MasterChef finalists are flavour of the month
Dec 10 2010 by Katharine Capocci, The Journal
MasterChef finalists John Calton and Dave Coulson got so near yet so far in the hot culinary show. Katharine Capocci catches up with the North East pair.
NORTH East chefs John Calton and Dave Coulson are currently flavour of the month after making it to the finals of the hottest culinary show, BBC MasterChef: The Professionals.
The finalists famously turned up the heat under the watchful beady eyes of judges, double Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux Jr and ingredients expert Gregg Wallace, as they were pushed to their culinary limits.
Although they made it to the final three in the show, which aired last month, they were pipped to the post by Liverpool chef Claire Lara, the first female winner of the prestigious competition.
The finalists faced a series of gripping challenges including cooking the signature pastries belonging to the godfather of modern patisserie and the macaroon king, Pierre Hermes; travelling to Denmark and taking control of a lunch service at the world-famous Noma restaurant and preparing a Michelin-standard course each for over 30 world-renowned and critically acclaimed Michelin-starred chefs, inspectors and restaurateurs, at the glamorous Pearl in London.
The final task was to prepare a three-course meal for Michel Roux Jr and Gregg Wallace.
But for John and Dave – far from being deterred by getting so near, yet so far –appearing on the show has helped advance both their careers.
While John has ambitious plans to make his mark in the region, fellow contestant Dave is preparing to move to London to take up his post as chef de partie at Michel Roux’s lauded two Michelin-starred Le Gavroche in London.
I caught up with the pair, off-duty and away from the kitchens, at a chilli jam competition at Jesmond Dene House recently.
John, 29, is sporting a trendy flat cap and polo shirt, while bearded Dave, who earned the moniker ‘Shaky Dave’ for his attacks of nerves on the show, is dressed in a checked shirt.
Something of a busman’s holiday for the pair, they had sportingly submitted their jammy entries, two of 43 in the chilli challenge, a charity fundraiser with proceeds going to St Oswald’s Hospice. John is head chef at the Duke of Wellington Inn at Newton, near Stocksfield, in Northumberland while Dave is head chef at the Castle Eden Inn in the village of Castle Eden in County Durham.
Pages 2 and 3: Interviews with John Calton and Dave Coulson
