MasterChef: The Professionals 2022 starts tonight, seeing the return of judges Gregg Wallace and Marcus Wareing – as well as the addition of new judge the acclaimed chef and restaurateur Anna Haugh.
Anna has said: ‘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.’
But as you’re watching these delicious dishes being made, you might be wondering exactly what happens to them once the cameras stop filming.
Well, MasterChef makes it very clear that absolutely no food is wasted after the judges have tested the meals.
We’d all love a taster of the mouth-watering meals, and it seems like the crew is no different.
The culinary delights are left for those operating cameras and directing the show behind the scenes.
So, if the judges fancy polishing off a meal, there’s almost always someone on set who’ll help them out.
The show has strict rules about sourcing ingredients, with contestants ‘asked to only order the quantity of ingredients necessary to make the required number of plates of food.’
In addition to saving food by feeding the hungry crew, the BBC website states that the show:
- Buys in bulk and reuses/restores all dry goods
- Reuse ingredients across multiple challenges
- Freezes or refrigerates what perishables they can for later use
- Anything else, like leftover fruit and veg, is donated to the local food charities or food banks
- Other leftover organic waste is composted
MasterChef Australia contestant Simon Toohey, a sustainability enthusiast, assured that no food gets wasted.
He told The Project, ‘A lot of the stuff goes to all the secondary charities like OzHarvest, Foodbank, etc and passed on from there if they aren’t used.
‘And then if they are, then they go to the compost or they get spread around to people like us and the crew so there is actually zero waste within the MasterChef kitchen.’
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MasterChef: The Professionals 2022 starts tonight at 9pm on BBC One.
MORE : MasterChef’s John Torode says women’s food tastes better than men’s as it’s ‘loving and maternal’
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FAQs
We have large commercial refrigerators for use off the kitchen studio so that ingredients can be kept fresher for longer. Anything else, like leftover fruit and veg, we donate to the local food charities or food banks closest to our location.
What happens to all the MasterChef food? ›
The crew usually eat the leftovers
The food cooked is very rarely thrown away and they are usually eaten by the crew after each round.
Do the judges eat cold food on MasterChef? ›
They're essentially eating cold food.” Cookist shared that most cooking show judges are indeed used to judging cold food, adding that MasterChef judges often do the *real* evaluations by the chefs' bench, while they're still cooking.
Do MasterChef contestants get to eat their own food? ›
While most of the cooked food is eaten by the judges, and the contestants often have a nibble as well, sometimes there are leftovers and the lucky contenders are encouraged to take it home!
Has anyone dropped their plate on MasterChef? ›
Alejandro Valdivia was sent packing on Episode 6 of “MasterChef: Back to Win” after failing to lead the Red Team to a win in the first team challenge. The 40-year old from Atlanta was team captain and, aside from his lack of leadership, dropped a steak on the ground and then attempted to serve it.
Do MasterChef contestants ever get recipes? ›
Truth behind MasterChef challenges
According to New Idea, the cooks are able to plan what they want to make ahead of time. “Contestants are given the heads-up on the challenges/themes/recipes the night before filming, so they can research techniques and recipes,” a source told the publication.
How much food is wasted on MasterChef? ›
' But as you're watching these delicious dishes being made, you might be wondering exactly what happens to them once the cameras stop filming. Well, MasterChef makes it very clear that absolutely no food is wasted after the judges have tested the meals.
Who washes the dishes in MasterChef? ›
Leigh washes all of the dirty dishes on the show ... literally every single one. And with all of the contestants and different meals/sauces/appetizers/desserts that get prepared, it's not hard to imagine how many dishes pile up.
How do they keep the food hot on MasterChef? ›
Simple. They are refriggerated and the judges eat them cold. Of course they do try them off camera whilst warm but on camera for us to the food they try is cold.
Do they get to keep the aprons on MasterChef? ›
Answer. Contestants on MasterChef are generally allowed to keep their aprons as a keepsake that symbolizes their journey on the show; however, policies may vary by country and season.
To get an accurate representation of the composition of the final plate, the judges taste each individual element as it's being prepared. Makes sense, right? In fact, the final temperature of the food isn't usually taken into consideration at all, as it wouldn't be fair on the contestants who are judged last.
How does ice cream not melt on MasterChef? ›
Yes, the desserts are often melted too
Former finalists Billy and Jack told Stylist that frozen food often comes out right before the judges test it, that's why ice cream can be seen served on the side in a dish quite a lot. But there is still a delay whilst the crew take plate shots, and it often does melt.
What was the official cause of death of Jock Zonfrillo? ›
Sources close to the family maintained that Zonfrillo, a former heroin addict, died of natural causes. There was no drug paraphernalia found in the hotel room.
Do MasterChef contestants get clothes? ›
While many would assume that the myriad of MasterChef contestants would be allowed to wear what they want - especially as the show is about cooking rather than style - that's not the case. Season 5 contestant Elise Mayfield revealed to AV Club that the producers decide the contestants' outfits.
Does MasterChef donate food? ›
MasterChef US and UK
As it turns out, the crew gets first dibs, Marketplace reported. All leftovers and unused pantry items are then donated to MEND – a support service charity based in LA.
Do MasterChef Professional contestants pay for ingredients? ›
If the contestants wish to practice cooking up their food masterpieces at home, then they are expected to foot the bill for the ingredients, and they aren't reimbursed. However, during filming the MasterChef kitchens and pantries are stocked up, free of charge.
Do MasterChef contestants get to keep their aprons? ›
Contestants on MasterChef are generally allowed to keep their aprons as a keepsake that symbolizes their journey on the show; however, policies may vary by country and season.
Do they taste every dish on MasterChef? ›
Do the MasterChef judges taste every dish? Yes, the judges taste every dish. Due to time constraints in terms of episode length, we sometimes don't see the judges tasting every contestant's dish, but rest assured, they take their job of eating other people's food very seriously.
What happens to the food after a cooking show? ›
Some shows do donate their excess ingredients. The Food Network show Guy's Grocery Games purports to donate close-to-expiration food from its life-sized set grocery store to food banks once a week, while food scraps “go to a local farm for animal feed”.
