MasterChef’s Vinnie Reveals What Happened To His Duck

The first round of MasterChef Australia 2026’s grand finale was quite the nail-biter, especially when one of the top two cooks was forced to pivot from one protein to another following a kitchen mishap. However, fans were concerned about the food waste, which was a result of the high-stakes pivot. So, here’s what happened to Vinnie Gibaldi‘s duck after it was abandoned in the first round of the finale.

This article contains MasterChef Australia 2026 spoilers. Proceed with caution.

ICYMI, MasterChef Australia has officially come to an end for 2026, with Vinnie taking on the highly sought-after status, $250K cash prize and bragging rights.

However, his win didn’t come without any pain, as he was forced to abandon his initial duck meal for a whole new protein after he accidentally overcooked the star of his dish.

Just chuck some hoisin on it, she’ll be alright. (Image source: 10Play / MasterChef Australia)

Thankfully, for him, the last-minute pivot paid off, giving him a five-point start ahead of Petro Papathomas.

While it was a stunning move, fans voiced their concerns over food waste.

What happened to Vinnie’s duck after he pivoted in the MasterChef Australia 2026 finale?

When it comes to Vinnie’s overcooked duck — which still looked like a succulent meal, IMO — the MasterChef Australia 2026 winner assured PEDESTRIAN.TV that it did not go to waste as it landed in the bellies of crew members, himself and even Andy Allen.

“I had a munch on that duck as well. I was like, ‘I’m hungry. I’m just gonna eat this,’” Vinnie shared.

“I was just like, you know, put a bit of sauce and I’d be right. Afterwards, I’m pretty sure Andy came up too, and he’s like, ‘I’m hungry. I’m gonna eat these two.’”

*This is how I imagine Andy was looking at the duck. (Image source: 10Play / MasterChef Australia)*

What does MasterChef Australia do with its leftovers?

As for leftovers throughout the competition, Vinnie confirmed that what can be donated still is handed to SecondBite, a national food relief charity. For things that can’t,

“In MasterChef they’re very mindful of food waste, right? A lot of food that can be donated gets donated to SecondBite, and whatever can’t be donated goes into compost. But the crew also eat the food a lot of the time, so whatever you see that the judges don’t eat. Usually, the crew has a good chunk of it,” Vinnie dished.

*Despite the duck mishap, he clocked that prize! (Image source: 10Play / MasterChef Australia)*

SecondBite has previously posted about their partnership with MasterChef, revealing in an Instagram post that the show has contributed to the “equivalent of 1.3 million meals to those in need”.

Back To Win champ Laura Sharrad has also praised the show for its composting systems when it comes to the “unwanted produce”.

“Some of the unwanted produce ends up in the garden’s compost. It’s so amazing to see all the split bin systems also in place to make sure everything is getting disposed of properly,” she told news.com.au.

Look, if I had to be a crew member on any show, MasterChef would definitely be in the running, especially if that means I get to nibble on some of Australia’s best plates.

Stream MasterChef Australia on 10Play.