A CHEF based in Scotland is on the cusp of reaching the MasterChef: The Professionals final this week as the final stages of the competition begin to air.
Gleneagles sous chef Liam Rogers entered the professional MasterChef kitchen last month and has done nothing short of stunning elite judges Gregg Wallace, Monica Galetti and Marcus Wareing with his home inspired classical dishes.
On his journey he has impressed at nearly every turn and is looking to continue his fine run of form to reach the finals and maybe even win the 2021 Professional MasterChef title.
When he started, Liam only had the ambition of reaching the semi-final and any further would just be an added bonus.
Well, on Tuesday evening his talents, and a delightful looking poached lobster tail dish, ensured his progression into the second and final stage of the semis which will air Thursday at 9pm.
However, now that he has surpassed his expectations, Liam wants to keep the momentum going and aim even higher. After four weeks only the best remain in the competition and speaking to The Herald, the young chef said it would be ‘indescribable’ to win the elite title.
He said: “At the beginning, I set myself a goal in my head that I wanted to get to the semi-finals, but now that I am here, I just want more.
“I always want more, and I want to progress through to finals week.
“Winning this competition would mean the world to me obviously, and it would make all the late nights, missed weddings, and hard work worth it.
“It would be indescribable, especially with how intense the process has been, but we’ll have to wait and see.”
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Originally from Stockton Heath, Liam came to Scotland to work at two Michelin star Restaurant Andrew Fairlie in 2015. There, he plied his trade for three and a half years working under the late great chef who he described as ‘just incredible’.
The 25-year-old is classically trained and followed in his father’s footsteps of becoming a chef, and he takes a lot of his childhood memories and uses them in his cooking.
Thanks to fishing with his uncle for mackerel at a young age, and then drinking and eating on the west coast of Scotland with him when he was older, Liam’s love for seafood is part of the reason cooking north of the border agreed with him so much.
He said: “The experience I had working under Andrew was second to none. It was the perfect place to properly start my career.
To work in a business and kitchen which is run in the way that it is was incredible, and it is something that will always stay with me.”
“Chef Andrew’s style was very classically based and being trained that way myself and going straight to work for him in a two Michelin star establishment, he has had a big influence on my cooking.
“My favourite Scottish dish is Langoustines, and my uncle and I would always go to a pub on the west coast of Scotland and order a big platter of them with mayonnaise and skinny fries.”
The younger chef’s journey over the last four weeks has caught the eyes of Britain’s viewers, and his appearance on the BBC programme has undoubtedly demonstrated his ability to cook at the highest level.
However, Liam is known for his focus in the MasterChef Kitchen and rarely cracks a smile due to his concentration, but he did assure viewers that he was having fun despite the serious persona he gives off on screen.
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Now that the final stage of the competition is close to an end, regardless of any result, the experience has opened doors. Before that though, the poker-faced Sous-Chef is back in Scotland and cooking in Gleneagles over the festive period.
Liam added: “It’s an exciting time, I’ve come back to be a Sous-Chef here over Christmas, but because reaching the semi-finals of MasterChef has given me so much exposure, I’ll be venturing out and doing a little bit of my own stuff next year and try to show off my own cooking for people.
“I can’t wait to make the most of it, because I’ve never had this luxury.”
You can watch Liam’s attempt to reach MasterChef: The Professionals final on Thursday at 9pm on BBC One.
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