Co Derry woman Kerry Kane from is to take part in the new series of Masterchef
Kerry Kane from Portstewart is one of 40 amateur cooks hoping to impress judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace on the BBC show which has returned to TV screens this month.
Over six weeks, the contestants will be put through their paces in the ultimate test of their culinary prowess as they bid to be crowned MasterChef Champion 2021.
Ms Kane will be one of five contestants in each heat who will have to cook not only for a place in the competition, but also for the right to wear a coveted MasterChef apron.
The hopefuls get their first chance to win an apron by cooking their signature dish – something that tells the judges about who they are as a cook and how good they can become.
After tasting all five plates, Torode and Wallace pick their two favourite dishes and those cooks will earn themselves a MasterChef apron and a place in the next round.
Speaking ahead of tonight’s episode, Kerry described how it has been a “brilliant, most amazing experience of my life”.
“I feel so lucky,” she said.
The mother-of-one spoke about how she has enjoyed cooking from an early age.
“My father was a professor at Coleraine University, so we travelled a lot which meant I was eating a lot of different things from an early age,” she said.
“I remember trying blue cheese when I was six, so I had a wide palate from a young age.
“I also liked to experiment with food, I wanted to make it or recreate it.”
A former set designer for UTV, Ms Kane also worked in the bridal industry and is well-known in local amateur dramatic circles and currently the musical theatre director for the Portrush Music Society.
She said that during the coronavirus pandemic she “realised life is too short” and she should pursue her cooking ambition and face the ultimate test of culinary prowess.
“I have been a massive fan of Masterchef for years, I’ve always loved it,” she said.
“There was an online application, which is quite a long process and interviews as well, which due to the situation this year were done by zoom. Even to get through the application process was massive.
“When I found out I was in the final 40, to get to that stage was amazing – I was so shocked, I couldn’t believe it, I walked around in a daze.”
Tonight she will create her signature dish – something that tells the judges about who she is a cook and how good she can become.
While she could not reveal what she was cooking ahead of the show, she said it contains many items of produce from the North of Ireland.
“I spent about two months experimenting and developing my first signature dish,” she said.
“I think it really says something about Northern Ireland – I was able to source locally and the produce in this area inspired me for the dish.
“I really enjoyed developing it and I hope I do it justice.”
In a post on Twitter, Dominican College Portstewart wrote of its pride that a former pupil was to appear on the programme and urged people to “watch her journey”.
“Good luck to Kerry Dunn, a past Dominican pupil and current parent who recently fulfilled a lifetime dream by appearing on Masterchef,” the school said.
“Good luck Kerry from all in DCP.”
Masterchef is on BBC One tonight at 8 pm.
Tags: