Anna Haugh takes the reins from former judge Monica Galetti
Two chefs from Liverpool will join the line-up of the new series of MasterChef: The Professionals, as the BBC show returns for its 15th series in November.
I cannot wait to see what this year’s competition is going to bring.
32 ambitious chefs from across the country will battle to become the 2022 MasterChef Champion. Presiding over the revered cooking competition will be a new judge, the acclaimed chef and restaurateur Anna Haugh, alongside Michelin-starred chef Marcus Wareing and celebrated MasterChef judge, Gregg Wallace.
The expert team are eager to discover outstanding new cooking talent and will be setting exacting standards from the moment the kitchen doors open. Only the most skilled, passionate and creative of chefs can come close to the prestigious MasterChef: The Professionals title.
Myrtle chef Anna Haugh replaces Monica Galetti, who decided to vacate her role as judge after 14 years on the show.
Anna Haugh says, “I’m thrilled to join the MasterChef judging team and meet new chefs on new adventures. I’ll be judging the same way I judge my own chefs in my kitchen - I’ll be firm but fair and my expectations are high. I cannot wait to see what this year’s competition is going to bring.”
Among the 32 contenders on MasterChef: The Professionals are Liverpool chefs, Nathan Booth and Gabriella Margiotta.
Nathan is head chef at Liverpool’s towering Panoramic 34 restaurant and his menus are a tribute to the British larder. He was previously head chef at Kelp, having also worked for the likes of Six by Nico, Thornton Hall, Roski, Wreckfish, and The Art School.
Guess l've never been one to say no to a new
— Nathan Booth (@Nathann_B) October 19, 2022
challenge @masterchefuk coming soon.#masterchef #masterchefprofessionals #bbc #masterchefbbc pic.twitter.com/mIrTJlv92u
Chef Gabriella Margiotta and her family run Cucina di Vincenzo, an Italian restaurant in Childwall. Since opening in 2016, the restaurant on Woolton Road has won accolades from The Italian Awards. Gabriella has also earned a following for her series of YouTube recipes and cooking tutorials, Gabriella’s Kitchen.
Over six intense weeks, the chef contestants will be put through their paces - first competing in the heats with the aim of making it to that week’s quarter final.
The contenders must pull out all the stops to win over the UK’s most discerning and revered food critics, who, this year, include Grace Dent, Jay Rayner, Jimi Famurewa, Leyla Kazim, Tom Parker Bowles, Tracey MacLeod, and William Sitwell.
MasterChef: The Professionals returns to BBC One on Wednesday 2 November.
Read next: Interview: Head Chef Nathan Booth, Panoramic 34 - 'The views are definitely its USP'
Read again: Restaurant review: Cucina di Vincenzo
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