MasterChef winner sam 'THE WORLD IS MY OYSTER!'

After being held back by fear, the cook is about to dish up ‘the real me’

- Rebekah Hebenton

Since he was crowned MasterChef NZ champion a year ago, Sam Low’s life has changed in more ways than he could have imagined. But even though he’s about to release his own cookbook and is the face of New World and De’Longhi, Sam admits what is most important to him is that his parents finally understand he is thriving.

“So much of the fear of immigrant parents is security and safety, which means not only income stability but also having a family,” tells Sam, from his home in Auckland. “So, I think being queer, they grew a fear for me. But being able to show them I am successful and I am truly happy means they don’t need to worry about me any more.”

Sam was eight years old when his family moved from Fiji to New Zealand. His parents, mum Fong Siu Fong and dad Hon Chong, left behind their noodle factory in search of a better future for their kids.

Up until then, Sam had spent his life surrounded by people who looked and talked like him, but when he arrived in Aotearoa, he was suddenly “different”.