Inside the MasterChef Kitchen

By Tristan Esse (WB 10)

Back in the cold November nights of 2023, some of you may have tuned in to watch a fellow OU attempt not to embarrass himself on national primetime TV. Competition heated, pressure on and high drama, it was more than possible!

Although, behind all the excitement was a very relaxed, tranquil and friendly atmosphere of the MasterChef ‘Spa’, as we used to call it. You would think this odd, but the experience backstage and behind all the television magic was a sea of fun, silliness and camaraderie. The most surprising part I found, as did many of my fellow competitors, was the amount of time it took to film one episode. You’d expect perhaps a few hours, maybe half a day maximum, but it actually took days to get just a few takes!

We would arrive early doors, around 6am and, I remember so clearly in the first round, I was sitting around doing nothing for a good six hours before I had an interview. No phones were allowed, we simply sat and talked to our competitors for days! As when anyone is left alone for long enough, you start to come up with very silly games and we ended up playing a weird variation of ‘Pringle tricks’ but with a coffee cup not a ball – it might easily have been the reason I didn’t make it beyond the quarter-final…! A part of me only really wanted to get further in the competition because of the people that were involved. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve come away with some great friends that I competed with, but the real stars are the casting crew who are there for you the whole time, bigging you up, shoulder to cry on and joining in with the ridiculous celebrations we would have.

There are so many little things that surprised me throughout the experience. Interestingly, when the critics taste your food in the quarterfinals, you have no idea what they think until the episode airs on TV, so you are stood there waiting for the judges to announce who is through and have absolutely nothing to go on, no inkling as to whether you have done well or not! Also, when you see the presenters John Torode and Gregg Wallace announce who is heading home, they aren’t actually talking to the group at that point – a couple of the casting crew just stand in. Probably one of the most boring things of the whole process was the ‘waiting shots’. One of the camera crew would come in and say: “Right guys, waiting shots time” and a sea of disappointment would encompass the room. We would sit in the waiting room for what honestly felt like a lifetime, in complete silence, not allowed to talk – but, as you can imagine, laughter is the first thing that happens under those circumstances and so our shots seemed to take even longer, it felt like hours.

There are many insights into life behind a television camera, but during my extremely short-lived experience, I was so surprised at how relaxed the whole situation was. The heated competitive hour you see on TV actually involves days of mindless waiting, chilled out camera crews and a lot of napping in weird places. As competitors, we were often confined to a room for hours together, left to amuse ourselves but, as I learnt at Uppingham, spending endless hours with others, makes even the most different of people great friends.

Huge credit to Tristan for entering MasterChef: The Professionals, aired on BBC One last November. He wowed the critics and judges with his dishes, getting through the quarter-finals and becoming one of the final 12 most talented chefs to go forward into the ‘Knockout Week’. He didn’t make it beyond this stage, but he did Uppingham proud and it’s clear to see he had a great experience throughout the competition.

Tristan runs his own business as a private chef. He specialises in quirky fine dining cuisine focused on produce. With years of experience in the industry, he has developed a unique style that combines interesting flavours and stunning presentation. Do get in touch with him via his website if you’re looking to elevate your dining experience at home. He is available in the UK and worldwide.

cheftristanesse.com