MasterChef: The Professionals winners - where are they now?

MasterChef: The Professionals is about to hit our television screens once more, 16 years on from its debut.

With Marcus Wareing, Monica Galetti and presenter Gregg Wallace returning to head up the show, some of the country’s top chefs are preparing to battle it out for the winning title.

But what are the past winners up to now? Did the exposure from the programme change the course of their careers? We caught up with some past champions to find out…

Derek Johnstone

The very first winner of the show, Derek Johnstone, was a junior sous chef in Scotland when his head chef convinced him to enter in 2008.

Speaking about how he felt when he won, he said: “I was delighted to be the first MasterChef: The Professionals winner. It all happened so quickly that it took a while to sink in.”

Over a decade on from taking the MasterChef: The Professionals crown, it’s no surprise Derek has been up to a lot. When the show aired, Derek met renowned chef Michel Roux Jr in London, along with one of the directors of MasterChef. They expressed their high hopes for him to work in one of the best restaurants in the country and it was not long until he bagged a job working with Michel at Le Gavroche.

“I ended up working for both Michel and his father Albert for six years,” he said. “During my time with the Roux family, I was sent on stages to gain knowledge and experience around Europe in one, two and three-Michelin star restaurants.”

Derek decided to return home to Scotland in 2010 to take a head chef role at Chez Roux at Greywalls Hotel. In 2014, Derek became the chef proprietor for The Golf Inn, Gullane. The restaurant was taken over in 2018 by Tom Kitchin and now goes by the name The Bonnie Badger.

In 2018, Derek was appointed as head chef at the Exclusive Borthwick Castle near Edinburgh. During his time there, Derek was twice runner-up in Craft Guild of Chefs National Chef of the Year.

Then in 2021, he was named executive head chef at Rusacks St Andrews, where he launched the F&B offering across three concepts: 18, The Bridge and One Under Bar.

As of 2024, Derek is executive head chef of Archerfield Estate in East Lothian, where he is responsible for the food offering across the entire 550-acre estate.

Steve Groves

The second series of MasterChef: The Professionals in 2009 snagged a BAFTA award, fending off competition from Heston Blumenthal’s ‘Heston’s Feasts’ TV series.

After winning, Steve stayed at then Michelin-starred Launceston Place in South Kensington, before leaving to commit himself to various restaurants including Noma, The Ledbury and finally Le Gavroche, where he took on a permanent role.

Series two winner Steve was the head chef at Roux at Parliament Square from 2013 until it closed in December 2020, the same year he took The Craft Guild of Chefs' title of National Chef of the Year, as well as appearing on the BBC's televised cooking competition, Great British Menu. Since April 2021, he has been executive chef at Sussex opera house, the Glyndebourne. He is also executive chef at Restaurant Associates, a chef-driven hospitality company.

In an interview with The Staff Canteen, Steve said that his main goal when entering the MasterChef: The Professionals competition had been to land a job with Michel Roux Jr.

He said: “It was always in the back of my mind that I would come and work for him. Initially I thought that would be in Le Gavroche but the opportunity presented itself to work (at Roux at Parliament Square), and I thought it was a really good opportunity.” 

Asked what advice he’d give to other hopeful contestants, he said: “Cook things you know, that you’ve tried plenty of times. There are times in the competition that you really need to push the boat out to set yourself apart from others and there are times when you just need to stick to what you know."

Steve believes MasterChef: The Professionals accelerated what was an already upwardly bound career path. “It gives you contacts and opportunities,” he said, “but it’s up to you as an individual to make the most out of it. You have to grab the bull by the horns. I think I would have achieved what I wanted to achieve in the industry without it, but it definitely helped and getting noticed by chef Michel presented its own opportunities.”

Claire Lara

The Merseyside-born 2010 winner - and the first woman to win the competition - was at a different stage in her career when she entered MasterChef: The Professionals. Teaching catering part-time at Liverpool Community College, Claire felt that she needed new challenges and a boost to her confidence. Winning MasterChef allowed her to get out of the classroom and back into the kitchen, moving back to become head chef and partner in The RiverHill Hotel and Restaurant, where she served her YTS apprenticeship years before.

The chef then worked at Llanrhaeadr Springs in Denbigh, Wales, until it closed in 2020 as a result of the pandemic. After working as a development chef alongside her husband at Doubletree by Hilton Hotel restaurant, Koukash, in Liverpool, Claire is now head pastry chef at Merseyside’s popular multi-venue restaurant, LEAF.

