MasterChef judge Jock Zonfrillo forced to put his sprawling property amid COVID-19 pandemic

MasterChef judge Jock Zonfrillo has listed his sprawling South Australian home while his restaurant Orana remains closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 43-year-old’s four-bedroom, three-bathroom rural abode in Summertown, Adelaide Hills is back on the market, with domain.com.au branding the luxurious property a ‘soul-restoring retreat from the every day.’

It is unclear if the listing is a direct impact of the global crisis after the Scottish celebrity chef was forced to close the doors to his upscale eatery indefinitely back in March.

In exclusive pictured obtained by Daily Mail Australia, items in Jock’s restaurant are seen packed up and piled into one room.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted representatives for Jock Zonfrillo and his restaurant, Orana, for further comment.

Jock, who purchased the pad in 2016 according to domain.com.au, was living in style thanks to the property’s spectacular, and private, views.

The estate, which is situated on the ‘edge of civilisation’, also boasts solid brick interiors, substantial living spaces to entertain family and friends, as well as a chic conservatory to enjoy the winter sunshine.

While the new owners will be in for a treat, Jock will no doubt be left picking up the pieces after being hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

In March he announced he was forced to close doors to his restaurant, revealing at the time that he was continuing to pay staff until the business ‘runs out of money’ and is unsure if they’ll ever open up again.

‘We are sending our team on paid annual leave after service tonight; this will inevitably move into unpaid leave. We will, however, continue to pay our team until the bank account is drained or we can reopen our doors,’ he said in a statement.

‘Other than my three children, Restaurant Orana opening, surviving and thriving is what I am most proud of in my life. 

I know we have had an impact on Indigenous communities, and whether I have a restaurant at the end of this or not who knows.’ 

Jock opened his restaurant Orana in Adelaide in 2013, but it wasn’t an instant success.

According to his Financial Times profile, the business lost a staggering $700,000 in the first year, and at one stage Jock had 23 credit cards just to ‘spread the load’.

After being open for a second year, the business was down $500,000, and then the year after that $157,000 down – before it eventually broke even.

In more recent times the eatery has seen a big turnaround – Orana has been awarded Restaurant of the Year several times thanks to Jock’s use of Australian indigenous ingredients in his cooking.