Final five - MasterChef: The Professionals 2015 Mark Stinchcombe
Tonight is the final of MasterChef: The Professionals 2015. Let's meet Mark Stinchcombe hoping to impress Michelin-starred Marcus Wareing and Monica Galetti to be in with a chance of taking this year's title.
Region: Eckington, Worcestershire (Originally from Bath)
Age: 28 (27 at time of filming)
Profession: Head Chef
Personal: Married to Sue
Cooking Background: “I first became interested in cooking at school, where I had an amazing home ec teacher called Mrs May. I then went on to do work experience in a hotel in Bath. My uncle was a great cook, and bought me my first set of knives.
“I trained at Ston Easton Park just outside of Bath, and then moved to the wonderful Driftwood Hotel in Cornwall under Chris Eden, who is such a talented chef. I later moved to Eckington Manor, where I am now head chef.
Cooking Influences:
“I think Hywel Jones at Lucknam Park was a huge influence on my career, as he really showcases fine dining and precision. I love everything about cooking, from pastry, to starters and mains, but I also like the theatre that goes with the dining experience.
On MasterChef: The Professionals: “I decided to enter the competition in order to push myself outside the comfort zone of being behind the stove and to showcase my food.
“It is such an honour to get to Final Week. There have been some amazing chefs throughout the competition, so I’m over the moon, and excited to see what’s coming up next!
>>> Read: Mark and Sue Stinchcombe, Eckington Manor, Cotswolds
“I think the most challenging part of the competition for me was the Critics round, as trying to get eight plates of food out in an hour and 15 minutes, just from the ingredients on your bench, was so tough. There was just so much to do!
Cooking ambitions: “My ambition is to run a highly acclaimed restaurant in Britain, and to one day have a Michelin star, but I think the most important thing is to have happy customers, and to be happy in the way I cook.”
“Firstly though, Sue and I got married in October and after the crazy year we’ve had we are taking a break and going on honeymoon!”
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