Heading up the pastry offering at all four-LEAF sites – Bold Street, West Kirby, Smithdown, and Little LEAF at One Fine Day – Claire is also responsible for creating bespoke cakes for customer orders. She also runs the LEAF restaurants’ Pudding Club, where diners are treated to five courses of delicious desserts, all expertly paired with tea.

Anton Piotrowski and Keri Moss

2012 saw joint winners for the first time in the franchise’s history with Anton Piotrowski and Keri Moss both coming out on top. Sharing the crown didn’t dilute the attention and knock-on benefits to Anton though, who went back to running a much busier kitchen in the pub where he was executive chef, The Treby Arms in Devon.

He told The Staff Canteen that the benefits for younger professionals competing on the show go beyond just having a full restaurant. “It’s all about the contacts you make,” he said. “If I want to go and work for the Roca brothers I can do that or if I want to go and work for Tom Keller again I can do that too.”

The chef took a risk when he entered the competition, as he had only bought his business six weeks prior. Before entering MasterChef: The Professionals, Anton tried his hand at the Roux Scholarship, but was rejected after finding out he was just over the age limit.

He then received a private message from the competition hosts with a suggestion that he try and enter the MasterChef: The Professionals competition instead.  

While at The Treby Arms, Anton received a Michelin star. Reflecting on the MasterChef experience, he said: “It’s watched by quite a lot of people and it’s a platform, so people notice you. MasterChef has helped massively.” 

In the summer of 2017,  Anton set up a crowdfunding site to finance his new restaurant, Röski. Despite not raising as much as he'd hoped, the chef opened the Liverpool venue in December 2017, taking more than 1,000 bookings in 24 hours.

It has been praised by famous food critic Jay Rayner -  who said the food at Röski was "serious, bourgeois cooking, with no interest in the restrained" - and received several mentions in the BBC Good Food Guide. 

As well as continuing with his award-winning restaurant, in the wake of the pandemic, the chef now offers his services for private dining.

Meanwhile, Keri went on to become the executive chef at The Patch Pub, East Dulwich, in 2013, before opening her own cafe, called Keri's Kitchen, in 2016. With the backing of Smart Hospitality, she also opened her own restaurant in Selfridges called The Corner Restaurant. She now works as a freelance food designer and menu developer for corporate clients and event companies.

Ash Mair

Before entering MasterChef: The Professionals, series 4 winner Ash Mair was working for a catering firm by day and studying web programming at night.

He was becoming disillusioned with the chef trade until he competed in the 2011 competition, reigniting his passion for the industry.

“I was actually in the middle of a crisis, feeling uncertain as to whether I wanted to stay in the industry or not," he said. "After participating in MasterChef though, I was thinking to myself, 'What am I doing? I love food, I love cooking, and I love the industry as a whole.'"   

Since the show, Ash said that he was flooded with offers to take part in various projects. “The day after the final went out, my email went nuts,” he said. “I was getting some hundred emails a day, from people congratulating me, to different offers and I had to say no to most of them - except the book one - so I could just concentrate on getting that out.”

He went back to Australia to spend time with his family and wrote his book, entitled 'My Basque Cuisine', before a short stint helping Spanish group Bilbao Berria open a restaurant in Lower Regent Street.

Since then, Ash has been working as a development chef and consultant to restaurants and manufacturers, partnering with companies such as Cucina Catering and Scratch meals.

He has also spent time on food development for restaurant Chick'n'Sours, which has locations in Haggerston and Seven Dials in London.

“Since winning MasterChef it hasn’t really stopped,” he said, “but I’m just glad to be kept busy.”

Steven Edwards

While taking part in the show, 2013 winner Steven Edwards was the head chef at The Camellia Restaurant in the South Lodge Hotel, a role he returned to after winning the programme.

“I stayed with my employers because I worked at South Lodge for six years leading up to the show and they had been hugely supportive. I worked there for almost a year after winning MasterChef: The Professionals to show my gratitude,” he said.

Winning the competition ultimately gave Steven the courage to venture out on his own. “It definitely gave me the confidence and self-belief to want to chase my dream of setting up my own restaurant," he explained.

After leaving The Camellia Restaurant in South Lodge, Steven spent a year and a half doing pop-ups around the country, honing his cooking style and culinary identity. He opened etch. in Hove, Brighton in the spring of 2017, a casual fine dining restaurant with three AA Rosettes, offering seasonal tasting menus.

