Anna Polyviou, Executive Pastry Chef at the Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney, will celebrate the Monday night unveiling of her incredible graffiti carrot cake on MasterChef Australia with a Dessert Pop-Up Bar in the lobby lounge of the hotel, on Tuesday morning at 9am. 

Anna Polyviou, “the punk princess of the pastry kitchen”, explodes onto the television screens of Australia on Monday, May 25 at 7.30pm in her debut on Network TEN's MasterChef Australia. In the episode she challenges three fearful contestants to recreate her beautifully executed, graffiti-inspired take on the classic carrot cake.

The young innovator of the kitchen is fast becoming a social media sensation in her own right. You could pick her out of a line up from afar – piercings, bleached blonde Mohawk, colourful G-shock watches and rad high-top sneakers.

But it's her wicked fun drive and love of breaking the rules that has taken this pastry chef to a whole new level. Her crazy love for Street Art and personal DJ has her standing out from the rest.

This award-winning pastry chef walked into Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney two and a half years ago, transformed the pastry team and is now a driving force behind the revolution of patisserie in fine hotels around Australia.

Anna began her career at the Sofitel in Melbourne, where she won Les Toques Blanc's Best Apprentice in Victoria award, which took her to Claridge's Hotel London. There she learnt to make the world's most classic English High Teas, a talent that she adapted to her more contemporary hotel setting in Australia.

In Europe, she worked with Pierre Hermé's famous Paris patisserie before returning to Australia at The Bathers' Pavillion at Balmoral Beach, as the Executive pastry chef for 5 years.

DESSERT POP-UP BAR

Anna's extraordinary carrot cake as featured on MasterChef Australia will be available for sale in the ground floor Lobby Lounge of the Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney at 176 Cumberland Street, The Rocks, from 9am on Tuesday, May 26.

• Carrot cake verrine, $5.50, take away
• Small carrot cake, $8.50, take-home box
• Large carrot cake, $55, take-home box
• Traditional High Tea, $42, have at the hotel, featuring Anna's carrot cake

LOBBY LOUNGE REGULAR OPENING HOURS

• 7am – 11pm, Monday to Friday
• 8am – 12am, Saturday
• 8am – 10pm, Sunday

For enquiries and reservations, please call (02) 9250 6144 or email lobbylounge.slsn@shangri-la.com. 

HIGH TEA & OTHER DESSERTS

Anna Polyviou's famous High Teas, desserts and pastries are available only in the hotel's lobby lounge or at a la carte or buffet lunch and dinner in Café Mix on Level 1. For enquiries and reservations, call (02) 9250 6000 or email dine.slsn@shangri-la.com. 

For more information visit the Shangri-La Hotel Sydney website Lobby Lounge page, www.annapolyviou.com.au or Facebook and Instagram @shangrilasydney @annapolyviou @shangrilasydney

Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts currently owns and/or manages 90 hotels under the Shangri-La brand with a room inventory of over 37,000. Shangri-La hotels are five-star deluxe properties featuring extensive luxury facilities and services. Shangri-La hotels are located in Australia, Canada, mainland China, Fiji, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Sultanate of Oman, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. The group has a substantial development pipeline with upcoming projects in mainland China, Cambodia, India, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Qatar and Sri Lanka. For more information and reservations, please contact a travel professional or access the website at www.shangri-la.com.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES:          

Natasha Granath

Director of Communications

Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney            

natasha.granath@shangri-la.com                                           

(61 2) 9250 6151