MasterChef: The Professionals 2023 saw the high-stakes cooking competition return to put another 32 professional chefs through the wringer in a bid to be crowned the next MasterChef champion. That battle has now come to an end, and a new winner has been crowned!
There was a familiar face in the MasterChef kitchen this year. For season 16, veteran judges Gregg Wallace and Michelin-starred chef Marcus Wareing were reunited with fellow chef, Monica Galetti, who returned after a short hiatus from the franchise.
Of her return, Galetti said: "I’m delighted to be back with my MasterChef family for 2023 and I can’t wait to discover the country’s next culinary superstar.”
Here's everything you need to know about MasterChef: The Professionals 2023...
MasterChef: The Professionals 2023 release date and how to watch
MasterChef: The Professionals 2023 has now come to an end. The series originally premiered on BBC One at 9 pm on Monday, October 23, 2023. The whole series can now be streamed on BBC iPlayer.
When we hear anything about a US release, we'll be sure to include that info here.
Who won MasterChef: The Professionals 2023?
After seven weeks of tough trials, Tom Hamblet was crowned the winner of MasterChef: The Professionals 2023, making him the 17th winner overall.
He managed to beat Kasae Fraser and Tommy Thorn in the final after his winning three-course menu (listed below) impressed Marcus Wareing, Monica Galetti and Gregg Wallace the most.
- Starter: Poached lobster tail with blanched cherry tomatoes, filled with lobster claw meat in lobster and chilli oil, topped with a lemon verbena gel, courgette balls and a creamy lobster and tomato sauce Américaine
- Main: Seared beef fillet on a bed of oyster mushrooms, served with pastry-wrapped braised beef cheek, poached oyster, a lovage emulsion, salsify, beef and red wine sauce and a beef and oyster tartare
- Dessert: Olive oil sponge with olive oil jam, topped with a lemon curd, crème fraiche, fennel tops, a fennel pollen tuille, and fennel seed ice cream.
Who judged MasterChef: The Professionals 2023?
The judges for season 16 were Monica Galetti, Marcus Wareing and Gregg Wallace.
Galetti took a hiatus from the show in 2021 to focus both on her family and the restaurant business. She was replaced by Morning Live's resident chef, Anna Haugh.
This was Marcus Wareing's 10th series on the judging panel. When we asked what kept him coming back to the show, he said: "I think we feel very lucky to be invited. We've made it our own and feel the hard work is paying off.
"It's one of the most exciting, professional experiences that I enjoy and there's always a real energy coming back."
The series also featured a range of top food critics, including I'm A Celebrity 2023's Grace Dent, Jay Rayner, Jimi Famurewa, Leyla Kazim, Tom Parker Bowles, Tracey MacLeod, and William Sitwell.
Who were the MasterChef: The Professionals 2023 contestants?
Below, we've listed each contestant who took part in the competition, including their role in their respective kitchens and where they were based when they took part in the show.
Heat One
- Cameron, a 25-year-old Head Chef from Mallaig in the Scottish Highlands
- Dara, a 24-year-old Sous Chef from Limerick, Ireland
- Catrin, a 34-year-old Head Chef who is from London (originally Sweden)
- Himanshu is a 24-year-old Chef de Partie from New Delhi, India
Heat Two
- Tommy, a 27-year-old Head Chef from Weston-super-Mare
- Cristina, a 51-year-old Head Chef from Bromley (originally Brazil)
- Rosie, a 34-year-old Chef Patron and Cafe Owner from Romney Marsh
- Charlie, a 22-year-old Head Chef from Cornwall
Heat Three
- Ieuan, a 26-year-old Sous Chef from Newport who currently works in Chippenham
- James, a 29-year-old Street Food Business Owner from North London
- Ola, a 33-year-old Head Chef from Kent (originally from Nigeria)
- Jeany, a 31-year-old Senior Sous Chef from Belfast
Heat Four
- Evelina, a 28-year-old Chef de Partie from Lithuania who lives and works in Scotland.