From 2020 until 2023, he also spent an extended residency at the Bingham Riverhouse in Richmond-upon-Thames, and he continues to cook for weddings and special events there. 

When the property next door to etch. came onto the market in 2021, Steven took the decision to refurbish and expand the restaurant. etch. By Steven Edwards reopened in the October with 45 covers, a reception space, wine room and Ink, a stylish subterranean speakeasy bar.

In 2023, Steven was appointed to run the restaurant at the Tunnel Club, Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club’s immersive hospitality experience. Tunnel Club members enjoy a changing three course à la carte menu with snacks served at half time and at the end of the match. Diners can also watch the players enter and leave the pitch from the one-way glass walled restaurant.

Reflecting on winning the sixth series of MasterChef: The Professionals, Steven said: “The journey since MasterChef has been an incredible experience. I’m really happy with what we’ve achieved with etch., despite the challenges. We have a great team and guests here in Hove and it is a real privilege to be part of the experience at Albion’s Tunnel Club.” 

Jamie Scott

As Steven did, 2014 winner Jamie Scott also returned to the restaurant that supported him whilst he battled it out on the show. The chef stayed at the three AA rosette restaurant, Rocca Bar & Grill in St Andrews, for a further six months before leaving to pursue his own endeavours. 

He ran eight pop-up restaurants in six months before opening his restaurant, The Newport, in 2016.

The restaurant with rooms has earned multiple awards, including 2 AA Rosettes, a mention in the Michelin Guide and the AA Restaurant of the Year award 2018-2019.

Prior to the pandemic the chef opened a sister bakery to the restaurant called The Newport Bakery, which was a great asset to the local community during lockdown, making 500 deliveries a week. This led to the launch of a production facility to meet retail demand.

The chef also owns two branches of The Daily Grind Coffee shop, one in Arbroath and one in Dundee. 

In October 2021, Jamie added to his Scottish portfolio with a new Doughnut shop, Wrecking Ball Doughnuts, in Dundee.

At the time of winning the competition, the chef said that the boost in publicity offered by MasterChef is what gave him the confidence to spread his wings and go his own way.

"Your friends and family all tell you that you’re good at your job but they’re never going to say you’re bad, so to have that peer recognition is a massive confidence builder,” he said.

In March 2024, Jamie announced the closure of The Newport restaurant, posting on social media: “This decision has not been taken lightly. Unfortunately, in the current climate, we can simply no longer afford to be within our beautiful building. The rising costs of all utilities have contributed to this decision, and we have tried our best to overcome or find another way forward to no avail.”

He continued: “The Newport Bakery & Sandbanks Brasserie will continue, and you’ll find many familiar faces within these businesses going forward. We want to thank our team massively. They have been compassionate, kind and supportive as always.”

Mark Stinchcombe

After winning MasterChef: The Professionals 2015, Mark Stinchcombe remained in his role as head chef at Eckington Manor in Worcestershire for three years, living and working with his wife and co-head chef, Sue, until 2019 when they both moved to Gloucestershire and took over the food offering at The Severn & Wye Smokery, alongside culinary director Greg Nicholson.

Prior to Eckington both Mark and Sue worked for some of the most talented chefs in the UK. Namely, Mark worked at Michelin-starred Lucknam Park, Ston Easton Park in Somerset and Driftwood in Cornwall, and completed stages at The Fat Duck and Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons. Sue worked at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London and the French Laundry with Thomas Keller in California.

Before appearing on the show, Mark had toyed with the idea of taking part and was encouraged to enter by his friends and family. After seeing a link to the application through Facebook, he couldn’t pass on the opportunity.

Upon his victory, he said: “I can’t believe it. I’m massively proud of what I’ve achieved; it’s been such a long journey. It’s been phenomenal.

“My ambition is to run a highly-acclaimed restaurant in Britain, and to one day have a Michelin star.”

Gary Maclean

The 2016 MasterChef: The Professionals Glaswegian victor Gary Maclean was a senior chef lecturer at the City of Glasgow College when he took part in the competition. 

Prior to this, he owned and operated his own restaurant, and headed up the kitchen at Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art and the Burrell Collection. He also worked at Ferrier Richardson’s Yes restaurant in Glasgow as head chef, as well as at October in Princes Square. 

In 2021, Gary opened Creel Caught, a seafood restaurant located at The Bonnie and Clyde marketplace in Edinburgh St James'. In 2023, he wrote his own cookbook, The Scottish Kitchen, which features more than 100 traditional and contemporary recipes from Scotland.

