now, she's a self-proclaimed BBQ chilli lover who laughs off the sauce's 'three-chilli' rating.

​

Storybook ending or not, MasterChef has been a life-changer for Rue. It not only opened her mind to the world of food, stimulating her creativity in the kitchen but also nurtured her belief in herself.

She expressed her gratitude to the judges of the show for helping her confidence grow in the kitchen and seeing potential in her when she herself sometimes could not.

As she penned down in a thankful Instagram post after the show aired on Thursday, Rue shared, 'I honestly feel like I can do anything I set my mind to moving forward.'

Key Takeaways

• MasterChef Australia contestant Rue Mupedzi has won the opportunity to have her BBQ sauce, BarbeRue, produced and sold in Coles stores across Australia.
• This achievement came after Rue impressed the judges with her spicy and sweet BBQ sauce during an immunity challenge.
• Since its launch, Rue's sauce has received positive feedback, even from international fans eager to try it.
• Expressing gratitude for the immense opportunity that MasterChef Australia provided her with, Rue has gained confidence and looks forward to exploring further opportunities in the food industry.

Rue's story is a delightful reminder for all the home cooks out there that even the simplest dreams can lead to extraordinary achievements. It's a tale that inspires us to believe that we, too, can find our place on the shelves of our local grocery store.

So, the next time you're planning a backyard barbecue, why not add a touch of magic with Rue's BarbeRue sauce? Indulge in the flavours of an Australian dream while supporting local talent—it's the perfect way to spice up your next gathering. Happy cooking, folks!

We would love to hear your thoughts on this inspiring story. Do you also have some signature recipes that you believe could hold their own on supermarket shelves? Share them with us in the comments below!

 

[Suzanne rose]

I would definitely buy it.

My signature condiment would have to be pickles , a recipe passed down from my grandmother which I twigged a little

 

[Cheb]

I will certainly be trying this sauce.
I remember a few years ago, A Masterchef contestant, Dani Venn, won the challenge and had her Pineapple curry sauce sold at Coles. It was delicious and I bought it quite a few times.
Then it went of the shelves.

 

[Suzanne rose]

I will certainly be trying this sauce.
I remember a few years ago, A Masterchef contestant, Dani Venn, won the challenge and had her Pineapple curry sauce sold at Coles. It was delicious and I bought it quite a few times.
Then it went of the shelves.

They always do that when a good product come along

 

[Evol P]

I'm trying to buy it but I've never seen it at Coles.

 

[Gsr]

I won’t be buying it, not much point liking it if it is going to disappear off the shelves again.

 

[Catherines]

Why is this only just coming on the shelves in some Coles stores? It was advertised sometime ago and I got my bottle about 2 weeks ago in Brisbane. It is quite nice, to me only just mildly spicy (I’m used to spicy food), so I wouldn’t use it as a rub or paste on barbecue meats unless you can take the ‘heat’. I use it between ingredients in a sandwich instead of tomato or other BBQ sauces. It is quite nice but the $5 I paid for the small-ish bottle probably contributed to the profit for Coles.

 

[KSS]

Why is this only just coming on the shelves in some Coles stores? It was advertised sometime ago and I got my bottle about 2 weeks ago in Brisbane. It is quite nice, to me only just mildly spicy (I’m used to spicy food), so I wouldn’t use it as a rub or paste on barbecue meats unless you can take the ‘heat’. I use it between ingredients in a sandwich instead of tomato or other BBQ sauces. It is quite nice but the $5 I paid for the small-ish bottle probably contributed to the profit for Coles.

It hasn't reached my local Coles yet!

 

[Evol P]

It hasn't reached my local Coles yet!

Nor ours! It will be taken off the shelves due to lack of sales - but we can't buy it if they don't stock it