Who won MasterChef 2021 and where do they stand now?

FORTY competitors have been reduced to just three for the MasterChef 2021 finals.

But there could only be one winner, and judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace had a tough decision to make

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Who won MasterChef 2021?

The three talented finalists in the series were Mike Tomkins, Alexina Anatole and Tom Rhodes.

But after an epic final performance, it was Tom who was crowned champion, to the delight of fans who had to wait a few days to see the series wrap up after the show was delayed due to the death of Prince Philip.

The Newcastle-based high-street chain restaurant manager stunned the judges with his three-course meal.

He started with a trio of oysters – a raw oyster with apple, cucumber and sake granite; a beer-battered oyster with umeboshi mayonnaise; and a grilled oyster with miso and seaweed butter, topped with panko crumbs and oyster leaf.

For mains, Tom served up reverse seared rib eye steak topped with kombu pickled beets, baked beets in beef lard, wasabi buttermilk and a watercress puree, served with sake and bone marrow sauce.

And the dessert featured his take on a lemon tart.

Tom admitted: “I’m totally obsessed with cooking, I’m the kind of person who spends three, four, five hours preparing dinner – most of the time just for myself because I live alone.”

Following his win, Tom said, “Being this year’s MasterChef champion after seeing and admiring so many past champions seems like a dream come true.

“I’m grateful to have met, known and cooked with some of the most wonderful and talented people, and made friends for life in them.”

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What does the winner of MasterChef 2021 get?

The winner gets the chance to lift and keep the coveted MasterChef trophy.

However, it is the recognition, prestige and notoriety that is the main appeal of winning the show.

Many winners have used the competition as a springboard to launching highly successful cooking careers.

According to the show’s website: “MasterChef embarks on a quest to find Britain’s best amateur chef

“A chef whose talent and passion could change her life.

“It’s a life-changing journey for many, but only one will be crowned the nation’s master chef.”

Where is Tom Rhodes now?

In June 2021, Rhodes confirmed he was still working at Nandos, having become the BBC show’s youngest champion in April.

As of March 2022, he has over 18,000 followers on Instagram, where he posts all his latest dishes.

His Instagram bio includes the link to his website where you can find all the recipes for his dishes, events he attends and private cooking classes.

Find the username @rhodeskitchen for his Instagram and click the link for his website here.