25-year-old, Nikita Pathakji won MasterChef: The Professionals 2022 after a tense final. The India-origin landed the top spot after impressing the judges with creative dishes and beating Charlie Jeffreys and Sagar Massey.
After her win, Ms Pathakji told BBC: "This is incredible and I can't put it into words. It surpasses every achievement of my life. I don't know how I'm going to top this. This is the peak, I think I've reached it!"
Derby-born Nikita took part in the competition with 31 other professional chefs and she cooked her way to the top after six weeks of increasingly demanding challenges, a BBC report said.
The team of judges included Michelin-starred Marcus Wareing, acclaimed chef Anna Haugh and seasoned MasterChef judge Gregg.
Talking about Ms Pathakji's talent, Marcus Wareing commented, "She's a chef that has grown right in front of our eyes. Her food has been sublime and she's always come up with an amazing twist."
Her winning menu had Sea Bass cured in a Citrus Dressing, Smoked Aubergine Puree, Spicy Red Pepper Puree with Pomegranate, Preserved Lemon, Parsley Oil and a side of Aubergine Crisps.
Ms Pathakji who now lives in Clapham, London, with her mum, step-dad, sister and Dexter the dog shared the news on Instagram, in her post she wrote, "Aaaaaaahhhhh!!!!!!! Can't believe what's happening! Thank you everyone for all the messages, I'm just completely overwhelmed and so incredibly grateful!!!! So happy. Thank you thank you thank you @masterchefuk."
She also talked about her time in the competition, Nikita told BBC, MasterChef is always something I've thought about, but never felt ready for. My family always wanted me to do it, especially mum. So I entered partly just to get her off my case! I decided this was the year because I'm now in a restaurant environment where I'm very comfortable and confident... but that's dangerous! It was time to push myself that much further. The Chef's Table was the most intimidating moment of the competition. Cooking for that room of people was such an immense challenge. I felt like I needed a shot at something strong before going out there to receive their feedback. Equally though, it was an amazing experience, and for it to be hosted in the hotel where I first joined this industry was utterly incredible."
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