Adriano Zumbo
{{Short description|Australian pâtissier and television presenter}}
{{Use Australian English|date=May 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Adriano Zumbo
| image = Adriano Zumbo Visit Victoria.jpg
| image_caption = Zumbo in 2017
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1981|11|06}}
| birth_place = Coonamble, New South Wales, Australia
| education =
| spouse = Nelly Riggio
| style =
| website =
| occupation = Pâtissier
}}
Adriano Zumbo (born 6 November 1981) is an Australian pâtissier and television presenter. He opened his first patisserie in 2007 before rising to prominence as a frequent guest on MasterChef Australia. Zumbo is the titular host of the Australian baking competition program Zumbo's Just Desserts and a judge on the Netflix web series Sugar Rush.{{Cite web|last=Ngo|first=Hope|date=28 April 2020|title=The truth about Sugar Rush's Adriano Zumbo|url=https://www.mashed.com/205310/the-truth-about-sugar-rushs-adriano-zumbo/|access-date=10 August 2020|website=Mashed.com|language=en-US}} As a popular figure he has garnered many nicknames in the media, including "Sweet Assassin",{{cite web|url=http://www.beanscenemag.com.au/icon/article/pastry-chef-adriano-zumbo-sweet-talks|title=Pastry Chef Adriano Zumbo sweet talks|work=Bean Scene|access-date=2 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120710021608/http://www.beanscenemag.com.au/icon/article/pastry-chef-adriano-zumbo-sweet-talks|archive-date=10 July 2012|url-status=dead}} "Patissier of Pain",{{cite web|last=Thomas|first=Sarah|date=22 August 2016|title=Adriano Zumbo on Just Desserts, passion and being the Patissier of Pain|url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/adriano-zumbo-on-just-desserts-passion-and-being-the-patissier-of-pain-20160817-gqun5f.html|accessdate=3 November 2017|work=The Sydney Morning Herald}} "the Dark Lord of the Pastry Kitchen"{{cite web|date=14 December 2015|title=50 Shades of Zumbo|url=https://iconicandvintage.com.au/2015/12/14/50-shades-of-zumbo/|accessdate=3 November 2017|work=Iconic and Vintage}}{{cite web |url=http://pastry-workshop.com/adriano-zumbo-the-dark-lord-of-the-pastry-kitchen/ |title=Adriano Zumbo – The Dark Lord of the Pastry Kitchen |work=The Pastry Workshop |date=22 July 2015 |accessdate=3 November 2017 }} and "Lord Voldecake". He has also been called "Australia's answer to Willy Wonka".{{Cite news|last=Ramsey|first=Britt|date=15 December 2016|title=Nambucca's taste of the sweet life|work=Nambucca Guardian News|url=https://www.nambuccaguardian.com.au/story/4349610/nambuccas-taste-of-the-sweet-life/}}
Early life and education
Adriano Zumbo was born to Italian parents Frank and Nancy Zumbo from Calabria in 1981{{cite web|url=https://www.goodfood.com.au/eat-out/news/from-lolly-boy-to-master-of-the-macaron-20130607-2nvr4|title=From lolly boy to master of the macaron|date=6 July 2013|work=Good Food|accessdate=23 July 2018}} and was raised in Coonamble, New South Wales, {{convert|164|km}} northwest of Dubbo. Zumbo's parents owned the local IGA supermarket, where he developed a sweet tooth and a keen business sense. His early years were spent in Italy where he learned to appreciate various types of coffee, reflected in the coffee-inspired culinary items found at the various patisseries he owned around Sydney.
After finishing school, Zumbo travelled to Sydney to start his pastry chef apprenticeship in 1997. He worked under renowned culinary icons in Australia and France including Ramon Morato and Pierre Hermé.
