Gregory Schaad-Jackson for MasterChef: The Professionals series 19 Heat 2 / © BBC/Shine TV Ltd
Age: 47
Lives: Woking
Current Position: Virtual Cooking Experience Host and Mobile Caterer
Social Media:Instagram
Where do you currently work?
“I work independently as a chef, food educator and entrepreneur, creating private and corporate food experiences, while developing my Cooking Smarter Not Harder programme and working on my first cookbook.”
Who or what inspired you to become a chef?
“My parents were my earliest inspiration, particularly my mother. I remember her cooking incredible feasts and filling our home with people. When we later moved to the UK, she turned that natural talent for food and entertaining into her own catering company.
“She taught me how to cook from the heart and how food can bring people together. She was also responsible for my early love of making desserts.
“My father was an engineer, like I eventually became, but he was also a real foodie who loved to cook. Sadly, I lost him to cancer when I was very young, but his curiosity about food — and perhaps his engineer’s curiosity about how things work — definitely lives on in me.”
How would you describe your cooking style?
“Global food with a Central European soul. I’m fascinated by the food of the places I’ve lived in and travelled through, so my cooking happily jumps continents. I particularly love the freshness, heat and explosive flavours of South American and Asian food, but my European heritage is always there somewhere in the background.
“These days I’m less interested in formality and more interested in taking those techniques and applying them intelligently to vibrant, accessible food.”
What are three ingredients you couldn’t live without?
“Himalayan pink salt, lemons, butter.”
Why did you take part in the show?
“I love cooking and I love sharing that enthusiasm with other people, so I wanted to challenge myself on one of the biggest stages in professional cooking.
“More importantly, I want to inspire people to get back into their kitchens. I believe you can cook food at home that is fast, healthy and absolutely packed with flavour.
“If being part of MasterChef encourages even a few more people to cook, experiment and enjoy feeding themselves and the people they love, then that means something to me.”
The new series of MasterChef: The Professionals is ongoing on BBC One and iPlayer.
