It’s not such a long way from Glasgow to London, but it’s a pretty steep climb to get yourself into gigs within the dynamic and competitive Michelin- star kitchens of David Cavalier, Gordon Ramsay and Marco Pierre White – the latter whom Jock Zonfrillo credits with saving his life. “He was probably the first person to realise I had an addiction that didn’t hold it against me and stop my career from progressing.”

But that was then. These days, life is looking pretty good at the judging table of Australia’s most successful competitive cooking show, MasterChef Australia, and Jock is taking stock, confronting his demons with gut-wrenching honesty in this coming-of-age memoir about addiction, ambition and redemption. “Even I am surprised at how many times I’ve been knocked over and stood back up again; I’ve been down and out so many times there’s no real reason I should be here to be honest.” His awardwinning Adelaide restaurant, Orana, was groundbreaking in its fine-dining approach to indigenous culture through food. It was that 100 percent dedication to acknowledging and respecting the Australian indigenous food story that has opened many doors, including hosting Nomad Chef on the Discovery Channel, an exploration of some of the indigenous cultures and cuisine of the most remote communities on Earth.

Last Shot is a powerful life story that the author has dedicated to anyone who has ever felt unworthy. It’s also dedicated to food: “Without you I would be behind bars or in a pine box six feet under…” KELLI BRETT