MasterChef Australia’s Nat Thaipun has won the whole damn show and is now $250,000 richer, but there’s one person she believes helped “push” her to walk away victorious.
While lots of viewers gave judge Andy Allen a bunch of flack for his “harsh” criticism aimed at Nat during a mystery box challenge where she was trying to secure a golden ticket to the semi-finals, the cook had a different take.
“It’s so funny, because when a lot of people messaged me about [Andy’s comments], I genuinely watched [the] episodes and I’m like, ‘Are they talking about this episode?’. Because I wasn’t even aware of it,” she tells PEDESTRIAN.TV.
“[His criticism wasn’t] mean and it’s not harsh, it’s just very blunt and it’s very honest. And I can be like that as well.”
Nat Thaipun felt the pressure during the MasterChef Australia finale. (Image: 10)
Andy drilled into Nat that she needed to balance being a risk taker or a winner, because if she took a risk that went wrong when it mattered most, her foodie dreams could be dashed.
Considering Nat tackled her first-ever dessert pressure test in the Grand Finale with a whopping 113 steps to follow and presented a gorgeous dish, it’s safe to say she listened.
“I genuinely think that Andy was the one who pushed me to be able to win, because he was giving me the most honest feedback out of all of [the judges]. I way prefer that than wishy-washy judging,” she adds.
Nat explains audiences also miss out on seeing judges give the contestants more feedback once the cameras stop rolling, and they do it in a “nurturing” way.
Some even apologise if their constructive comments have come across as “quite harsh”, and give the cooks more to think about before the next challenge.
“[The judges] come up to you and they will clarify further so that you can improve. And I love that… it’s one of those things people don’t see,” she says.
“I think it’s beautiful. It’s the mentorship that you need to keep going.”
Nat credited the judges for their thoughtful feedback. (Image: 10)
What can we expect from Nat Thaipun’s MasterChef Australia residency at Crowne Melbourne’s ALUMNI restaurant?
As part of her grand prize, Nat begins her residency at Crowne Melbourne’s ALUMNI restaurant tomorrow. She’s just finished up a stint working with Jamie Oliver at one of his restaurants in London, and even worked at Clare Smyth‘s restaurant Core as well. Talk about whiplash!
She’s both “excited and terrified”, because it’s a massive opportunity for her. While she’s worried about running a kitchen with that many staff and cooking for such a large crowd, we can expect some pretty innovative dishes.
“I’ve been working on the dishes for a little while now. Me being me, I actually have spreadsheets of menus anyway, because [I’m] always dreaming up menus all the time,” she tells us.
“[It’s] very much a reflection of who I am as a Thai person, born and raised in country Victoria and playing with classic native Australian ingredients.”
She even has a cocktail pairing as well which is based off Sour Patch Kid lollies – a fave in her household growing up.
It sounds delish and I’m so stoked for Nat! She deserves all the success that’s surely about to come.
Feature Image: Network 10
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