7. FIRST UP WAS MICHEL
ROUX JR, FROM LONDON’S
LE GAVROCHE. MICHEL IS
A MICHELIN-STARRED
FRENCH CHEF AND CO-
PRESENTS MASTERCHEF
THE PROFESSIONALS.
I LIKE HIM BECAUSE HE’S
SO PASSIONATE ABOUT
CLASSIC FRENCH CUISINE.
AT MASTERCHEF LIVE HE
COOKED A LE GAVROCHE
FAVOURITE: OMELETTE
SOUFFLE ROTHSCHILD.
12. NEXT ON STAGE WAS RICK
STEIN, ONE OF MY
FAVOURITE CHEFS, NOT
JUST BECAUSE HE’S
PASSIONATE ABOUT FOOD
(AND FOOD PRODUCERS),
BUT BECAUSE HE ALSO
MAKES HUGELY
ENTERTAINING TV
PROGRAMMES.
ALTHOUGH HIS SEAFOOD
RESTAURANTS ARE IN THE
CORNISH SEASIDE TOWN
OF PADSTOW, RICK IS
ALSO A FOOD
AMBASSADOR FOR
MALAYSIA, SO HE COOKED
A MALAYSIAN LAKSA AT
MASTERCHEF LIVE.
18. THESE GIRLS WERE
PROMOTING CRABBIE’S,
AN OLD-FASHIONED
GINGER BEER. THE
COMPANY DATES BACK TO
1801 AND IS FROM
SCOTLAND.
I’VE NEVER BEEN A BIG
FAN OF GINGER (SO I’VE
NEVER TRIED CRABBIE’S
MYSELF) BUT I THOUGHT
THEY HAD ONE OF THE
BEST LOOKING STANDS AT
THE SHOW. THE GIRLS
WEREN’T TOO SHABBY
EITHER!
23. BEETROOT IS SOMETHING
ELSE I’VE NEVER BEEN
THAT KEEN ON, BUT RIGHT
NOW, I KNOW THERE’S A
LOT OF INTEREST IN THE
BENEFITS OF BEETROOT
JUICE. BEET IT IS A
CONCENTRATED
BEETROOT SHOT FROM
JAMES WHITE.
IT TASTES - NOT
SUPRISINGLY - OF
BEETROOT. BUT DON’T
DRINK TOO MUCH OR IT’LL
TURN YOUR URINE PINK!
BY THE WAY, JAMES
WHITE’S RUSSETT APPLE
JUICE IS ABSOLUTELY
DELICIOUS!
27. THERE ARE SO MANY
UNUSUALLY FLAVOURED
DRINKS THESE DAYS THAT
IT’S HARD TO COME
ACROSS ONE THAT’S NOT
JUST DIFFERENT, BUT
PLAIN WEIRD.
TODKA, IS A TOFFEE
FLAVOURED VODKA
WHICH COMES FROM
CORNWALL - NOT FAR
FROM RICK STEIN’S
PADSTOW. IT’S AIMED AT
THE YOUNG SURFING
CROWD, HENCE THE
WETSUIT!
30. AS SOON AS I SAW THEIR
STAND, I WAS DRAWN TO
NOUGALICIOUS. I BRIEFLY
LIVED IN THE SOUTH OF
FRANCE WHERE NOUGAT
COMES FROM AND LOVED
THE ARTISAN LOOK OF
THEIR PRODUCT.
IT TURNED OUT THEY ARE
FROM AVIGNON, A PLACE I
KNOW VERY WELL. THEIR
NOUGAT COMES IN A
MULTITUDE OF FLAVOURS
AND TASTES AS GOOD AS
IT LOOKS!
36. JUST A QUICK PLUG FOR
THESE BRILLIANT NEW
SAUSAGES MADE BY
DEBBIE & ANDREW.
I WAS ORIGINALLY
DRAWN TO THEM BY THE
GREAT PACKAGING - LOVE
THE USE OF THE WELLIES -
BUT THE BANGERS WERE
EVERY BIT AS TASTY!
