Move over Nigella Lawson, Australia has its own beautiful foodie celebrity in Sarah Todd. The former Masterchef finalist, chef, restaurateur, television personality, brand ambassador, and co-creator of the Hot Toddy Sauce range, is turning up the heat on Australia’s tastebuds.

Of course, as with Nigella, there’s so much more to Sarah Todd than merely looking like a goddess and possessing a magnetic personality.

The single mother, originally from a small town in Mackay in Queensland, is one of the most hardworking in her industry with an unwavering dedication to perfection in everything that she does.

She’s chatting to ‘Australian Life’ this morning as she prepares to fly out to Uluru for a visit that includes up for a fine dining experience at Tali Wiru in the desert – the only outdoor restaurant to receive a chef’s hat.

Her 503,000 Instagram followers will admire her adventures as she rides around the desert on a Segway, takes a chopper flight and tours the celebrated Field Of Light. With images that will no doubt travel around the world to promote Australia, Sarah Todd is pure tourism gold.

It’s her authenticity that filters right through the camera lens and can only have come from a childhood spent in Outback Australia where she lived a tomboy life.

Melbourne’s never-ending COVID lockdown gave Todd the opportunity to hyper-focus on a new project – The Hot Toddy sauce collection that she co-created with her brother, Matt, a miner.

“It’s something that I’ve wanted to do for a very long time,” she says. “The range is inspired by the flavours of the world but it’s all made in Queensland with Australian ingredients.”

But most importantly, it’s all natural and preservative free. The range includes Kashmiri Tomato; Sweet Chilli; 7-Spice Sriracha and Birdseye Chilli. Each one has a unique flavour profile which can be utilised for everything from spicing up a humble barbecued sausage to making a base for pork spare ribs.

Straight after Masterchef though, she did some time at St Crispin restaurant in Collingwood which has since closed.

“I feel that working at St Crispin helped me to develop my own cooking style. I discovered the Modern Australian techniques with beautiful flavours that came through all the dishes. I think that’s what inspired me to build on my classic techniques honed at Le Cordon Bleu in London,” she explains.

Todd describes herself as “oblivious” to her surroundings, even when working in a busy restaurant kitchen.

“I do have a strange personality where I’m able to hyper-focus on a task with an incredible determination to succeed at it,” she admits.

“It’s part of wanting to get ahead in this industry and being able to learn everything I need to be good at my craft.”

It’s something that I’ve wanted to do for a very long time. The [Hot Toddy] range is inspired by the flavours of the world but it’s all made in Queensland with Australian ingredients.

Eventually they hope to have a larger team around them, so they can just concentrate on creating some extraordinary flavours.

The entire process has been a crash learning course on how to start a business. So, does Todd have any advice for others starting out with their own brand?

“I think the most important thing is to be realistic about the goals you set and their timing because everything is going to take far longer than you ever thought was possible,” she explains.

“Also, be mindful of the fact that everyone is working their butts off and they probably all have dramas going on behind the scenes. So, my advice is just to be kind. Run your own race, focus on what you’re doing and don’t get distracted by others because there really is room for all of us.”

Finally, she believes that you have to fall in love with your own product to stop yourself “throwing it out the window” and quitting. “If you build up that personal strength, you can get through anything.”

Sarah Todd does have a secret weapon, when it comes to bringing her back to earth. Her 13-year-old son, Phoenix. He’s willing to try most foods but he just likes to eat simply. Todd’s Instagram followers may recall a Phoenix cameo, when he was with his mother at an exotic ice cream tasting. She was thrilled with the intense fruit flavours but all he wanted was a simple bowl of vanilla ice cream.