Jock Zonfrillo Biography

Barry Zonfrillo, better known as Jock Zonfrillo, was from Glasgow, Scotland, and grew up in Ayr. He had Italian roots on his father’s side and Scottish roots on his mother’s side. He attended the Belmont Academy and was 13 when he joined the hospitality industry as a dishwater and a part-time cook. He quit school at 15 and started apprenticing at The Turnberry Hotel. He also dealt with a drug issue.

Jock Zonfrillo’s journey began with the title of Young Scottish Chef of the Year at age 16.  He started working at the Arkle Restaurant in Chester, after which he moved to London and worked at The Restaurant Marco Pierre White.

He then moved to Australia, briefly moving back to London in between. Over the years, he launched his restaurant, Orana, which received the Restaurant of the Year honor from Gourmet Traveller Magazine. He launched the non-profit The Orana Foundation too, aiming at preserving the culinary heritage and techniques of Indigenous Australians.

Jock Zonfrillo debuted on TV in 2014, on season 6 of MasterChef Australia, both as a judge and chef. Following season 11, he started hosting the show.

He had a popular channel on YouTube, where he would post kitchen hacks. Some of his most-watched videos were The Best Cacio E Pepe Recipe You'll Find On The Internet | Pasta Recipes and How To Cook Kimchi And Prawn Fried Rice | Dinner Recipes.

His Instagram profile, zonfrillo, too had thousands of subscribers and is now an online memorial of sorts. Apart from recipes, he would also post travel and lifestyle updates on it. He also promoted worry beads for reducing anxiety.

Jock Zonfrillo’s father was a barber and his mother was a hairdresser. He had an elder sister, Carla. In 1996, Jock met Kelly, his first wife, in Sydney. They split in 2002. He married Lauren Fried, his third wife, in January 2017. They had apparently met on Twitter back in 2014. They had two kids: a son and a daughter. Jock also had two more daughters from his earlier marriages.

Apart from Scotland, Jock Zonfrillo had lived in London, Australia, and Italy. He died in Melbourne, on 30 April 2023, aged 46. His body was found when police were conducting a welfare check at the Zagame’s House hotel.