Crete’s Irini Tzortzoglou Crowned MasterChef 2019

Retired banker Irini Tzortzoglou has won this year’s MasterChef to become the fifteenth amateur to win the title. The 61 year old investment banker told BBC News, she has no intention of opening her own restaurant.

Tzortzoglou, who hails from Crete, edged out finalists Jilly McCord, 42, and Delia Maria Asser, 28, on Friday. Judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace awarded her the coveted award after seven grueling weeks of culinary challenges and a close final cook-off.

Tzortzoglou’s winning menu was inspired by her childhood on Crete, according to the talented chef. The menu she prepared for the judges consisted of red mullet with squid risotto and confit tomatoes to start; griddled rosemary lamb chops with trahanas puree for the main course. The MasterChef punctuated the dishes with a fig and hazelnut baklava for dessert. The new MasterChef Tweeted to her fans:

Missed the #chocolate!!! pic.twitter.com/NVZiE1gtNv

— Irini Tzortzoglou (@irinitzo) April 1, 2019

The Cretan chef fought her way to the title by besting 54 amateur cooks in a demanding test of fine culinary creativity and skill. The test was made all the more meaningful when Irini cooked a fine dining tasting menu for some of the team who took part in the Transglobe Expedition – the first and only longitude circumnavigation of the world. The event celebrated the 40th anniversary, and diners included expedition leader, and the world’s greatest living explorer, Sir Ranulph Fiennes.