MasterChef: The Professionals 2014 is back on our screens once more with new judge Marcus Wareing at the helm.

Each week we'll be bringing you a round-up of the culinary successes and disasters as we edge closer to finding out this year's winner of Masterchef: The Professionals 2014.

So after seven weeks of cooking it was time for the final – and were we in for one hell of a cook off! For many, seeing Brian in the final was a real surprise but in the last two weeks he’s shown himself as a real contender. He promised ‘honest not fancy’ food for his final dishes and his belief in himself was evident on the plate. Mr Cool, Sven the sous chef, has blossomed!

I was genuinely excited as he explained what he would be making and it seems the fruits of his allotment have really encouraged his playful side. Mugaritz really ‘lit his fire’ and it was clear he was cooking to win. Then there was Jamie. You can’t help but like this happy chappy from Scotland. He explained that he cooks with ‘heart, passion and hard work’ and his final menu was all about a taste of his childhood including an ode to grandma with his savoury donuts.

It was obvious he was really pushing hard, but almost not to win but to show everyone he really could cook. The Masterchef final had me hooked, it was energetic, exciting and seeing the finished food I was genuinely amazed. From Brian’s visually stunning red gurnard to Sven’s twisted nose quail – Masterchef fans around the country couldn’t have asked for a more impressive final line up. For once the judges could find very few faults – the blood line in Sven’s cod was a no, no for Marcus; Brian’s apple dessert didn’t ooze enough for Gregg and he also found the cheese in Jamie’s cheesecake too savoury.

But the high’s definitely outwayed the tiny lows. They loved Brian’s black pudding – the fist time he’d cooked it! Sven’s consommé according to Marcus was fantastic. He said: “Quails don’t fly that high but that consommé does!” And Jamie’s lemon cake, which was bursting with technique and a number of componants blew Monica and Marcus away.

On paper it shouldn’t have worked this ‘English lemon pie, combined with American cheesecake – made with French cheese by a Scotsman!’ The winner really was separated by the smallest of discrepancies but a decision was made.

He hit a real low at chefs table but he came back fighting – Jamie, ‘a future chef of this country’ according to Marcus, is a deserving winner. The crown has gone to ‘the man who is in love with cooking.’

By Cara Pilkington

@canteencara

>>> Read more about Masterchef: The Professionals 2014 here

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