Nadia Lim: Family, Education, Career and Life in New Zealand

Introduction

Nadia Lim is a New Zealand cook, food writer, television personality, entrepreneur, trained dietitian, and farmer. She became widely known after winning MasterChef New Zealand in 2011. Since then, she has built a career around cooking, healthy food, television, publishing, farming, and business.

She also helped establish My Food Bag, one of New Zealand’s best-known meal-kit companies. In recent years, much of her work has centred on Royalburn Station in Central Otago, where she lives and works with her husband, Carlos Bagrie, and their children.

Lim was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in the 2025 New Year Honours for her services to the food industry.

Readers interested in other notable personalities from the country can also explore more New Zealand people and stories on NZBeat.

Nadia Lim Quick Facts

Detail	Verified Information
Full name	Nadia Rui-Chi Lim
Known as	Nadia Lim
Nationality	New Zealand
Profession	Cook, food writer, TV personality, entrepreneur, dietitian and farmer
Known for	MasterChef New Zealand, My Food Bag, cookbooks and television
Husband	Carlos Bagrie
Children	Three sons
Mother	Julie Lim
Father	Ken Lim
Siblings	Jason Lim and Jasmin Lim
Education	University of Otago
Major honour	Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit
Farm	Royalburn Station
Major business	Co-founder of My Food Bag

Who Is Nadia Lim?

Nadia Lim is best known for making home cooking simple and practical for New Zealand families.

Her public career began with television, but food had already been an important part of her life before she became famous. She trained in nutrition and dietetics and worked with people managing diabetes before entering MasterChef.

Winning the television competition gave her a much larger platform. She later wrote cookbooks, presented food programmes, became involved in business, and moved into farming.

Her work now connects several areas: food production, cooking, nutrition, television, publishing, and rural life.

Nadia Lim’s Origin and Childhood

Nadia grew up with strong links to both New Zealand and Malaysia.

Her father, Ken Lim, was Malaysian. During her childhood, the family spent several years living in Malaysia before returning to New Zealand.

This early exposure to different foods and cultures later became relevant to her approach to cooking. Malaysian ingredients and flavours formed part of her childhood experience, while New Zealand became the centre of her adult education and career.

Her father was also an important influence on her interest in food and fresh ingredients.

Nadia Lim’s Parents

Nadia’s parents are Julie Lim and the late Ken Lim.

Her father had Malaysian roots, while her mother has appeared publicly alongside Nadia in family features and interviews.

Nadia has spoken publicly about the importance of her father in her life. After his death, she described him as a major influence on her family and her relationship with food.

Her parents raised three children: Nadia, Jason, and Jasmin.

Nadia Lim’s Siblings

Nadia has two publicly documented siblings.

Her brother is Jason Lim, while her younger sister is Jasmin Lim.

The family spent part of their childhood together in Malaysia before returning to New Zealand. In later years, members of the family have remained part of Nadia’s publicly discussed family life.

Nadia Lim’s Education

Nadia studied at the University of Otago.

She entered university with a strong interest in cooking and food. Nutrition was a natural academic direction because it connected food with health.

Her training included dietetics and practical professional experience.

As part of her studies, she completed professional training in Christchurch. Afterward, she worked as a dietitian at the Auckland Diabetes Centre.

This experience gave her direct contact with people who needed practical advice about food, nutrition, and diabetes management.

Instead of focusing only on scientific nutrition information, she became interested in helping people understand how to prepare healthier meals in everyday life.

That practical approach later became a major part of her public cooking career.

Career Before MasterChef New Zealand

Before becoming a television personality, Nadia worked professionally as a dietitian.

Her role at the Auckland Diabetes Centre involved helping people understand how their food choices could affect their health.

This background separated her early career from that of many television cooks because she had formal nutrition training before entering the entertainment industry.

Cooking, however, remained one of her strongest interests.

That interest eventually led her to enter MasterChef New Zealand.

Winning MasterChef New Zealand

The major turning point in her career came in 2011, when she won MasterChef New Zealand.

The victory introduced her to a national television audience and opened opportunities in publishing, media, and the food industry.

Rather than leaving her nutrition background behind, she combined it with accessible recipes and everyday home cooking.

This combination became a central part of her professional identity.

Nadia Lim’s Cookbooks

After MasterChef, Nadia became a successful food author.

She began publishing cookbooks from 2012 and went on to release numerous titles covering healthy meals, vegetables, family cooking, and practical recipes.

One of her recognised books is Vegful, which received international cookbook recognition in 2019.

Her books generally focus on food that ordinary families can prepare without making cooking feel overly complicated.

Publishing also helped expand her work beyond television and into homes across New Zealand and other countries.

My Food Bag

One of Nadia’s biggest business milestones came in 2013, when she helped co-found My Food Bag.

The company delivers ingredients and recipes designed to make home meal preparation easier.

Other people involved in establishing the business included her husband Carlos Bagrie, Cecilia Robinson, James Robinson, and Theresa Gattung.

Nadia’s food and nutrition background became closely connected with the company’s public identity.

My Food Bag later grew into a major New Zealand food business.

She has continued to have a public relationship with the company and has also worked as a brand ambassador.

Television Career

Television remained an important part of her work after MasterChef.

Her major screen projects have included:

• MasterChef New Zealand
• New Zealand with Nadia Lim
• My Kitchen Rules New Zealand
• Nadia’s Comfort Kitchen
• Nadia’s Farm
• Nadia’s Farm Kitchen

New Zealand with Nadia Lim helped introduce New Zealand food and landscapes to viewers outside the country.

