Reece Hignell describes the only regional event on the Sydney WorldPride calendar as a beautiful three-course dinner … surrounded by a circus.
Hignell was one of three prominent queer chefs — alongside Christine Manfield and Nornie Bero — to cook a decadent three-course meal for hundreds of people in Newcastle on Saturday night at Sydney WorldPride's signature food event, Pink Salt.
"Goosebumps. That's all I feel. I'm just stoked," he said.
"I think it's amazing for Newcastle."
Local performances, led by renowned Indigenous drag queen Timberlina, provided entertainment at the feast.
"I think for our industry, it is a very masculine industry," Hignell said.
"It's really great that WorldPride had seen that and said, 'OK, well, we're going to do a cooking event, we're going to do a dinner, we're going to invite prevalent queer chefs from around the country to Newcastle and create an event where they are the stars.'"
Hignell is no stranger to being in the spotlight, after two seasons on MasterChef Australia.
The baker describes his childhood in Newcastle as a traditional Australian upbringing with his mum, dad and two brothers.
Hignell knew he was gay "since he knew he was a person", but at the age of 16 he decided he didn't want to publicly say so.
"I didn't really think it was fair that I had to go through a traumatic experience of acknowledging that I'm different to everyone else," he said.
Hignell loved school, despite some difficult moments with other kids wanting to know more.
He thinks there's been a lot of progression since, especially when it comes to the representation of queer people in pop culture.
"Seeing queer agenda TV shows, I think that's really important, just to show that there are different people out there," Hignell said.
Hignell's nan has been his biggest inspiration and her beloved sponge cake recipe means more than any accolade.
"I loved watching her, I thought she was such a well put together person," he said.
"You'd go to her house and it'd be fresh scones, bickies, even a lolly jar."
Hignell first creation, at 12 years old, was chicken noodle soup … with hash browns.
A children's cookbook and a few experiments later, Hignell sought his first job in hospitality.
A hands-on learner, anything he didn't pick up from his Nan came from YouTube.
He was soon decorating entrees and moving into the world of desserts.
Life-changing decision
Hignell was working in recruitment, when his partner of seven years, Dean, gave him a nudge.
"We're watching MasterChef one night, and it was the semi-finals," Hignell said.
"I was like, 'Oh my god, that guy's cooking what I made last Tuesday'.
"And then Dean was like, 'Well, if you think you're so good, why don't you do it?'"
Hignell went on to become a popular contestant on the show in 2018 and 2020.
He said it was wholeheartedly the best thing he'd done for his career and self-development.
"I was able to show a lot of positives and cook a lot of things that meant a lot to me or which I was excited to make."
He calmed the nerves during his second season and felt like he could show his true self.
"People were able to fall in love with me for my personality, and then kind of follow my journey … and the queer community was amazing.
"The messages I still get today … I read it, and I'm still like, 'You're silly for writing that to me, I'm not that important or I'm not inspiring'.
"But people who have watched the television show, it has touched them."
Dream becomes reality
It was when his Nan died after MasterChef: Back to Win finished filming, that Reece realised his dream of opening a café to recreate the experience of cake and coffee at Nan's house.
He also wanted queer representation reflected in his business.
"There's that scene in [the movie] Clueless when they're all sitting in the Jeep driving and they refer to the gay guy as a cake boy," Hignell said.
"And I was like, 'Oh my god. That's so great'.
"Clueless is an iconic movie for gay people … so my hope is that gay people, when they drive past, they laugh or they think 'that's funny.'"
Reece said he often needed to remind himself how far he had come.
"I feel like I'm lucky. Like at some point in my creation, a little bit of glitter got sprinkled over me and I got something, a gift that wasn't given to a lot of other people," he said.
"I think pride is a journey, pride is complex.
"But when you are able to stand back and reflect and acknowledge yourself as who you are … that's where pride becomes special and unique and is your power."
