Who is chef Brendan Edema, MasterChef: The Professionals 2022 contestant?

Ahead of MasterChef: The Professionals 2022, which airs on BBC One every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 2 november, we find out more about the chefs taking part.

Introducing Brendan Edema, Head Chef at Gather and Gather, London

Brendan has previously spent multiple periods of time working at Tom’s Kitchen in Somerset House aftter training at Westminster Kingsway College.

NAME

Brendan

AGE

31

Where are you from/where do you live?

In Peckham, London with his six-year-old son.

What type of a chef are you?

Head Chef

Do you have a favourite type of cuisine?

“I love expressing myself through my food. I love using colours, telling stories with my dishes, but most of all cooking tasty food using fairly classical techniques.”

How did you become a chef?

“My earliest memory of cooking is as a kid baking cakes with my neighbour whilst my mum was working. That then developed into cooking more and more at home. It wasn’t really until my late teens that I decided to take it further and make it a career. It’s been a windy road to get to this point but the more I cook, the more I love it and that’s what pushes me on.”

Where have you worked?

Previous training and roles include: Trained at Westminster Kingsway College, spent multiple periods of time working at Tom’s Kitchen in Somerset House, and moved into corporate world working at some of the biggest financial companies including HSBC and Lloyds.

What has been the highlight of your career to date?

“The moment that stands out for me in my cooking career is becoming a Head Chef at 30.”

Why did you want to take part in MasterChef: The Professionals?

“I wanted to enter the competition for the experience, education, elevation and confidence within myself and even more so, my ability.”