Who is chef Natalia Echeverri, 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 Natalia Echeverri, Head Chef at The Embassy of Colombia, London.

She has previously studied in Colombia before working as a Chef de Partie of Club el Nogal, Colombia.

NAME

Natalia

AGE

37

Where are you from/where do you live?

Lives in South West London Apartadó Antioquia, Colombia Bogotá, Colombia

What type of a chef are you?

Head Chef

Do you have a favourite type of cuisine?

“The majority of my food is Colombian, or Colombian-inspired fusion. However, for private dinners I cook an eclectic mix of cuisines, ranging from French classical to traditional British, from Asian-inspires to South American foods.”

How did you become a chef?

“I come from a poor background with not many opportunities to live in another country and create a better future for myself. Being a chef was a great way to break the cycle for my family, allowing me to have better life chances. When I first worked in a professional kitchen, I was struck by the camaraderie among the chefs, their work ethic, and the fact that you were respected wholly for the work you produced, not because of your background. This persuaded me that, as a woman, becoming a chef was my best opportunity to fulfil my goal.”

Where have you worked?

Technical Degree as Chef, SENA Colombia; Chef de Partie of Club el Nogal, Colombia; Head Chef at The Embassy of Colombia, London.

What has been the highlight of your career to date?

“Moving alone to a new country (the UK) that was completely unfamiliar to me, where I had a little support network, and making a significant success of a demanding job. Over the last nine years I have managed to integrate myself into the wider British community and cooked the cuisine that I love at events that I would never have dreamt of before taking the job, such as Kew Gardens and the OXO Tower.”

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

"Now is the right time for me to take on the challenge of entering MasterChef: The Professionals. I have been in my current position for a long time, and I want to challenge myself personally and professionally. It’s an amazing opportunity to both showcase my own talents and Colombian cuisine to a British audience. throughout my professional career, I have been told that my food is excellent by famous politicians, businesspeople, royalty and celebrities, but I want to prove to myself and others than I can cook with the best."