Review: MasterChef: The Professionals, BBC2

11:35am Tuesday 26th August 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

A SPIN-OFF too far or just the programme we’ve been waiting for?

It’s probably too early to make a definitive judgement on MasterChef: The Professionals which began on BBC2 last night.

The idea is to take the format of the hugely successful Masterchef and add a twist — in this case young chefs who supposedly know what they are doing.

We’ve also got ourselves a new judge for this series. The heavyweight Michael Roux Jr has replaced John Torode but the good news is that Gregg ‘puddings’ Wallace is still there cramming in the forkfuls.

I think most viewers who have watched the general public and celebrities try their best to produce “a decent plate of food” will be delighted to see that even those who have been properly trained and therefore should know their way around a hotplate still struggle with the MasterChef concept.

Of course the expectations are higher but it is strangely reassuring to see some fo them make such a hash of it.

The only problem with the new series so far is that if anything it’s perhaps too foodie.

The young chefs are being challenged to come up with high end dining so we’re bombarded with coulis, jus and the composition of chocolate mousse.

Can’t we just have a go at beans on toast for once?