Reflecting on winning the competition, Gary said: "It's taken my career to a degree that's really quite surreal", Gary explained. "I was at ScotHot for The Staff Canteen Live and after I got off the stage, I was there for two hours taking selfies with members of the audience!”

Craig Johnston

In 2017, Craig Johnston became the youngest winner of the show. He went on to work as sous chef at The Berkeley -  MasterChef: The Professionals judge Marcus Wareing's Michelin-starred restaurant – until its closure in December 2023.

During the show, Craig cooked for - and left an impression on - some of the world’s best chefs including Mauro Colagreco, chef patron of two Michelin-starred Mirazur.

Judge Marcus Wareing said: “You don’t come across cooks like this very often. We’ve just found a star of the future. What a fabulous talent. Twenty-one years old, amazing.”

After the show, Craig was approached by Marcus to come and work at his restaurant at The Berkeley.

Craig then spent the day working alongside Mark and Shauna Froydenlund, joint chef patrons of The Berkeley and decided that it was the right place for him.

At the time, he said: “It’s a pretty exciting time for me at the moment. I’m looking forward to what’s about to come. I’ve got a great opportunity from someone that knows my abilities, who’s got a great reputation in the industry, and I think it’s a good move for me to take that next step up, to a two-star restaurant like Marcus.”

He added: “It’s another level from what I’ve done before so I’m looking forward to learning more - a different style, different techniques. That’s my key goal for these next couple of years, to learn as much as I can.”

Craig has recently been appointed head chef of London’s Michelin-starred seafood restaurant Angler.

Laurence Henry

Even before he took part in the competition, MasterChef: The Professionals 2018 winner Laurence Henry was working in one of the country's best restaurants for chef Sat Bains at his eponymous two Michelin-starred site in Nottingham.

Prior to working for Sat, Laurence was a sous chef at Jason Atherton's Pollen Street Social before taking on the position of head chef at The Woodstock Bar & Grill in Mayfair.

Describing the boost to his career that taking part in the competition gave him, he said: “I tell everyone, it’s a bit like a game of snakes and ladders; MasterChef is like when you land on a ladder, and you go up to the next level. You’ve still got quite a long way to go, but it’s a great little boost.

"The whole thing, the progress from start to finish upped my confidence massively. It gets you to do lots of different things you wouldn’t get to do normally, like designing your own dishes, which you don’t often get to do in the restaurant.”

Laurence joined forces with award-winning Nottingham butcher Johnny Pusztai and launched a gourmet burger delivery service, Snobby Burger. He was also chef patron of Cleaver & Wake and Binks Yard in Nottingham’s Island Quarter from early 2022 to November 2023.

The 12th winner of the competition is about to achieve a lifelong dream – as of 2024, he and his wife have taken on the 18th century ‘Martin’s Arms’ in Colston Basset. “We’re really keen to be sympathetic to the building, we want to keep that lovely olde world pub feel,” he explained. “The menu will be a classic refined traditional pub offering, in addition to the country restaurant side of the building, which will offer a la carte and a five-course tasting menu.”

Speaking about the project and his future ambitions, Laurence reflects: “It’s been super exciting and super stressful. It’s great to finally have a place that we can call our own,” he says. “I’d love to still get some kind of accolade, whether that’s rosettes or stars, but more for the team than anything else – for that recognition in what we’re all doing.”

His advice to the chefs considering taking part in the competition?

"Stay calm, focus on what you are doing, and make sure you enjoy it – it’s such a fleeting moment in time, even though it feels long when you’re in it. It's a great opportunity regardless of how far you get. My only advice would be to really live it and enjoy it as much as you can.”

Stu Deeley

Chef Stu Deeley, formerly head chef at Alex Claridge's Birmingham restaurant, The Wilderness, decided to spread his wings and fly after winning the competition.

His plans to open his own restaurant were compromised by the pandemic and in April 2021 the chef took on a role as a development chef at Hampton Manor.

In August 2021, he became head chef of Smoke at The Manor, where guests are invited to try his dishes of seasonal ingredients cooked over coals in the venue's old furnace house. In early 2024, Stu added another string to his bow when he took on the role of executive chef at Stu Deeley at Laghi’s in Edgbaston, a neighbourhood restaurant with a menu of seasonal small plates.

In an interview with TSC shortly after winning MasterChef, Stu explained that for him, taking part had been a matter of overcoming his fears and being a good role model to his son. 

“I'm a person who sometimes lacks self-belief and I don’t like to push myself into the limelight, " he said. "That's why I chose to enter the competition; to show my little boy that if you want something, you have to face your fears and go and get it." 

Stu believes that for chefs to be on TV "is great for the industry”. 

He added: "I think people like to see what happens behind the scenes because not every kitchen is open. MasterChef is a great platform which recognises young talent and helps them make a break for themselves."

Alex Webb

2020 champion Alex won the competition in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, taking the lead over fellow finalists Bart van der Lee, Santosh Shah and Philli Armitage-Mattin. 

Since then, he has left his role as head chef at Square One Restaurant and his private chef services have been in high demand, as have his Dine at Home boxes developed in collaboration with Sauce Supper Club.

After a residency at the Intercontinental Park Lane from March 2022 to March 2023, Alex went on to launch his own cider brand. He also continues to work on ongoing residencies at properties in the Maldives and Greece, as well as at various pop-up events across London.

Alex’s next big venture is launching his very own restaurant, which he hopes to open in 2025.

Reflecting on his time on MasterChef: The Professionals, his advice for this year’s contestants is simple – practice, practice, practice. “Practice your dishes all the time; get people to try them, and try different variations,” he says. “Also, don’t keep your best recipe up your sleeve – always use it.”

“I decided to enter MasterChef because I wanted to see how far I could go; winning is something I will always be very proud of. I really wanted it and all the blood sweat and tears, and sleepless nights paid off,” he reflects. “My advice to the winner would be to take every opportunity that comes your way.”

Dan Lee

Dan was the 15th chef to be awarded the prestigious MasterChef: The Professionals title and took his place in MasterChef history alongside other exceptional winners. 

Born in Birmingham, and as well as being a ‘proud Brummie’, Dan is from Chinese, Irish and English heritage and has strong associations with food from both sides of his family.

In a punishing final week, Dan was up against outstanding chefs and he had to use every ounce of technique, inspiration and tenacity to better his competitors in rounds of increasing difficulty and pressure.

As of 2024, Dan has a permanent residency at Hockley Social Club in his hometown of Birmingham, where he serves up sumptuous Southeast Asian-inspired dishes including BBQ Szechuan lamb flatbread, and salt and chilli chicken wings.

The collaboration began in June 2023, when Dan joined as a semi-permanent street food vendor. “Wednesday's a big prep day - I’ll go to the big wholesale markets and get all my ingredients for the week. We open for service at 5pm on a Thursday and work throughout the weekend,” he explains. “Our menu is always based around Southeast Asian food – sometimes there is a bit of a Western twist in there, to appeal to the crowd, but we focus on more traditional dishes, such as chicken penang curry, or Filipino chicken adobo – it’s constantly changing, which is good fun.”

Reflecting on where he continues to draw inspiration from, the answer for Dan is simple. “Obviously I spent a lot of time living in Asia, my family is Asian, lot of my friends are from all across Asia, so it's a constant inspiration,” he says. “I haven't done it this summer because I’ve been so busy, but I often go to Thailand for a week, eat my way around, and then fly back again and try out some new dishes.”

Dan’s street food brand, Hawker Dan, has also just launched a food truck, which can be found at food festivals and events across the Midlands. He also works as a private chef in Birmingham, as well as running a significant social media following where he posts tutorials and videos of his dishes.

As for the most valuable lesson he learnt from taking part in ‘MasterChef: The Professionals?’ How to thrive under pressure. “You always work under pressure in this kind of industry, but I learnt that you really have to believe in yourself and back yourself,” he says. “I still get imposter syndrome now. But it’s a great thing to look back at if you’re feeling a bit lost and think, well I achieved that once - so I’m capable of doing a lot more.”

Nikita Pathakji

In 2022, Nikita became the third female winner of the show in its 15-year history. Since MasterChef aired, she has been running events and supper clubs with her family at home, before taking on her first head chef position at the Princess of Shoreditch in London in April 2024. “I run a seasonally changing menu, very much in the same style as the food I served on MasterChef,” she explained. “The menu is inspired by all the flavours I love most from around the world. I’ve really been enjoying the freedom to create my own menus and see people’s reactions to my dishes.”

Nikita’s family – particularly her mother – have been pivotal in shaping her career. My mum is an incredible cook, she could go against any top chef in the world to be honest,” she admits. “She taught me so much, not just how to cook but also how to host and how to provide the most amazing experience for guests.”

