Nottingham Post

The heat is on for Hira in the Masterchef kitchen

- By LYNETTE PINCHESS lynette.pinchess@reachplc.com @Lynettepin­chess

A CHEF who has worked at some of Nottingham’s best restaurant­s is out to wow the judges on the new series of Masterchef: The Profession­als.

Hira Thakur, of Mapperley, is one of 32 profession­al chefs battling to be crowned champion of the TV series - a title won by Nottingham’s Laurence Henry in 2018.

Since moving to Nottingham from India, 34-year-old Hira has honed his skills at Baresca, The Cumin, Chino Latino, World Service and pop-up Nakama in the city centre.

The dad-of-two was furloughed from his job as a senior sous chef at Trent Bridge’s fine dining restaurant Six at the time the competitio­n was filmed earlier this year, and has been once again since the start of the second lockdown.

Hira, who specialise­s in Asian flavours, learnt the magic combinatio­n of spices and flavours while cooking with his mum in a small Himalayan village in north India.

He grew up apple-picking at his family’s orchards and when he wasn’t harvesting and selling apples in the nearest city five hours away, he joined his mother in the kitchen, feeding the family with fresh fruit, vegetable and herbs grown on the land. “My mum taught me how to mix spices and flavours without needing to follow a recipe,” he said. After leaving school, Hira travelled to Goa where he worked as a waiter, bartender and chef. It was there he met his future wife Louise Sinclair, a Capital One employee in Nottingham, who was on holiday with her family.

Seven years ago Hira embarked on a 6,500-mile journey to Nottingham, where he enrolled on a two-year profession­al chef diploma course at Nottingham College.

He made an immediate impression on his tutors, winning a Student of the Year Award in his first year.

The first four competitor­s can be seen when Masterchef: The Profession­als kicks off his evening at 9pm on BBC One.

Hira, who has cooked and delivered meals for friends and neighbours during lockdown, will feature in the second heat starting on November 17.

He said: “It was very nerve-wracking at the start but I’m very competitiv­e and I wanted to show the skills and techniques I’ve learnt over the last few years.

“It was different this year with Covid with only four in a group. I’m not allowed to say how it went but it was a great experience.”

Former Restaurant Sat Bains’ chef Laurence Henry is planning to open his own restaurant after winning the competitio­n in 2018.

 ??  ?? Hira Thakur appears on Masterchef: The Profession­als on November 17
Hira Thakur appears on Masterchef: The Profession­als on November 17

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