11th September 2013: In the end it was a former professional Track Cyclist that crossed the MasterChef Australia 2013 line in first place.
Emma Dean outscored fellow finalists Lynton Tapp and Samira El Khafir in a tension-filled finale to win the victor’s crown.
“I can’t wait to head out into the food world and make this restaurant a reality.”
Retired Cyclist Crowned MasterChef Winner
Emma Dean is a former Victoria State Champion in the U19 Team Sprint and represented Australia at the 2004 Oceania Track Cycling Championships.
Dean has already purchased a second-hand commercial kitchen and is now looking for a space she can open her restaurant with her partner, Dan.
She takes home a $100,000 cash prize, an Alfa Romeo Giulietta, a New Holland publishing book deal and the opportunity to work in the kitchens of some of Australia’s best chefs.
After an invention challenge in round one and a service challenge to run your dream restaurant in round two, fan favourite El Khafir was eliminated as Tapp and Dean moved on to the final round.
Runner-up Tapp lost out in the pressure test, but said post-show he was looking forward “to getting some hands on experience” in kitchens across his home city of Melbourne.
“I just want to learn as much as I can from the amazing chefs we’ve been exposed to on MasterChef,” he said.
Growing up on a hobby farm in Epsom, Victoria, judge Gary Mehigan said Dean’s food story “just made sense”.
“Here she was, foraging away in her garden brimming with great ingredients,” he said.
“She has the food background, loves her cooking, has a chef as a boyfriend. I thought this was serious stuff and wondered if she could keep it together.”
Content – Daily Telegraph