Final four - MasterChef: The Professionals 2018, Laurence Henry

Tonight marks the beginning of finals week for MasterChef: The Professionals 2018 - find out more about private chef Laurence Henry, sous chef at two Michelin-starred Restaurant Sat Bains.

Name: Laurence Henry

Region: Nottingham 

Age: 25 at time of filming, now 26 

Profession: Sous Chef  

Cooking Background: “I’ve been interested in food from a young age, I always enjoyed cooking with my mum and dad who are both massive foodies and fantastic cooks. I trained as a chef in Devon at the Ashburton Chefs Academy.” 

Influences: “Every chef I have worked with in the past has influenced me in one way or another. But more than anyone, Sat Bains and John Freeman have mentored and pushed me to grow as a chef.”

Food Passions: “I enjoy all aspects of cooking but I do enjoy cooking meat and fish the most.”  

On MasterChef: The Professionals: “I’d thought about entering the competition for a few years but this year I felt my knowledge, skills and confidence were finally at a level that could see me though the competition. The chefs table was my most challenging moment of the competition, I have always pushed myself and had a lot of work to do, but during this challenge I pushed too hard and almost didn’t make it!  Getting to the final is a dream come true, it has been the goal from day one and I’m ecstatic I’ve managed to make it this far.” 

Cooking ambitions: “I still have a lot to learn in my current role so I don’t plan on moving on any time soon. I am exploring the possibility of opening my own restaurant in the future, however before all that I plan on having some time off work and travelling more.”