- Molly, a 27-year-old Private Chef company owner from Leeds.
- Lauren, a 29-year-old Event Caterer from Surrey who works in London
- Joaquin, a 28-year-old Sous Chef from Venezuela who works in central London.
Heat Five
- Philippe, a 33-year-old Private Chef from Paris who lives and works in London
- Verity, a 32-year-old Chef Owner from the Isle of Skye
- Dan, a 32-year-old Senior Sous Chef from Norfolk
- Dimi, a 29-year-old Sous Chef originally from Ukraine who works in London
Heat Six
- Gabrielle, a 33-year-old Private Chef from London
- Kasae, a 29-year-old Head Chef based near Bristol who is originally from Australia
- Giovann, a 33-year-old Executive Head Chef from London (originally from Malta)
- Kyle, a 31-year-old Sous Chef from North Shields
Heat Seven
- Ayesha, a 32-year-old Chef Patron from Glastonbury (originally North Wales)
- Cecily, a 30-year-old Private chef from London (originally Aberdare in South Wales)
- Casrick, a 37-year-old Junior Sous Chef from London (originall St Vincent in the Caribbean).
- Simon, a 35-year-old Head Chef from Poole in Dorset.
Heat Eight
- Tristan, a 26-year-old Private Chef who works in London and Norfolk.
- Lindsay, a 30-year-old Chef Patron from Newcastle (who grew up in Edinburgh)
- Tom, a 24-year-old Sous Chef from Horsham in West Sussex
- I-Lin, a 29-year-old Chef de Partie from Taiwan who works in London
What challenges feature in MasterChef: The Professionals 2023?
All your favorite challenges returned in MasterChef: The Professionals season 16. The first test our chefs faced in their respective Heats was the Skills Test, where Monica and Marcus tasked them with producing their take on a particular dish. The chefs were also given 90 minutes to produce a stunning three-course meal for the judges, with the view of bagging a coveted spot in the Quarter Finals.
Then, the surviving chefs tackled the Invention Test, dreaming up a new, MasterChef-worthy dish bashed on a particular brief to wow some of the UK's biggest food critics.
The top 12 chefs then faced Knockout Week, tackling a range of challenges including an all-contestant cook-off. The group was whittled down to just eight chefs, who progressed to the Semi-Finals, where they were given even more themed briefs and were shipped off to work in groups in top restaurants in London and Staffordshire.
The Final Four then faced Chef's Table, serving up dishes for some of the UK's top chefs (who share 25 Michelin stars between them). This eliminated one last cook at the final hurdle, leaving the Final Three with one final chance to impress the judges and try to earn the MasterChef trophy.
Is there a MasterChef: The Professionals 2023 trailer?
The MasterChef team shared a sneak peek at the new series on social media that was packed full of delicious-looking dishes ahead of the show's debut. Check it out below...
🚨 FIRST LOOK! 🚨The new series of #MasterChefTheProfessionals starts next Monday on BBC One & @bbciplayer - we just couldn't wait to give you a little taste... 👌@marcuswareing #MonicaGaletti @greggawallace #MasterChefUK pic.twitter.com/uI0A57vgXEOctober 17, 2023
Who won MasterChef: The Professionals 2022?
Nikita Pathakji won the previous edition of the competition. She grew up in Derby and moved down to London when she decided to become a chef.
She competed alongside 23-year-old senior sous chef, Sagar Massay and chef de partie, Charlie Jeffreys.
The winning menu she served up was made up of the following dishes:
- Starter: Cured sea bass with a spicy red pepper puree, aubergine puree and aubergine crisps
- Main: A twist on Khao Soi, a traditional Northern Thai noodle dish that was made with black cardamom and turmeric, crispy chicken thighs, herby chicken tortellini and crispy chicken skin
- Dessert: A honey and cardamom custard tart served with honey-poached apricots, apricot sorbet and a honey tuile
