Who is chef Clara Lim on MasterChef: The Professionals 2026?
MasterChef: The Professionals 2026 continues on BBC One this week, and sous chef Clara Lim is one of the six chefs fighting for a place in the next round in the second heat.
The 32-year-old, who grew up in Singapore and now lives in Dulwich, south London, faces Ben Black, Filomena "Philly" D'Uva, Gregory Schaad-Jackson, Ibraheem "Ibz" Umar and Morteza Nouri in the second group of this year's MasterChef: The Professionals 2026 series, which features 24 chefs competing in groups of six.
Age at start of filming
32
Job role
Sous chef
Chef background
Clara trained at The French Culinary Institute in New York, and names Plant Food + Wine in Los Angeles as the most memorable place she has worked.
She is now sous chef at Rambutan, a Sri Lankan restaurant in London Bridge.
On her career highlights so far, she said: "Cooking on an island in Zambia surrounded by hippos and other wildlife."
Who or what inspired you to become a chef?
"I fell into cooking by accident; I didn't really have an interest in food until I had to cook for myself at college and started watching cooking videos online.
"I initially wanted to be an audio engineer for musicals and did manage to work as one for a couple of years. But thanks to my neurodivergence, I found a fixation in cooking and never really looked back."
How would you describe your style of cooking and influences on it?
"It is vegetable-focused, seasonal cooking. Inspired by flavours and techniques of the countries that I've lived in, and the different restaurants I've worked at throughout the years."
Three ingredients you can't live without?
"Mushrooms, oat milk, tofu."
What do you eat when you get back from service?
"A cup of warm oat milk or cereal, or a can of Appletiser."
Why did you want to take part in MasterChef: The Professionals?
"I took a risk and applied, never thinking it would go anywhere.
"I wanted to push myself and engage in something new and challenging, and explore what my individual cooking style could look like, simultaneously getting the chance to meet other chefs and learn from them."
Outside of cooking, what are your passions?
Clara kept it short and sweet: "Tattoos, musicals, hippos, country music."
>>> Read more: MasterChef: The Professionals series 19: start date, judges and the full chef lineup
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Who is chef Clara Lim on MasterChef: The Professionals 2026?
