A food and drink festival billed as the biggest in the UK is set to return to Durdham Down in Bristol this weekend. Meanwhile, make the raw kale and grapefruit salad. Place the almonds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat and toast for 1–2 minutes, turning halfway through, until starting to turn golden. When I’m putting on a spread I like to think about balancing the five tastes (bitter, sour, salty, sweet and umami) as well as different textures, colours and temperatures across the dishes. While the Cambridge graduate appears to be doing well as she is, her ambition is to cook somewhere a little sunnier...

The now 30-year-old (29 at the time of filming) works as Head of Frozen at Mindful Chef, which delivers 'the UK's highest quality recipe boxes' from its base in Wandsworth. Niki Segnit’s The Flavour Thesaurus is a chef’s dream, and a fantastic read too. I use it all the time when considering new flavour combinations. It lives by my bed. Can you tell us about your journey into food - were you always destined to cook? At the moment, it’s probably yuzu kosho – I’m addicted to its zingy, warming and slightly fermented flavour. It’s wonderful used in a dressing to dress noodles. What makes a great comfort dish for you?My chicory, walnut & roquefort salad from Bitter : it’s a classic French combination that is so much greater than the sum of its parts, and takes no more than 15 minutes to make. In a large cast-iron pot, whisk together the IPA, olive oil, garlic and 2 tsp sea salt flakes. Add the shallots and thyme.

However, after the experiences cooking in the professional kitchens, I certainly wouldn’t rule out owning my own restaurant one day.” Read More Related Articles Tonight's result comes almost a week late as the final of the series was postponed due to Prince Philip's death, leaving millions of MasterChef fans in suspense. Tom was up against fellow finalists Mike Tomkins, 27, and Alexina Anatole, 30, in the BBC cooking competition.

Do you have what it takes to be crowned the next MasterChef champion?

Who’s the author? Alexina Anatole started her career on a trading floor in the City of London but had always been obsessed with food. In her late 20s – after years of watching the show – she decided to enter MasterChef, reaching the final in 2021. The competition, in which she came runner-up, led her to realise that she had a talent for cooking but, more importantly, helped her to better understand what it is that gives food flavour and meaning, and how our individual palates mean that we experience flavour and taste in different ways. Bitter is her first cookbook, but with more to follow (the second, Sweet, will be published in 2025), she is building an impressive career around her true passion: food. In 2020, mid pandemic, I submitted an application for MasterChef — a decision that led me all the way to the final. It was an exhilarating experience and helped me to better understand my philosophy on food, and the dimensions that give food meaning and flavour (read more about what I mean by this here). It was phenomenal value too – it’s always so exciting to “discover” places before they get really well known! How do you balance tradition and innovation in your cooking? This is what it all boils down to. It’s the reason I cook and write about flavour, the reason I eat out, the reason I read cookbooks in bed, the reason that I travel. And, of course, it’s what led me to apply to MasterChef.