There's a new judge in town as two Michelin star chef Marcus Wareing enters the kitchen to help find the next champion. The acclaimed chef joins forces with formidable perfectionist, chef Monica Galetti, and MasterChef's seasoned diner, Gregg Wallace, to seek out up-and- coming culinary stars.
There's a new judge in town as two Michelin star chef Marcus Wareing enters the kitchen to help find the next champion.
The acclaimed chef joins forces with formidable perfectionist, chef Monica Galetti, and MasterChef's seasoned diner, Gregg Wallace, to seek out up-and- coming culinary stars.
Marcus draws on his experience at top class restaurants around the world as he challenges and inspires the contestants to demonstrate culinary inventiveness in the MasterChef kitchen, as well as testing them on their mastery of classic dishes and techniques.
The talented hopefuls are also thrown into the high pressure restaurant kitchens of some of the most innovative chefs in Europe, learning from the best as they battle to reach the final and earn the chance to follow their professional dreams.
London-born Greg is a produce connoisseur who started his career as a stall trader at London’s Covent Garden Market. He made his name in the fruit and veg world by founding Allan’s Greengrocers in 1989, a company that went on to celebrate a tidy £7.5 million annual turnover.
His entrepreneurial success and knowledge of greens earned him a seven year broadcasting contract with the BBC Radio 4 show Veg Talk, a year as host of the popular cooking TV show Saturday Kitchen and guest spots on such diverse shows as the genealogy series Who Do You Think You Are? and The Money Programme. However, since 2005, Greg is best known for being a MasterChef co-host and judge.
In 2014, Greg hit the dance floor as a celebrity contestant on the hit show Strictly Come Dancing. Sadly, his moves failed to wow and he was voted off in the second week of the competition.
Aside from his TV career, Greg is a contributing journalist for BBC Good Food and Olive magazines. He also published his autobiography – Life on a Plate – in 2012.
Born in Samoa but raised in New Zealand, Monica Galetti came to realise her talent and passion for cooking when undergoing a hospitality diploma. Having learned her skills from books written by the Roux brothers, owners of Michelin star retaurant Le Gavroche, Monica took the plunge in 1998 to carve her career in London and approached Le Gavroche for a job opportunity. Her determination paid off as she worked her way up to senior sous-chef, a position she held until early 2015.
Michel Roux Jnr is also responsible for making Galetti’s face one we have all come to recognise on MasterChef: The Professionals. It is her first-class experiences in the Michelin star restaurant that have made her a fierce perfectionist, known for her stern looks and frank opinions when judging the contestants.
As an adolescent in Southport, Lancashire, Wareing found that he had a natural talent for cooking and, despite being the only boy in his home econmics class, went on to take a course in catering to pursue his love of food.
At 18 Marcus worked at the Savoy Hotel in London before meeting Gordon Ramsay at his next job - Michelin starred Le Gavroche. In the early 90s the two talented chefs joined forces in the kitchen when Ramsey opened ‘Aubergine’, making Marcus his sous chef. The two remain close friends, in fact, Ramsey was Wareing’s best man and is godfather to Wareing's eldest child!
Having travelled to the USA, Frances, the Netherlands for his career and later juggling work in London with family life in Sussex, Marcus is now famed his three restaurants; The Gilbert Scott, Marcus and Tredwell’s, Marcus and of course, for his appearance on Masterchef: The Professionals.
Inspiration for home, family and life.
South African audiences have access to five BBC TV channels: BBC Entertainment, BBC Lifestyle, BBC Knowledge, CBeebies and BBC World News.