Who would ever say they’ve never been hooked on watching cooking shows for even once in their lifetime? It’s difficult to say never because these shows are truly interesting and could sometimes be exciting to watch.
These chefs we see sometimes inspire us to do the cooking, too, because they make complicated recipes look easy to make, which is only one of the perks of becoming a chef.
They come in handy for that easy breakfast-on-the-go you want to make every morning or that steak you want to prepare as the main course for your family dinner. Although some of them are amateur, they offer the solution to our kitchen woes because they show relatable content.
They give demonstrations and tips on how to cook better-tasting food in no time without the expensive taste and tedious process high-end chefs are known for. Here is a list of the best of these amateur chefs:
Tony Rodd
He became a professional chef only after joining MasterChef UK in 2015 where he became a finalist. He didn’t intend to join the TV show and was only egged on by his friends to give it a try. He never really planned to change jobs or lifestyle but his exposure from the show opened a lot of offers which made him change his mind.
He usually works with the best seasonal produce and works on it extensively the whole time. Making all courses is something he enjoys but mainly prefers cooking with meat as he loves butchery and seeing how the body works. He is famous for his desserts, particularly his caramel frappuccino though it is a common drink. It is the most requested dish from him and he describes his desserts as playful and would involve a lot of chocolate.
To make his signature drink, he adds a mousse filled chocolate tube, biscotti, a crumb, an ice cream, gel, chantilly and topped with sugar work. It really is an exciting dessert to make. He is currently running a private catering business where he makes specialty dishes for his clients.
Pippa Middlehurst
Some amateur chefs are working a totally different profession before concentrating on being a chef. Pippa Middlehurst was an Oncology (study and treatment or tumors in cancer) research biobank technician before she joined Britain’s Best Home Cook. She did not have any background working in the kitchen and learned everything she knew from her grandmother.
She has taken a liking to Asian food because of her childhood experiences and mostly cooks Chinese dishes. She maintains a cookery blog while working as an assistant. It’s not uncommon to maintain this kind of lifestyle of being a chef on the side.
There are a lot of chefs who had a different career before entering the kitchen. Food enthusiasts often do this outside of their work before pursuing it full time.
Mark Stinchcombe
The winner of MasterChef 2015, Mark Stinchcombe took an interest in cooking because of the enthusiasm of his Home Economics teacher. During his interview with AmateurChef UK, a food blog by a food enthusiast who considers himself an amateur chef, he shared that he gets inspiration from eating out regularly and reading books.
He loves to cook with Jerusalem artichokes because of its versatility and his signature dish is a braised prime cut beef dish with a rich flavor from the charcoal emulsion. They own a farm that regularly supplies their meat directly. He, together with his wife, runs the menus at Eckington Manor which was forced to open even on Sundays due to the high demand he got after his stint at MasterChef.
The show helped them showcase their food to the world to promote their restaurant. To young or aspiring chefs, he recommends a lot of eating out and reading cookbooks to develop your own style of cooking and palate.
Matt Tebbutt
Matt considers himself to be an ”honorary Welshman”. He was born in High Wycombe and moved to Wales eventually. He was a member of the university air squadron of Oxford Brookes University where he also studied Geography. He decided to be a chef when he declined to join the RAF. His passion for good food was due to the experiences he had traveling with his family in France and in Italy.
He did time in different restaurants before opening up his own in Wales. One of his best dishes is the Fried Chicken with Macaroni cheese. It starts with marinated chicken for 8 hours then coated in a seasoning mixture before being deep-fried. The Macaroni cheese is mainly made of Gruyere and Parmesan cheese and is enriched with chicken stock, double cream, béchamel sauce Dijon mustard and thyme leaves. After cooking, it is served alongside the fried chicken. This is a refreshing combination of two classics that people enjoy.
Andi Oliver
Andi Oliver is a chef amongst other professions. She is also a food presenter, businesswoman, television, and radio broadcaster, and she even had her own band. A truly versatile woman, she started her obsession with food at a young age and has thrown dinner parties since she was 12.
She has been a judge on the TV series Great British Menu. She has a simple dish called Slow-cooked five-spice pork belly with three-cheese Polenta. The Polenta is cooked using chicken stock, quick-cook cornmeal, the 3 cheese: cheddar cheese, blue cheese and Emmental, and unsalted butter. The five spices are bay leaves, cloves, anise, cinnamon, and coriander.
These are then rubbed to the pork belly and roasted in the oven. The Polenta is served along with braised fennel and topped with the roasted pork. This is truly a great recipe for dinner with your family and friends.
Follow Your Passion and Be Inspired
There is a lot of inspiration that these chefs can give because of their skills and talent in the kitchen. This only proves one thing: you can pursue this career no matter how old you are or how different your current job is at the moment.
Being an amateur is a profession not pursued but learned from passion and experience. If you love good food, there is hope that you can also make one.