2 weeks Ago
East Lancashire chef Dan Merriman has won MasterChef: The Professionals. Dan and George Birtwell, both senior sous chefs, competed in the final of the cooking competition along with Chiara Tomasoni, from Italy, which aired on BBC One on Thursday night. Dan 29, lives in Accrington and is senior sous chef at the Black Bull Inn in Old Langho, while George, 27, is from Barley.
The finalists were given three hours to impress judges Marcus Wareing, Monica Galetti, and Gregg Wallace. Dan cooked a barbecue scallop starter, a beef and hash brown main and a mousse dessert. The starter was very well received by all three judges with the main course's flavour given rave reviews.
Talking about the main, Marcus said: "Everything about this dish is what good cookery is about." Turning to the sweet, Gregg said the combination "really works" while Monica "couldn't help but smile about what his food does". An emotional Dan thanked the judges and said the competition has been "life-changing".
George served up a glazed lobster tail starter, a venison main and a blackcurrant parfuit-style dessert. The starter drew praise from all three judges with Gregg describing the starter as "exquisite". The venison was "cooked to perfection", Monica said, as the other judges agreed with the high quality of the main course.
And the sweet received impressive praise too. "Talk about saving the best til last," Marcus said of the dessert. George said he was "left speechless" after the glowing reviews.
Chiara prepared a prawn starter, a barbecue monkfish main and a mousse dessert. The judges lauded her starter, with Monica praising the tender nature of the monkfish, while the sweet was also complimented. Monica said Chiara's food is about who she is - "a free spirit who cooks from the heart".
After weighing up the excellent efforts of the three contestants, Marcus announced Dan as the champion. Dan said: "To walk away as MasterChef champion means the world to me. "There's not been many times where I have been proud of myself.
Greg said his food has been "blowing us away" round after round serving dish after dish of "absolute beauty". Marcus said he "can't wait to see what he does in the future" and Monica said it takes years to serve up dishes like he does. Dan added: "I'm always going to remember this, no matter what happens.
"No matter where life takes me, I'm forever grateful." He said he cannot wait to get back to see his family and he will "see what is round the corner"..
