Everything Know about MasterChef: The Professionals 2023 series 16 contestants, Season judges, critics, guest chefs, finalists and winner
“MasterChef: The Professionals” is a cooking competition show that aired on BBC Two from 2008 to 2019 and later moved to BBC One in 2020. Unlike the regular MasterChef show, this one is for professional chefs. It’s been around for a while and has had a few different judges and hosts. This is the 16th series of MasterChef: The Professionals.
Who are the MasterChef: The Professionals 2023 Judges?
In charge of the UK’s famous cooking competition are Michelin-starred chef Marcus Wareing, the familiar Master Chef judge Gregg Wallace, and the returning renowned chef Monica Galetti. Together, they will oversee the cooking challenges and decisions on this esteemed show.
MasterChef: The Professionals Challenges and Stages:
The show usually runs for several weeks from November to Christmas. It has different stages, including “heats” where chefs compete, a “knockout” week, a semi-final, and a final. Here’s what happens in each stage:
MasterChef: The Professionals Heats Stage Challenge:
The competition kicks off with the “heats,” and each week begins with a group of professional chefs competing in the MasterChef kitchen. In the earlier seasons, six chefs showcased their skills in each episode, but this number was reduced to four in Series 15 and onwards.
Each heat week starts with four chefs per episode. At the end of the week, some chefs are eliminated and are left to move on to the quarter-final.
Skills test (Series 2 onwards): In this stage, the professional judges demonstrate the preparation of a specific dish or the handling of a particular ingredient. The contestants are then tasked with recreating the dish within a specific time frame, usually around 15 to 20 minutes. Following their attempts, the judges provided feedback.
Signature dish: Next up, the contestants are given an hour to prepare their signature dishes. This is their chance to shine, showcasing their culinary skills and unique style. The judges, based on their performance in this round and the skills test.
MasterChef: The Professionals Quarter-final Challenge:
The quarter-final follows the heats, offering contestants a fresh set of challenges:
Invention test: The surviving contestants are given one hour to create a dish from a set larder of ingredients.
Cook for the critics: Contestants must prepare a three-course meal for a panel of restaurant critics. Feedback from the critics, as well as the professional judges, influences the elimination decision. The contestants do not receive direct feedback from the critics. Based on their performance in this challenge and the invention test, they were eliminated, and the others advanced to the knockout week or the semi-final.
MasterChef: The Professionals Knockout Week Challenge:
Typically features 10 remaining chefs, with various challenges. Challenges have varied across the series.
Knowledge test (Series 1–7): The Judge demonstrates the preparation of a classic dish that demands a high degree of technical skill and ability. The chefs are then required to reproduce the dish themselves using only a basic recipe lacking precise cooking details. The larder supplied typically includes “rogue” ingredients not used in the dish, testing the contestants’ palates and knowledge of flavors.
Cook for a guest chef (Series 1–6): In this challenge, the contestants are required to cook a dish for a mystery renowned chef who visits the MasterChef kitchen. The guest chef’s opinions are not part of the usual judging discussion between Roux and Wallace, and this challenge may result in an elimination.
Invention test with a difference (Series 5–6, 8): Chefs are tasked with inventing a single dish but must only use basic cooking methods, such as being prohibited from using sous-vide cookers. In Series 6, three of the chefs gained automatic passage into the next round, while the remaining three had to compete against each other to avoid elimination, with one chef ultimately being eliminated.
Mass catering (Series 8): In this unique challenge, the chefs are divided into two teams and must demonstrate their ability to cook low-cost, high-quality dishes in large quantities within a short timeframe. This typically involves catering for a large workplace canteen or a major sporting event. The challenge concludes with a cook-off in the studio, where one additional chef is eliminated.
MasterChef: The Professionals Semi-finals Challenge:
The competition intensifies in the semi-finals, with six surviving contestants facing diverse challenges:
Service in a top restaurant: Contestants work in renowned British restaurants and then compete against each other.
Invention with leftovers: Chefs create a dish using scraps of food and a basic larder.
Pop-Up Restaurant: Chefs design and run their own pop-up restaurants, followed by a cook-off.
MasterChef: The Professionals Finals Week Challenge:
