An East Belfast chef and cafe owner is set to appear on MasterChef: The Professionals on Thursday night.
Jonny McCreery is the owner of Greenway9 Lunch Bar in Castlereagh.
The 35-year-old previously worked as a sous chef at The Dirty Duck, Holywood and at Cyprus Avenue, Ballyhackamore.
Read more: Belfast deli with community spirit at its heart wins All-Ireland Takeaway Award
MasterChef: The Professionals is back on BBC One for its 15th series, as 32 ambitious chefs battle to become the 2022 Champion.
Presiding over the cooking competition, are new judge and acclaimed chef Anna Haugh, Michelin-starred chef Marcus Wareing and celebrated MasterChef judge, Gregg Wallace, all eager to discover a brand new culinary star.
Over six weeks, the chefs will have their skills, creativity and culinary knowledge put to the test in a series of demanding challenges as the judges hunt out the most impressive talent in the industry.
In the second Heat of the week on Thursday, four determined new chefs, including Jonny, set out to prove to the judges that they have the ability, commitment and style to push them to the top.
Speaking about his influences and when he got into cooking, Jonny said: “I really got into food watching cooking programmes growing up, such as Delia Smith’s Christmas and Gordon Ramsay in Boiling Point. I love the job satisfaction you get every day, knowing how happy you make people through feeding them.”
“I have a lot of different influences. I love all cuisines and any type of food."
Discussing his achievements and becoming part of the show, the NI man added: “My proudest achievements have been opening my own business with my wife and winning three awards, two for the restaurant (Northern Ireland Takeaway of the Year 2020 & Yes Chef All Ireland Takeaway of the Year, Highly Commended 2022) and one for my wife (Takeaway Manager of the Year 2020)."
“I’ve always loved the show and thought there’s no better time than the present. Being able to put myself out there and showcase my food is such a huge opportunity."
Jonny will be competing on MasterChef: The Professionals tonight (Thurs) 9pm, on BBC One and iPlayer in a bid to get through to tomorrow’s Quarter Final at 8pm.
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