A new chef from Manchester will join the role call of this year’s Masterchef contestants on the show tonight. Meg, a 24-year-old radio producer, is among those in the penultimate heat of this year’s contest.
Meg grew up in Manchester, before going to university in Newcastle, and is now back in the city and living with her boyfriend. But unlike many of her fellow contestants, she will be cooking only vegan food.
“I’m vegan, so I love to experiment with all sorts of vegan dishes,” she said. “Having fun with my food is really important. For me it’s about sharing delicious food with my friends. I love using spices and never compromise on flavour with my dishes.
“I want to show that vegan food can stand up there! There’s a misconception that vegan food can’t have the same amount of flavour as non-vegan dishes but I want to prove that plant-based food is just as delicious, if not more so.”
She joins NHS worker Nazya from Bolton and marketing manager Ioan from Salford in this year’s crop from the North West so far, though Nayza hit headlines for failing to boil an egg properly on her first appearance.
The competition will see finalists heading to Ireland to cook at the Myrtle Allen at Ballymaloe House and Cookery School, before being whittled down to the final three.
The last chefs in the contest will then face off at a Chef’s Table challenge at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London, with Ramsay and his head chef Matt Abé and former proteges Clare Smyth and Paul Ainsworth judging their progress.
As if that wasn’t enough, Ramsay’s mentor Pierre Koffman will also be among the final three’s judging panel.
The north west has a good record in the contest, with Manchester’s own Simon Wood having won the contest in 2015, and Exose Grant Lopo-Ndinga landing in the final of Masterchef: The Professionals in 2019.
Masterchef airs tonight (April 12) at 8pm on BBC One.
To get the latest email updates from the Manchester Evening News, click here.