It was during her time living in Bangalore as a child that Nikita’s passion for lively flavours was first ignited. “We lived there for two years, and it was great fun,” she reflects. “We got to go travelling all around Asia and I feel like it kickstarted my love for travelling and for those flavours at a really young age.”

Nikita’s career began at the Lanesborough Hotel in London, where she worked her way up from making the afternoon tea sandwiches, to line chef at the hotel’s former one-Michelin-starred Celeste restaurant, which has since closed. “I was very ambitious, so when I got the opportunity to work at the two Michelin-starred Claude Bosi at Bibendum, I jumped at it,” says Nikita. “I learned so much in that kitchen, but I really came into my own at Kitchen w8 under the tutelage of Mark Kempson.”

The 2022 winner’s style is inspired by her travels. “I’m also incorporating more and more flavours from my childhood and Indian heritage,” she says. “I actually cooked what has become my signature dish on MasterChef. It’s an octopus dish inspired by the Japanese street food Tako Yaki. I’m classically trained so there are classical techniques, but I use flavours that I fell in love with while travelling.”

Reflecting on her MasterChef win, she said: “It remains the most amazing moment of my life - I’m not sure I’ll beat it! I had spent so much time preparing, but hardly daring to dream I could actually win the trophy, as I was competing with so many amazing chefs. Now I’m just so grateful that I took the chance and it’s given me so many amazing opportunities. I’m also proud to have won one for the girls – let’s win another!”

Speaking about inclusivity as a woman in industry, Nikita admits the profession remains male-dominated. “I think we see better representation in the role models we see and there are so many women chefs I admire, but on the ground the industry remains very male dominated,” she says. “Now I’m a head chef, my goal is to build the best team I can, and to be super inclusive.”

As for what’s next? “My ultimate dream is to own my own restaurant one day.”

Tom Hamblet

Reigning MasterChef: The Professionals champion Tom is riding high after an epic year. Shortly after clinching the winning title, Tom took up back-to-back residences at two Exclusive Collection properties –  Camellia, within South Lodge Hotel in Sussex, which ran from January to March 2024, and the Avenue restaurant at Lainston House in Winchester, which ran from April until August 2024.

“I stepped straight into a head chef role, which was quite full on. It was a lot of learning,” explained Tom. “I've learned more in the last year than I have in three or four years previously - not to discredit anything I've done before, but the information that was coming at me was a lot to pick up. But it's been great, and I’m so grateful for the opportunities.”

For Tom, cheffing is in the blood. Growing up with parents who both worked in the industry, his passion for cooking was ignited at an early age. “My parents both worked at South Lodge, which is where my first job was,” he said. “I was exposed to food and cooking when I was young, but I wasn’t really convinced about being a chef until I was 17.”

After winning several competitions, Tom secured a place at Westminster Kingsway College in London. Straight after graduating, he was offered a commis position at The Pass in Horsham, where he stayed for a year before moving to the Michelin-starred restaurants The Latymer at Pennyhill Park in Surrey and Restaurant Interlude in Horsham.

He was encouraged to enter the competition by his girlfriend, Megan, and his dad – but Tom was almost hoping he wasn’t successful in securing a place. “I’d heard it was quite rare to get in on your first application. The worst bit was always cooking for such high-profile chefs – you just get imposter syndrome,” says Tom, who was just 24 years old when he won. “You haven’t been doing it for that long, and then all of a sudden you’re cooking in this amazing kitchen for these chefs.”

When he scooped the win, Tom was working as sous chef at Camellia – which saw bookings go through the roof after the final aired. “It went nuts – we were fully booked every night, and it was around 66 covers a night, even on a Monday,” he reflects. “It was pretty daunting at the beginning!”

Drawing inspiration from everywhere around him, Tom credits chef Ben Wilkinson, who he worked with at South Lodge, for coaching him through MasterChef and providing him with honest feedback. “If I presented him with a dish that he thought was rubbish, he would tell me it’s rubbish, which is what you need,” he says.

As for his advice for those taking on the show this year? Don’t say yes to everything. “A lot of people fill their diaries with things they don't particularly believe in. I'd rather miss out and keep my integrity, stay true to what I do,” he reflects.

Looking to the future, Tom has an exciting secret project coming up. “I’m not allowed to say too much about it just yet, but it’s going to be great,” he says. “My dream is to have my own Michelin star one day. I’ve seen what it takes, and to have one on the door of wherever I'm working would be awesome.” 

(Written by Tessa Watkins)