38. I LOVE MY OLIVE OIL AND I
REALLY LOVED THE
DISPLAY PUT ON BY LA
BANDIERA FROM
TUSCANY, WHERE SOME
OF THE BEST OIL COMES
FROM.
UNLIKE MANY OLIVE OIL
PRODUCERS, WHAT I LIKE
ABOUT LA BANDIERA IS
THEY ONLY MAKE EXTRA
VIRGIN OIL AND THEIR
PASSION FOR THEIR
PRODUCT WAS CLEAR TO
SEE. AND YES IT TASTES
WONDERFUL, TOO!
43. I THINK IT’S GREAT TO SEE
PRODUCERS WHO
SPECIALISE IN A SINGLE
PRODUCT AND DO IT
BRILLIANTLY. THE GARLIC
FARM, FROM THE ISLE OF
WIGHT, REALLY KNOW
THEIR ONIONS WHEN IT
COMES TO GARLIC!
I’VE NEVER SEEN SO
MANY VARIETIES:
DIFFERENT SHAPES AND
DIFFERENT COLOURS.
SUCH A SHAME THAT
MOST PEOPLE STILL JUST
BUY ‘GARLIC’ FROM THE
SUPERMARKET.
48. THE WONDERFUL COLOUR
OF THEIR BOTTLES FIRST
DREW ME TO THEIR
STAND, BUT THE NOTION
OF RAPESEED OIL, PUT ME
OFF. I ALWAYS
CONSIDERED IT A POOR
MAN’S OLIVE OIL. AND
THEN I TASTED IT...
INFUSED WITH BASIL,
GARLIC AND LEMON, THE
FLAVOURS WERE
AMAZING. COTSWOLD
GOLD IS A YOUNG
COMPANY, BUT I THINK
THEY’VE STRUCK GOLD
WITH THIS STUFF!
53. CAN YOUR CHOICE OF
FLOUR REALLY MAKE
YOUR BAKING THAT MUCH
BETTER? THAT QUESTION
WAS ANSWERED WHEN I
FIRST USED WESSEX
MILL’S FLOUR AND MY
PIZZA DOUGH SUDDENLY
DEVELOPED ‘TASTE’
I LOVE SMALL SPECIALIST
PRODUCERS, AND PAUL
MUNSEY IS A FOURTH
GENERATION MILLER. IF
YOU’RE SERIOUS ABOUT
BAKING, YOU NEED TO
SEARCH OUT HIS FLOUR:
IT’S THE FINEST YOU’LL
FIND.
56. I LIKE MY FOOD A LITTLE
SPICY, BUT I RARELY
VENTURE ABOVE ‘MILD’.
THERE’S A GROWING
TREND TOWARDS FIERY
FOODS AND I LOVED THIS
GUY WHO WAS GIVING
TOOTHPICK TASTINGS OF
HIS HOT SAUCES.
WHAT HE DIDN’T TELL
PEOPLE WAS THE HEAT OF
‘DA BOMB’ ONLY REALLY
KICKS IN AFTER TEN
MINUTES. AT 234,000
SCOVILLE UNITS, IT’S
HOTTER THAN HELL. NO
WONDER HE WAS
LAUGHING!
59. AT THE HEART OF
MASTERCHEF LIVE WAS
THE INVENTION TEST,
WHERE CONTESTANTS
WERE GIVEN A SELECTION
OF INGREDIENTS AND
HALF AN HOUR TO COOK
UP SOMETHING SPECIAL.
HOSTED BY CELEBRITY
MASTERCHEF RUNNER UP,
ANDI PETERS, THE THREE
BEST PLATES OF FOOD
WERE CHOSEN BY THE
THREE FINALISTS FROM
MASTERCHEF THE
PROFESSIONALS, BEFORE
BEING JUDGED BY
MASTERCHEF HOSTS,
JOHN TORODE AND GREGG
WALLACE.
