The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Scottish master chef in blast at MasterChef dish gaffe.
Contestant made it through to quarter finals despite serving up undercooked chicken leg
A leading Scottish master chef has blasted the BBC’s flagship cooking show after a contestant presented judges with a plate of uncooked chicken – but was still put through to the quarter finals.
MasterChef hopeful Visha turned viewers’ stomachs when she served up raw poultry to judges Greg Wallace and John Torode.
The 32-year-old company director from Leicester said she was “really annoyed” with herself after putting forward the potentially poisonous dish.
Now Auchterarder-based George McIvor, who chairs the Master Chefs of Great Britain which is unconnected to the hit show, has said that programme makers sent out the wrong message.
He said he was disappointed with the programme.
“Consuming raw chicken leads to food poisoning, caused by the bacteria campylobacter which is commonly associated with the consumption of poultry products,” Mr McIvor said.
“The government highlights this problem on their website as, indeed does the BBC’s own Good Food website.
“Thus for the judges to feel it was acceptable to put a competitor through who did not understand, nor comply, with basic health and safety procedures relating to raw poultry sends the wrong message to the general public.
“I trust that this will not happen again and that common sense prevails over the need for good television.”
The Good Food guide states: “If in doubt, chuck it out. No one likes a food waster, but better to waste food than to make yourself and others extremely ill.”
Viewers took to social media to voice their disgust over Visha’s serving of under-cooked chicken leg, in a garlic and scotch bonnet paste.
One posted: “Mental that you can reach the quarter finals of a competition called ‘Masterchef’ by serving undercooked chicken.”
Earlier in the programme Visha, whose surname has not been revealed, said it was “easy” to conjure up a culinary masterpiece.
The latest series of MasterChef features Cupar-raised Brodie Williams, 27, who applied to the show 11 months ago because he was interested in getting a “professional critique” of his skills.
A MasterChef spokesman said: “In the first round of MasterChef nerves often get the better of contestants.
“In this particular case the judges felt the contestant had shown more promise than some of the others who cooked that day and so put her through to the next round.”
The Master Chefs of Great Britain was established to let the country’s top culinary wizards share tips and ideas, while helping progress training for a new generation of chefs.