Career
Zumbo started his career by supplying homemade tarts, muffins, brownies and banana bread to local cafés in Sydney. He later switched to selling goods to grower's market before opening his first patisserie in Balmain in 2007. As of 2017, Zumbo had ten patisseries in Sydney and Melbourne.{{Cite web|url=https://www.afr.com/life-and-luxury/food-and-wine/the-fall-of-adriano-zumbos-dessert-empire-20180822-h14c51|title=The fall of Adriano Zumbo's dessert empire|date=26 August 2018|website=Australian Financial Review|language=en|access-date=31 December 2019}}
In August 2018, Zumbo's company was placed in voluntary administration, with plans for existing stores continuing to stay open.{{Cite web|url=https://www.smartcompany.com.au/business-advice/legal/adriano-zumbos-businesses-placed-into-voluntary-administration-with-debts-reportedly-as-high-as-10-million/|title=Adriano Zumbo's businesses placed into voluntary administration, with debts reportedly as high as $10 million|date=2 August 2018|website=SmartCompany|language=en-US|access-date=31 December 2019}}
= Television appearances =
Zumbo appeared on a six-part documentary television series Zumbo, featuring the daily routine of the chef at his Balmain kitchen business, which screened on SBS One in 2011.{{Cite web|url=http://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/4766/adriano_zumbo_on_sbs?|title=New Adriano Zumbo series on SBS : SBS Food|date=16 January 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110116025054/http://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/4766/adriano_zumbo_on_sbs|archive-date=16 January 2011|url-status=live|access-date=2 August 2018}}
Zumbo has appeared on every season of Masterchef, starting with setting a croquembouche challenge in season 1. His fifth appearance in 2010 challenged contestants to recreate his raspberry-beetroot and black olive macaron "tower of terror".{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/macarons-a-towering-success-20100710-104sv.html|title=Macarons a towering success|last=Burns|first=Mia|date=12 July 2010|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|accessdate=23 July 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/masterchefs-peter-falls-in-macaron-massacre-20100705-zxri.html|title=MasterChef's Peter falls in macaron massacre|date=5 July 2010|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en|access-date=2 August 2018}} Within three days of the episode airing, he had sold 5000 macarons at his Balmain shop, quadruple the normal rate. Zumbo's vanilla V8 cake was featured as a challenge dish in the 2010 season of Masterchef, and has layers of vanilla glaze, crème chantilly, water gel, macaron, brulee, chiffon, syrup, ganache, almond crunch and almond dacquoise.{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/masterchef-recap-deluded-jimmy-wins-the-day-20100720-10i80.html|title=MasterChef recap: Deluded Jimmy wins the day|last=Quinn|first=Karl|date=19 July 2010|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en|access-date=1 August 2018}} The cake had originally been created in honour of Margaret Fulton's 85th birthday, and was so named for its eight textures of vanilla.{{Cite book|title=Zumbo cakes: Adriano Zumbo's fantastical kitchen of other-worldly delights|last=Zumbo|first=Adriano|publisher=Murdoch Books|year=2011|isbn=9781742668659|location=Sydney}} In June 2016, the same layered cake was listed as number 8 in Good Food
In August 2016, Zumbo co-hosted Seven Network cooking series Zumbo's Just Desserts with Rachel Khoo and Gigi Falanga.{{cite web |url=http://www.bandt.com.au/media/seven-launch-new-foodie-heaven-zumbos-just-desserts|title=Seven gives viewers a taste of new Zumbo's Just Desserts |work=Bandt |accessdate=5 July 2016 |date=29 June 2016 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/adriano-zumbo-on-just-desserts-passion-and-being-the-patissier-of-pain-20160817-gqun5f.html|title=Adriano Zumbo on Just Desserts, passion and being the Patissier of Pain|first=Sarah|last=Thomas|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=17 August 2016|accessdate=23 July 2018}}
