New MasterChef champion Simon Wood is hiding a dark secret he used to work in McDonald’s and loves nothing better than a burger.
Millions watched as Simon, 38, was crowned MasterChef champion 2015 by judges John Torode and Greg Wallace.
Now the single dad-of-four from Oldham, Greater Manchester, is hoping to ditch his career in IT and take up cooking full-time.
But Simon, who emerged victorious from 40 contestants, has revealed he credits a stint working in McDonald’s as a teenager with turning him into a disciplined cook.
He said: “That taught me to clean up after myself as I’m going along. That was really pushed into me and it’s one thing I certainly took away.”
And while his stint in the fast food chain helped Simon stay tidy and organised in the kitchen, it may also have given him a lifelong taste for burgers.
Asked for his most guilty culinary pleasure, he replied: “It’s got to be burgers. If I’m struggling and I want something quick and easy my go-to thing would be a burger.”
Like many cooks, Simon’s love of food was inspired by his family, particularly his grandmother in Chadderton, Oldham, who made sure he got his hands in the mixing bowl from a young age.
He said: “The main dish I remember her making is rabbit stew with mashed potatoes, and I remember her baking scones as well just simple cooking really.
“I used to go to her house on Saturday afternoons and we’d do a bit of baking, go to the cinema, then come home and make whatever we were having and watch TV.”
But the first dish he remembers making himself is an omelette with his dad, who passed away when Simon was young, and he says it has remained a favourite ever since.
Simon battled it out against Emma Spitzer and Tony Rodd as they were challenged to cook the judges a meal in three hours.
The winner served up a mouth-watering starter of octopus with chorizo and cannellini beans followed by a main of squab pigeon served two ways with blackberry sauce, watercress puree and carrots.
He finished it off with a dessert of lemon posset topped with seven garnishes citrus tutti-frutti, charred grapefruit and orange, a lime tuile, limoncello pistachio crumb, edible flowers, tarragon leaves and a lime air.
Simon who admits he is still coming to terms with his “surreal” victory was told by John Torode the benchmark has just been raised.”
Greg Wallace described Simon as “brilliant” and said he had no doubt he would have a professional career in food.
The victory brought to an end the 11th series of the popular BBC amateur cooking contest. Previous winners have gone on to become star chefs while opening their own acclaimed restaurants.
Regarding his win, Simon added: “It’s life changing. It’s everything I want it to be and more.”
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