A Thai woman who acquired her cooking skills by cooking on an open fire in rural Chiang Mai has emerged as the winner of the biggest cooking competition on British TV, MasterChef. Chariya Khattiyot, aged 40, dedicated her victory to her late grandfather, who single-handedly raised her and taught her how to cook. Overwhelmed with joy, she expressed her gratitude and stated that this achievement meant the world to her. Chariya emphasized the importance of pursuing dreams, working hard, and never giving up, just as her grandfather had taught her.
Chariya prevailed over 44 other participants, including the finalists Anurag Aggarwal and Omar Foster, during the eight-week contest aired on BBC One. Her winning menu in the final included a Thai lotus tuille filled with coconut jelly, fried king prawns, and pomelo salad as an appetizer. For the main course, she presented a traditional northern Thai khantoke sharing platter featuring wagyu sirloin steak in Hung Lay curry sauce, minced lamb in spicy tomato and shrimp paste, jackfruit and scallop salad, sticky rice, and scallop crisp crackers. Her dessert was a unique interpretation of strawberries and cream, comprising a strawberry jelly and vanilla cremeux ring filled with macerated strawberries in strawberry liqueur, pistachio sponge, strawberry shards, and a strawberry and Thai basil sauce.
Born and raised in Chiang Mai, Chariya later moved to Japan at the age of 22 to study Japanese. It was there that she met her British boyfriend, Adam, and eventually relocated to the UK. They now reside in Basingstoke, Hampshire. Prior to settling in the UK, Chariya spent seven years as a district manager for a coffee shop chain. In 2016, she established her own coffee roasting company and became a master coffee roaster. Chariya is passionate about introducing northern Thai cuisine to the UK, using locally sourced ingredients. She intends to open multiple restaurants in the future.
MasterChef judge John Torode commended Chariya’s food, describing it as sincere, exciting, and exceptionally beautiful. He praised her ability to combine Thai flavors with innovative and skillful techniques throughout the competition. Gregg Wallace, another judge on the show, hailed Chariya as one of the most memorable contestants in MasterChef history. He marveled at the exquisite artistry and creativity she displayed in her culinary creations, considering her one of the most talented and skilled cooks in the show’s recent seasons.
