A group of Manly firefighters, a former Olympian and a team of “groovy grandmas” are among the 10 “families” who will cook-off against one another in Sydney next week in a bid to secure a spot in the unique new reality family cooking show, Coles Great Aussie Cook Off.

Fifty families around Australia are competing for eight spots in Channel Nine’s Coles Great Aussie Cook Off at five live auditions over a three-week period. The final auditions will be held next week in Sydney (July 30) and Brisbane (Aug 1), following already completed auditions in Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne. The final eight families will be announced on August 10 for a knockout series of cookoffs to take place around Australia at spectacular locations over the next two months.

The Great Aussie Cook Off, going to air in October, will showcase the country’s cultural diversity and is strictly designed for everyday “family” home cooks, NOT chefs. Each “family” must consist of four people and it does not have to be a traditional “family”, but rather four people who love to cook together.

One of the NSW teams for next Thursday’s live audition at Westfield Parramatta (July 30) includes four firefighters from Manly, who describe their cooking style as “simple, but classy”.

Other teams include four “grandmas” from Nelson Bay; the Atkins family from Lithgow, led by former Olympian and now correctional officer and wedding cake specialist Rod; and several family combinations with Asian, Italian and other European influences in their cooking styles.

“The live auditions aren’t just about finding the best cooks, it’s also about discovering diverse relationships and entertaining personalities,” said Damien Bray, Director of Entertainment from series producer Brand New Media. “The show is about the unique differences that make up Australian families and their take on simple everyday home cooking. We’ve got some really diverse family teams coming along to the audition events so we’re looking forward to seeing their cooking skills in action.

“The live auditions should also produce some interesting family dynamics with the cooking challenge being to complete three dishes in front of a live audience in just 30 minutes. It’s a pretty daunting task even for the most experienced of cooks.” The cook-off begins at 1pm and runs until 8pm. Live interviews will also be held with each family on stage – Westfield Parramatta, 159-175 Church St, Parramatta