Haltwhistle chef Daniel Graham in final three of MasterChef

Oct 19 2009 by Katy Simpson, The Journal

He left the job after the filming of MasterChef to live in London, where he is working for an agency and enjoying a taste of life in some of the capital’s best Michelin-starred restaurants. But Daniel said he dreams of returning to the North East and setting up his own restaurant on Newcastle’s Quayside.

He said: “Obviously the show has opened up a few doors for me. It’s given me the opportunity to pick and choose which restaurants I work in.

“I really want to get some Michelin star experience in London. But I love Newcastle to bits, and my plan is to eventually move back.

“I would really like to open my own restaurant and try and introduce Michelin-star cooking to the North East.

“We have got some fantastic restaurants in Newcastle, and we have Seaham Hall which has a Michelin star, but there is nowhere in Newcastle itself where you can eat and think ‘this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience’.

“I think a Michelin-starred restaurant on the Quayside could change the way people think about food.”

Daniel was tight-lipped about how he fares in the final week of the show, which comes to a close on Thursday when the final three chefs face the toughest challenge of their career.

In Browns Hotel in the heart of Mayfair the finalists must prepare a Michelin standard course each for more than 30 world-renowned and critically acclaimed chefs, including Michel’s father, Albert Roux.

A BBC spokeswoman said: “After six weeks of cooking at the highest level, the final three have shown they have the talent, precision and focus to stand out in their industry.

“The chefs must impress Michel and Gregg one last time when they must cook the best most sublime three-course meal of their career in just two hours.

“Everything comes down to the last challenge, the final cook off, when afterwards only one chef can be crowned MasterChef: The Professionals champion 2009.”

:: MasterChef: The Professionals is on BBC2 tonight at 8.30pm.