Mat Follas
Masterchef winner: Mat Follas
How has your life changed since winning Masterchef?
It's completely changed, I have just finished my corporate job and I am about to take a leap into the unknown by running a small restaurant. Without Masterchef I wouldn't have had the customers to do this or have found a backer. There is so much to be thankful for.
How would you describe your cooking style?
My style is about creating real, generously portioned food, with something wild to provide some unusual flavours to a meal. My main ingredient has to be British and most ingredients are locally sourced and of great quality if possible.
Which chefs do you admire?
Rick Stein - he cooks simple, fresh and local food.
What's your favourite dish?
A great steak, cooked very rare or a seafood thermidor, crab or lobster.
What would you cook to impress someone?
A wild seafood salad, using sea vegetables, sea weeds and great shellfish.
What did you cook for supper last night?
A Brill fillet cooked in a batter made with egg, flour and a packet of crisps
Do you grow your own food?
I grow a most of our herbs, but local fruit and veg is very reasonable, as long as it is in season.
Which are your must-have pieces of kitchen equipment?
My microplane grater and my Bamix mixer.
Which items do you always have in your fridge?
Butter, cheese and some cured meat.
What's the best piece of cooking advice you've been given?
Keep it simple.
What are you up to now and next?
I’ve just been at Taste of Edinburgh, serving up a typically Kiwi
breakfast with Tropicana Smoothies. You can’t beat a smoothie to start
the day!
When will you be opening your restaurant?
In two days time!
Mat Follas has created a delicious breakfast recipe for Tropicana. Visit the Tropicana World Breakfast Bar at Taste of London (18th-21st June in Regents Park) and tropicanafoodlovers.co.uk