In the 2018 Netflix series Sugar Rush, hosted by Hunter March, Zumbo is a judge alongside Candace Nelson.{{cite web |last1=Gooden |first1=Tai |title=Say Goodbye To Your Weekend, Netflix's Newest Baking Show Will Have You Hooked |url=https://www.bustle.com/p/will-sugar-rush-return-for-season-2-netflixs-newest-baking-show-is-already-a-fan-favorite-9718977 |website=Bustle |language=en}}
Zumbo also appeared as a contestant on the first season of Dessert Masters in 2023.{{cite web |url=https://10play.com.au/dessert-masters/participants/season-1/adriano-zumbo/pa231024vwxrc|title=Adriano Zumbo | Dessert Masters - Network Ten|accessdate=13 July 2024}}
=Controversy over failure to pay workers=
In 2017, A Current Affair featured accusations that Zumbo underpaid his staff. Zumbo later confirmed that the business was backpaying staff due to payroll errors.{{Cite news|title=The fall of Zumbo's dessert empire|last=Han|first=Misa|date=27 August 2018|work=The Australian Financial Review|page=11}}
=Publications=
In 2011, Zumbo released his first book, Zumbo: Adriano Zumbo's fantastical kitchen of other-worldly delights.{{cite web|url=http://www.goodfoodshow.com.au/chef/sydney/adriano-zumbo|title=Adriano Zumbo|work=Good Food & Wine Show|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120817142549/http://www.goodfoodshow.com.au/chef/sydney/adriano-zumbo|archive-date=17 August 2012|url-status=dead}}
- Zumbo, Adriano (2011). Zumbo: Adriano Zumbo's fantastical kitchen of other-worldly delights. Murdoch Books (Sydney). {{ISBN|9781742668659}}
- Zumbo, Adriano (2012). Zumbarons: a fantasy land of macarons. Murdoch Books (Crows Nest). {{ISBN|9781743364017}}
- Zumbo, Adriano (2015). The Zumbo files: unlocking the secrets of a master patissier. Murdoch Books (Sydney). {{ISBN|9781925266504}}
''Zumbo''
Zumbo is an Australian observational documentary television series following patissier Adriano Zumbo at his Balmain, Sydney kitchen business.{{cite web |date= 21 December 2010 |title= New Adriano Zumbo series on SBS |url= http://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/4766/adriano_zumbo_on_sbs |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110116025054/http://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/4766/adriano_zumbo_on_sbs |archive-date= 16 January 2011 |access-date= 2 August 2018 }}
The series premiered on 10 February 2011 and ran for 6 episodes. It screened on SBS One Thursdays at 7:30pm.{{cite web |last=Knox|first=David|url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2011/01/airdate-zumbo.html |title=Airdate: Zumbo |work=TV Tonight |date=27 January 2011}}{{unreliable source?|date=April 2012}}
Adrianos signature dish is the macaron, and the first episode featured the lead up to 'Macaron Day', as the kitchen pumps out close to 30,000 multicoloured macarons. Episode 2 focused on the preparation of Adriano's new 'Summer Collection,' a range of new creations presented at a runway show. Episode 3 featured Adriano returning to his hometown, Coonamble, to help cater for one of the biggest events of the year – his father's 70th birthday.
Personal life
In 2017, Zumbo and My Kitchen Rules contestant Nelly Riggio began dating.{{Cite news|url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/sydney-confidential/hes-not-a-homewrecker-mkrs-nelly-slams-affair-rumours-with-dessert-king-adriano-zumbo/news-story/bee51304387a2ac1b026b2e2849fae43|title='He's not a homewrecker' MKR's Nelly slams affair rumours with dessert king Adriano Zumbo|date=21 August 2017|work=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=3 August 2018}} On 6 May, 12 months after he proposed, the couple married. Adriano and Nelly were expecting their first child in November 2023.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newidea.com.au/adriano-zumbo-nelly-riggio-wedding|title='Adriano Zumbo and Nelly Riggio: A very sweet day!'|date=16 May 2022|work=New Idea|access-date=27 June 2022}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Twitter}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zumbo, Adriano}}
Category:Australian television chefs
Category:Mass media people from New South Wales