Who is chef Chiara Tomasoni MasterChef: The Professionals 2024 contestant?

We have reached the final heat in this year’s MasterChef: The Professionals 2024, which next airs on Wednesday, November 20 at 8pm.

Introducing Chiara Tomasoni, sous chef and teacher at River Cottage in Devon.

Italy-born Chiara moved to the UK as a teenager, to study journalism, before combining passions for sustainability, food and farming.

NAME

Chiara Tomasoni

AGE

24

WHERE ARE YOU FROM/WHERE DO YOU LIVE?

Chiara grew up in Bologna, Italy with her parents and sister. At 16, she moved to the UK to continue her education. Driven by a passion for sustainability within the food and farming industry she made the leap into food after completing her degree. She now lives in rural Devon with her partner, who is also a chef.

CURRENT AND PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

Chiara studied journalism at Sussex University. While studying she set up her own catering company which she ran throughout her degree, providing healthy ready meals for local businesses. After a couple years of private cheffing, Chiara started working on an organic farm at River Cottage in Devon – beginning as a commis and has worked up to their sous chef. She still works there now, both teaching and cooking for various farm to table dining events.

WHO AND WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A CHEF?

“For me, cooking started with rolling out tortellini with my great grandma in Bologna, where I was born and raised. It evolved into cooking for my family on a low budget with rarely anything much in the fridge.

“Then my passion for food grew further when I moved to this country at 16, leaving my family behind. My drive for fighting food waste (in both hospitality and households), improving the availability of good food for the disadvantaged and food as a cure (both mentally and physically), were at the centre of every piece of content I produced during my academic years - both at college in the UK and during my degree in journalism.

“After graduating, it felt right to swap books for knives and officially do what I loved most. I set about feeding others, applying my learnings to food that people would actually eat and, hopefully, remember the story behind it.”

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE OF COOKING AND ANY INFLUENCES ON IT?

“My style would be artisanal, waste-saving and SLOW (sustainable, local, organic, wild). I love the idea of sticking to tradition as much as I adore just expanding and developing by borrowing from other chefs, from different cultures and using innovative techniques.”

WHY DID YOU WANT TO TAKE PART IN MASTERCHEF: THE PROFESSIONALS?

“This is as much about discovering more about myself as a chef and improving myself, than it is about winning the title! I'm doing this to challenge myself and share my passion about sustainable food with the world.”

OUTSIDE OF COOKING WHAT ARE YOUR PASSIONS?

“As well as cooking, I love kitesurfing, wild swimming, spending time in nature, foraging, preserving, growing veg in my garden and looking after my chickens!”