Greek amateur cook Irini Tzortzoglou has won this year’s MasterChef UK, as the 61-year-old, who was born and raised in Crete, was crowned best chef in the first all-female final series.
For the final three-course challenge, Irini cooked a Greek-influenced meal, which featured red mullet with a squid risotto, griddled rosemary lamb chops, and a fig and hazelnut baklava.
Irini, who took inspiration from her Greek childhood, grew up in Crete and now lives in Cartmel, Cumbria and was one of 56 who made it through to this year’s series, competing for the MasterChef UK trophy.
Throughout the series, Irini impressed the judges with her culinary skills and amazing dishes, which included her creative take on Bangers and Mash and her mouthwatering fish and chips.
The talented Greek cook told reporters she was over the moon to have been in the show’s first all-female final and said she wished she could have shared her trophy with the other two ladies.
“We were all doing our own thing, but actually we were in unison. So my instinctive reaction was, ‘Can I share it? Can I share it with my friends? We are just lucky we are three women who love and respect each other and have grown to be very fond of each other’s talents.”
When asked what she would like to do next, Irini said, “I want to spend more time with my mum and I would love to go around Greece and do some research, maybe even make a programme, if I’m lucky.”
Source: greekcitytimes.com