Her later television work gradually moved beyond kitchen-based programmes and began showing where food comes from.

That shift became especially clear after she and her family became involved with Royalburn Station.

Royalburn Station and Farming

Nadia and Carlos Bagrie are closely associated with Royalburn Station, a high-country farm in Central Otago.

The farm became a major part of their working and family life.

Carlos comes from a long farming background, while Nadia brought experience in nutrition, food businesses, publishing, and cooking.

Together, their work at Royalburn connects food production directly with the meals that eventually reach the table.

This part of her life was shown publicly through the television programme Nadia’s Farm.

The programme followed real farm work, food production, seasonal changes, and family life.

Nadia’s Farm Kitchen

A later project, Nadia’s Farm Kitchen, moved the focus more directly back toward cooking.

The programme combines farm life with recipes and visits to food producers.

Instead of treating farming and cooking as separate subjects, it shows how ingredients move from farms and producers into finished meals.

A cookbook was also created around the project, continuing Nadia’s long connection between television and publishing.

Nadia Lim’s Husband

Nadia is married to Carlos Bagrie.

The pair met while studying at the University of Otago.

Carlos comes from a farming family and later became involved with Nadia in both business and farming projects.

They married in 2012.

Carlos was also involved in the creation of My Food Bag and now works closely with Royalburn Station.

In the 2025 New Year Honours, he was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the food and rural industries.

Nadia Lim’s Children

Nadia and Carlos have three sons.

Their names have been publicly identified as:

• Bodhi
• River
• Arlo

The children have occasionally appeared in public material connected with the family’s farm life.

However, Nadia’s public work generally keeps the main focus on food, farming, television, and family experiences rather than detailed information about her children’s private lives.

Nadia Lim’s Family Life

Family plays an important role in both her personal and professional story.

Her childhood connected New Zealand with Malaysia, while her adult family life is closely connected with farming in Central Otago.

She now lives and works with Carlos and their sons at Royalburn Station.

Her mother and siblings have also appeared in publicly documented family stories.

This combination of cooking, farming, and family has become increasingly visible in her recent television and publishing work.

Charity and Community Work

Nadia has supported several charitable and community organisations during her career.

Her documented associations have included organisations connected with diabetes, cancer support, young people, food education, and community wellbeing.

One of her best-known charitable projects came during the COVID-19 period.

Nadia’s Comfort Kitchen was created during lockdown and was later connected with a cookbook.

The project raised more than NZ$400,000 for Youthline and Women’s Refuge.

This became one of the clearest measurable examples of her charitable work.

New Zealand Honour

Nadia received major national recognition in the 2025 New Year Honours.

She was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, commonly written as ONZM.

The honour recognised her services to New Zealand’s food industry.

Her achievements in television, food publishing, business, nutrition, charity work, and the wider food sector contributed to the recognition.

She formally received the honour during an investiture ceremony in May 2025.

What Is Nadia Lim Doing Now?

Nadia’s current work is strongly connected with Royalburn Station.

She continues to work across food, farming, television, publishing, and commercial projects.

Her recent work has included Nadia’s Farm Kitchen, recipes, cookbook projects, and food production connected with Royalburn.

She also remains publicly connected with My Food Bag as one of its founders and through brand-related work.

Her career has therefore moved far beyond the television competition that first made her famous.

Interesting Facts About Nadia Lim

Nadia worked as a dietitian before becoming a television star.

She spent part of her childhood living in Malaysia.

Her father played an important role in developing her interest in food.

She met her future husband while both were students at the University of Otago.

She co-founded My Food Bag only a few years after winning MasterChef New Zealand.

Her television career has included both cooking competitions and programmes about farming.

Nadia and Carlos both received ONZM honours in the same 2025 New Year Honours list, although they were recognised for different areas of service.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Nadia Lim?

She is a New Zealand cook, television personality, food writer, trained dietitian, entrepreneur, and farmer. She became widely known after winning MasterChef New Zealand in 2011.

What is Nadia Lim famous for?

She is known for MasterChef New Zealand, My Food Bag, her cookbooks, television programmes, and her work at Royalburn Station.

Who is Nadia Lim’s husband?

Her husband is Carlos Bagrie, a New Zealand farmer and entrepreneur.

Does Nadia Lim have children?

Yes. She and Carlos have three sons: Bodhi, River, and Arlo.

Who are Nadia Lim’s parents?

Her parents are Julie Lim and the late Ken Lim.

Does Nadia Lim have siblings?

Yes. Her publicly documented siblings are Jason Lim and Jasmin Lim.

Where did Nadia Lim study?

She studied nutrition and dietetics at the University of Otago and later worked professionally as a dietitian.

Where does Nadia Lim live and work?

Her current public work and family life are centred on Royalburn Station in Central Otago, New Zealand.

Final Thoughts

Nadia Lim has built a career that connects nutrition, home cooking, television, business, and farming.

She first reached a large audience through MasterChef New Zealand, but her earlier dietetics training gave her a strong professional foundation in food and health.

Later, My Food Bag, her cookbooks, television programmes, and Royalburn Station expanded her role within New Zealand’s food industry.

Today, she is recognised not only as a television cook but also as an entrepreneur, author, farmer, and food industry figure. Her ONZM honour in 2025 marked an important national recognition of that wider contribution.