Mark Stinchcombe was crowned MasterChef: The Professionals 2015 winner and is the ninth champion to carry off the title.

MasterChef: The Professionals past winners

He  joins the ranks of exceptional past winners; Derek Johnstone, Steve Groves, Claire Lara, Ash Mair, joint winners Keri Moss and Anton Piotrowski, Steven Edwards and last year’s winner Jamie Scott.

>>> Read: MasterChef: The Professionals winners - where are they now?

After battling 47 chefs, seven weeks of incredible cooking and culinary challenges, and a sensational final cook-off, his title was awarded by judges: two Michelin-starred chef Marcus Wareing, chef Monica Galetti and MasterChef’s seasoned diner, Gregg Wallace.

Mark is currently working as Head Chef at Eckington Manor in Eckington, Worcestershire, where he lives and works with his wife Sue.

Throughout the final week Mark beat off extremely tough competition from fellow finalists Nick Bennett, 27, and Scott Barnard, 33, and had to fully demonstrate his creativity, skill and determination as this year’s outstanding finalists undertook serious challenges that pushed them to their culinary limits.

These included: designing and preparing a Michelin-standard dish each for twenty-two world-renowned and critically acclaimed Michelin-starred chefs; and travelling to Alba in Northern Italy to cook at one of the world’s most cutting edge and up and coming three Michelin starred restaurants, under inspiring Head Chef Enrico Crippa.

The final task was to prepare a three-course meal for judges Marcus Wareing, Monica Galetti and Gregg Wallace. Mark’s winning menu consisted of a starter of Roasted Scallops, with fresh peas, pea puree, pea foam, charred baby leeks, dried Serrano ham and a roasted lemon puree finished with a ‘buttermilk snow’.

>>> Scallop recipes

A main course of Fillet of Beef with a bone marrow crust and glazed beef short rib, served with heritage carrots – salt-baked, roasted, candied and pickled - a charcoal emulsion and a bone marrow sauce, and a dessert of Elderflower Panna cotta, toped with a vanilla parfait, wrapped in strawberry jelly, poached strawberries, granola, yoghurt and gooseberry jelly, served with a strawberry sorbet and candy floss, and finished with a gooseberry sauce. 

>>> Beef recipes