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Last Shot

A coming-of-age memoir of addiction, ambition and redemption

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About this listen

 Selected as one of Audible’s best audiobooks of 2021.

A coming-of-age memoir of addiction, ambition and redemption in the high-stakes world of Michelin star kitchens.

From reckless drug addict to one of Australia’s top chefs and television stars: MasterChef judge Jock Zonfrillo's powerful life story will shock and inspire.

Jock’s life spiralled out of control when he tried heroin for the first time as a teenager while growing up in 1980s Glasgow. For years he balanced a career as a rising star amongst legendary chefs with a crippling drug addiction that took him down many dark paths.

Fired from his job at a Michelin star restaurant in Chester, England, after a foul-mouthed rant, Jock made his way to London looking for work and found himself in front of the legendary Marco Pierre White. He credits White for saving his life, but Jock continued to struggle with addiction in a world of excess, celebrity, and cut-throat ambition.

On New Year’s Eve 1999, Jock shot up his last shot of heroin before boarding a plane to Sydney, where he would find passion and new meaning in life in the most unexpected places. There would be more struggles ahead, including two failed marriages, the closure of his prized restaurant during COVID-19, his time on-country, and some very public battles.

This is the unforgettable story of an incredible life cut short too soon.

Praise for Last Shot

'I’ve known Jock for 25 years. He is not only a great mate but an incredibly talented chef - in Australia and around the world. Last Shot really shows how resilient Jock is and how far he has come in his personal and professional life. I’m inspired by how brave Jock has been for putting this biography out there. I couldn’t put it down. Loved it!’ Matt Moran

‘Zonfrillo climbed his way to the top of the gastronomic ladder only to abdicate his position. He still inspires chefs worldwide.’ Marco Pierre White

‘An amazingly candid story of a prolific but complicated chef who made it back from the brink despite the obstacles, surely one of the best comeback stories there is!’ Gordon Ramsay

‘Jock absolutely lives and breathes his passion for food, which began in childhood. And between the incredible ups and downs of his life that we read about in Last Shot, what really comes through for me is his search for knowledge of Indigenous foods – I so admire how the depth of his learning combined with his amazing skill and creativity has allowed him to celebrate the uniqueness of the cultures he has embraced.’ Maggie Beer AO Culinary Adventures Entertainment & Celebrities Professionals & Academics Celebrity Memoir Emotionally Gripping Funny Inspiring Thought-Provoking England

Critic reviews

"Last Shot is Trainspotting meets Kitchen Confidential. Jock’s ability to not sugarcoat the truth and his brutal honesty about his struggle with his inner demons will resonate with so many people. That coupled with his absolute passion for food, his commitment to highlighting the culture and food of Australia’s First Nations People and his pure love for his family makes this a truly stunning book. I loved it.” (Actress, Rebecca Gibney)
“Oh my goodness what a book. I’ve just finished it, devoured it in under four hours. I laughed and cried and marvelled at him.” (News Corp's National Entertainment Writer, Lisa Woolford)
All stars
Most relevant
An amazing book. Such passion for life, food, and family. I laughed and I cried. And I will listen again!

Passionate

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Jock is very honest about his failings, the mistakes he has made. He reads with such heart & admiration for those who helped him along the way.
knowing that he is no longer with us, makes this story all the more relevant too.
His hard work & dedication for the indigenous people of Australia is certainly to be a legacy that he should be remembered by & I hope that there will be others who follow in his footsteps to make what was his dream become a reality.

I really enjoyed learning about Jock's story, about his Scottish upbringing, his time at London's best restaurants, his very candid way of approaching his drug addiction, his passion for good food right through to him finding peace with his family & friends of the indigenous land.

if you listen to one story and you are equally passionate about good food, where your food comes from, giving back to the land......make this story the one to listen to because you're likely to be inspired.

such a relevant life story....

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Started listening to this after getting it as a gift but only finished listening to it after the very sad passing of Jock.

You can tell from the book the impact Jock had on so many and how much he loved his family.

Well worth a listen.....rest in peace Jock ❤️

Very honest

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Listening to this after Jock’s passing, having watched his final series on MasterChef Australia and wanted to learn more about him. A revealing insight into his life, his family and his mission to raise awareness of native Australian ingredients. Well worth a listen, recorded when he was at his happiest in life before sadly passing away in 2023.

A Great Man

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I am writing this review to Jock, who very sadly passed away a few weeks ago. So Jock if you’re reading away here, I don’t know how to feel about your story. It’s your book, in your words….you tell your story so well. It’s a conflicting book for me personally but there’s no doubt in my mind that at the time of your passing you were the happiest you’ve ever been. Some people never make it to their happy place especially those who have had to take a more difficult route in life. Part of me thinks you’re amazing, the other part of me is mind blown by the things you did and what you got away with. I’ve never read a book that at times made me feel physically sick. You didn’t explain your worry beads and the story behind them, only that you saw someone with them. I think it would have been helpful because they have helped you. Like the book The Alchemist, perhaps it’s not about the ending but about the journey, meeting wonderful people and changing Australian perspectives on indigenous foods & ingredients. You mention your memory not being so good because of your lifestyle which made me question some of the details of your stories but despite that I believe that you made things happen for yourself. You were definitely driven and most importantly you were loved. I think like many of us, there are regrets but it’s about how we choose to move forward and that’s the Jock millions of us came to know on MasterChef. This booked pulled my heart and thoughts in so many directions, I gave it a 5 star review because reading a book of a man who is no longer with us somehow changes the book. I was in search of answers and words of wisdom, redemption, peace, love and despite my own personal tug of war with aspects of the book, I believe Jock shared many many answers, he delivered. RIP Jock, so happy you got to tell your side of your story and what a story it is!!

Dear Jock…

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