Who is chef Charith Mallawa, MasterChef: The Professionals 2021 semi-finalist?

Introducing Charith Mallawa, one of 32 chefs taking part in MasterChef: The Professionals 2021, airing on BBC One every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 9pm.

Sri-Lanka born chef Charith impressed judges Marcus Wareing, Monica Galetti and Gregg Wallace in both his skills test and with his signature dish, allowing him to progress to the quarter-finals.

There, Charith presented two dishes to three food critics William Sitwell, Grace Dent and Tom Parker-Bowles, and, in an exceptional turn an events, became one of three chefs - alongside Jamie Holme and Aaron Middleton - to secure a spot in the semi-finals.

34 year-old Charith worked as the head chef at Paradise in Soho, a Sri-Lankan restaurant now headed by MasterChef: The Professionals 2019 semi-finalist, Malin De Silva. When he left Paradise, he took on a role as senior-sous at Kolamba. He now works as a sous-chef at the Royal Automobile Club, a social club in Epsom.

His main course set the tone in the signature round - consisting of yellow curry cod with Ceylon tea pickled radishes and an nduja-stuffed roti which went down a treat with the judges. For his dessert, he made Watalappan, a Sri Lankan dish similar to crème brûlée, made with coconut milk, jaggery and eggs.

Charith's dishes impressed the judges, allowing him through to cook for the critics in the quarter-finals - who were also on board with Charith's modern take on Sri-Lankan fusion food - and then to the semi-finals, starting on Tuesday 7th December at 9pm.

Instagram: @sri.charith