# Kirsten Tibballs

Kirsten Tibballs is an Australian pastry chef and chocolatier. Tibballs has represented Australia at world championships and as a judge for global competitions. In 2002 Tibballs founded Savour Chocolate and Patisserie School in Brunswick, Melbourne. Tibballs is the author of three cookbooks, a regular contributor to pastry publications and has featured on several television shows including MasterChef Australia. As one of the most followed female pastry chefs on Instagram, Tibballs is regularly referred to as the ‘Queen of Chocolate’ due to her contribution to the chocolate industry.

## Career

Tibballs is an ambassador for Bulla Family Dairy and the sole global ambassador for Belgian chocolate brand Callebaut.

### Savour Chocolate and Patisserie School

In 2002, Tibballs founded Savour Chocolate and Patisserie School. Tibballs cited the local Australian market as "lagging" compared to the European market and so wanted to open an institution that offered the resources for Australian pastry chefs who could not afford to travel to Europe. As the owner and director of Savour Chocolate & Patisserie School, Tibballs runs the business. The school teaches a variety of classes on chocolate and patisserie.
In 2013, Kirsten Tibballs expanded the Savour Chocolate and Patisserie School by launching an online platform featuring video tutorials designed for a global audience. By 2024, the Savour platform hosts a comprehensive library of over 550 online classes.
Savour Chocolate and Patisserie School has hosted numerous world renowned, industry-leading guest chefs who have conducted both hands-on and online classes.

### The Chocolate Queen Television Show

The Chocolate Queen, a show aimed at home bakers, features accessible recipes along with innovative chocolate tips and techniques. The series, hosted by Kirsten Tibballs, premiered in 2018 and was broadcast both in Australia and internationally. Its success led to four additional seasons and the show was broadcast across 89 countries.

### Collaborations

In 2023, Kirsten Tibballs partnered with Bulla Family Dairy to launch a Murray Street Ice Creamery range, inspired by her signature desserts.

### Demonstrations

Tibballs travels across Australia, showcasing her chocolate and patisserie skills through live demonstrations at industry events such as The Good Food & Wine Shows and the Cake Bake & Sweet Shows.

### Cookbooks

Kirsten Tibballs has authored three cookbooks. In 2012, she self-published Chocolate to Savour, which won the Best Photography Cookbook of 2012 award from Gourmand in the UK. In 2016, Tibballs released her second cookbook, Chocolate. In 2023, her third book, Chocolate All Day, was published.

## Television appearances

In addition to her own television show, The Chocolate Queen, Kirsten has made a variety of guest appearances on other programs.
Tibballs has appeared on MasterChef Australia numerous times. She appeared in two episodes of Series 5, one episode of Series 7, and two episodes of Series 9 including the season finale where she presented her 'Trio of Fruits' and one episode of series 10.
Tibballs has appeared several times on Everyday Gourmet with Justine Schofield, a Foxtel Lifestyle product hosted by Justine Schofield, a contestant from MasterChef Australia’s first season.
In September 2023, Tibballs appeared in a third series of her cooking program, The Chocolate Queen, which airs on Foxtel and SBS Food in Australia.
In 2023, Tibballs participated as a contestant alongside other esteemed pastry chefs and dessert creators in the inaugural season of Dessert Masters, a MasterChef spinoff.

## Competitions & Awards

* 1st in the Individual Chocolates category, 2004 World Pastry Team Championships, Las Vegas, USA
* Gold medal, Live Patisserie Competition, 2004 Pastry Olympics, Germany
* Tibballs served as the Head of the Jury for Taste at the 2022 World Chocolate Masters held in Paris

## Personal life

Tibballs is married to her husband Michael and has a son, Charlie.