Space to taste as food show adapts
MASTERCHEF judge Melissa Leong had her fingers, toes, eyes and everything crossed that they would be able to finish the season of the popular Ten cooking show.
Leong and fellow new judges Andy Allen and Jock Zonfrillo were barely halfway through filming the Back to Win series as COVID-19 started to really make its presence felt in Australia.
Fortunately adopting strict new conditions, including judges not eating from the same plate, more space between the contestants’ benches and dedicated hand washing stations, meant the show could continue.
Viewers will see the newlook MasterChef episodes this week.
Leong says strict hygiene had always been top of mind on the food show.
“That bit was easy,” she says. “The hardest things are with the social distancing. MasterChef as you know and love is a deeply emotional show. Moments happen where you want to hug or high five someone. Even just giving a reassuring pat on the back becomes difficult when you can’t be within 1.5m of people.
“It puts the impetus on us to use our words and connect emotionally and intellectually with our wonderful contestants. We bring other elements to the table apart from high fives or hugs. We’ve had to lean on the way we articulate our judgments and the way we feel towards our contestants and the tremendous effort they put in. That’s definitely not lost, in fact that’s amped up even more.”
Leong’s also hoping the MasterChef effect extends beyond introducing us to quenelles and macarons and phrases such as plating up infiltrating our vernacular. She’s confident it will help the hospitality industry which has been smashed by corona restrictions.
“I know MasterChef has the power to impact in a positive way – look at the fact that (chef) Peter Gilmore cooked a pork belly dish and pork belly sales spiked,” she says. “When I put chicken feet in my Mystery Box challenge, delivery searches went up by 5000 per cent because it does have a huge impact.”
She laughs as she recalls people have been questioning why she hasn’t been cooking in the Master Classes.
“I absolutely can cook but what I love is I have the ability to bring in talented friends and colleagues to showcase what they do,” Leong says.
“They have restaurants that require patrons in order to keep their doors open. In hospitality margins are so slim. I don’t think people who don’t work in hospitality understand that – so to drive business into restaurants is crucial.”