Professional chefs compete in Masterchef Finland this season. They are cooler than the amateurs in the competition, says Jenny Nyroos, the producer in charge of the program.
Masterchef Finland: Professionals – a group of cooking professionals compete in the new season of the competition. We asked important questions about making the program. Executive producer of the program Jenny Nyroos Endemol Shine from Finland answered.
What are the biggest differences between the professional contestants on Masterchef Professionals and the amateurs on Masterchef?
“Professionals are much calmer, and their kitchens are cleaner during assignments. Even if there are many pots on the fire, there is always a little cleaning and the rags are blowing.”
Who cleans the Masterchef kitchen and how often?
“The kitchen is cleaned all the time and every day. The food and cleaning team take out the trash, and they clean the kitchen before and after cooking. At the end of the day, professional cleaners come to clean the floors and surfaces.
Where is the program filmed?
“The program is mainly filmed in a studio in the SME region in a Masterchef kitchen built in the studio space. It is important that there is enough space in use, for example for social facilities and raw materials. We have cold containers in the yard for storing raw materials. Sometimes we go to different locations, and this season we are also going to the north. The production team travels to these locations in a smaller size.”
Chef Adele Kinnunen at work.
Are competitors allowed to take breaks?
“They are allowed to like. We have normal lunch breaks and the like during the day. If there is a two-hour task, the whole time is spent cooking. Of course you can go to the bathroom, but the clock can’t be stopped.”
How long do the competitors work?
“As a whole, the contestants’ days are 8–10 hours long, including food, coffee and toilet breaks, as well as filming technical breaks. On a weekly basis, we shoot three to four episodes. Every day is not filmed, because a big food program also requires breaks for the preparations of the food team. All in all, the filming will last 4–6 weeks.”
Do the contestants make their own lunch and snacks?
“You don’t have to make lunch yourself, catering takes care of the food. Of course, the competitors themselves can cook in the social spaces if they want.”
What special ingredients are used in the kitchen?
“It kind of depends on what someone thinks is special. This season we have, for example, honey berry, matsutake mushrooms and finger limes. Then there are, for example, canned cherries, which we don’t normally have. They are related to a specific task. Of course, spices, powders and powders are used, which cannot be found in a standard kitchen.”
Chef Favio Paz adds herbs to his dish.
What is the most special tool in the kitchen?
“Almost everything can be found in the kitchen. The most rare ones are probably the quick freezer and the smoking hood, i.e. the hood into which the smoke is shot. You can hardly find them in all home kitchens.”
Can the competitors influence the preparation of the season?
“Before the start of the season, the contestants get a tour of the kitchen so they know where, for example, the equipment can be found. The food team, which is led, is responsible for the actual preparations Taneli Kantanenthey are cooking professionals.”
What proportion of the raw materials is of domestic origin?
“Approximately 80-90 percent of the fresh products are domestic.”
How precisely does the international format define which dishes are prepared?
“The format in itself does not define what is done. Foreign versions can be used as inspiration for tasks, for example Masterchef from Australia. Of course, the format specifies that no ready meals are used, because it is a real cooking program. The ethics of the products is also important. But otherwise you have free hands.”
What happens to foods after evaluation?
“The judges already eat a large part of the portion during the tasting phase. Competitors also taste each other’s dishes. So there are rarely large amounts of food left over.”
Has it ever happened that a dish prepared by a competitor was not tasted?
“The judges are professionals, they always taste the dishes. Sometimes it may have happened that, for example, the chicken was left raw. Then, of course, the portion is not eaten.”
How much waste is created in making the program?
“Waste and recycling have already been carefully considered at the stage when tasks have been planned. Nothing extra is ordered for stock. When, for example, some fresh produce starts to go rancid, they are distributed among the work group or to charity. Last season we ran out of food For Hurst, for emergency accommodation in Alppila and Vantaa’s home church. At the end of the season, a vanload of canned goods also went to Ukraine. If the cream jar has been open while cooking, it ends up in the coffee room.”
Can we run out of raw materials?
“Rarely does anything really end in the middle. A limited amount of a certain raw material is ordered, and therefore it can sometimes happen that a competitor has time to take a certain fish before another. The purpose of this is to not get ten doses of the same type to be evaluated. Once we ran out of eggs. That’s when the food team went on a hard ride to the local store to get more.”
Will there be a fight between the competitors over kitchen utensils?
“Not exactly. There are basic tools for everyone, but there are a limited number of special tools. For example, there are two small grills in use. Then they are recycled among the competitors in a good spirit.”
For example, can a vegan participate in Masterchef?
“Yes, for us. Of course, the competitor must be open to handling different raw materials, and he must have an understanding that the tasks involve preparing a wide variety of dishes. Of course, we don’t force you to taste it, although it is of course worth it. We do have vegan products in our warehouse, and this season there is also a fully vegan mission.”
Do the contestants wash their hands before cooking?
“Yes, they wash. The cameras are always there, so we also see if someone doesn’t wash. Of course, hand washing is not the best TV moment, so that’s why it’s not shown on the show. In addition, there are other hygiene rules, such as that hair must be tied back and rings must be removed.”
Masterchef Finland: Professionals, MTV Katsomo and MTV3 on Thursdays at 20:00.
Chef Tommi Tuominen (second right) is a recent confirmation of the jury. In the middle of the race, her place is taken by Helena Puolakka, familiar from previous seasons. Kape Aihinen (left) and Henri Alén are pressing to go throughout the season.
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