It was phenomenal value too – it’s always so exciting to “discover” places before they get really well known! How do you balance tradition and innovation in your cooking? But to be honest, a good meal can take lots of different guises. Outside of the food, it’s all about who you share it with (and the music!). What is one kitchen tip everyone should know? Scouting for Girls and MasterChef 2021 champion Tom Rhodes are among the lineup for this year’s Foodies Festival, dubbed ‘Gastro Glastonbury’, which had to be cancelled last year due to Covid. Insofar as I’ve always been extremely greedy, I think, yes, I was destined to cook! It’s the one thing I’ve applied myself consistently to over the last 15 years or so.

Salt is a powerful ingredient that can make other ingredients taste more of themselves, but for that to happen you need to add salt early in the cooking process rather than at the end. What dish do you turn to most often? After attending a state school in South London I secured a place to read English at Cambridge University — a completely different world to the one that I was used to.

Last on

As we are outdoors and in local parks we are able to plan Covid safe festivals, and our experienced Health and Safety team are working closely with local councils across the country to make sure we take all appropriate measures and follow government guidelines to keep everyone safe.

In his teens, he said he became fascinated with mastering classic and modern techniques - using kitchen gadgets as well as learning to make things from scratch. Fearlessly bringing together the best flavours and culinary strategies from around the world, Alexina Anatole will help you befriend bitterness - one flavour-balancing technique at a time. Using ten ingredients to walk you through every type of bitterness and how to tame it - from grapefruit and bitter oranges, bitter greens, tahini, beer, walnuts, cranberries, tea, coffee, cocoa and liquorice - each recipe will expand your repertoire and open the door to new worlds of deliciousness, using bitterness in both savoury and sweet dishes to elevate the taste of everything you make. The food was so precise, so beautiful, so elevated, and yet the vibe was cool and relaxed and unstuffy: it was that perfect balance of special and comfortable. The Japanese influences in the menu were sublime and the wine pairings (usually something I find to be overrated) were creative and spot on. Samin Nosrat is an inspiration, not just because she wrote a phenomenal and very clever book ( Salt Fat Acid Heat ) about the art and science of cooking, but because her Netflix series (of the same title) was one of the few times I’ve seen a woman of colour present a food travelogue. She really broke the mould there.

Try this recipe from the book

TRY: Alexina's recipe for salmon tacos with grapefruit - delicious! What are the components of a good meal for you? MasterChef viewers will have seen him do just that on this series - learning new things and combining them with his love for East and South East Asian food. While the Cambridge graduate appears to be doing well as she is, her ambition is to cook somewhere a little sunnier... To make the dressing, place the finely diced shallot in a jar along with the balsamic vinegar and salt, then set aside to soak for 15 minutes. Add the extra virgin olive oil, screw on the jar lid and shake to combine. TRY: Alexina's recipe for Liquorice Miso glazed Aubergine How do you source your ingredients and what do you look for when selecting them?

For our very own South Londoner Alexina Anatole, it was not a question of if she would apply for MasterChef, but when.

Inspired?

He said: “When I was younger, I watched a lot of Nigella Lawson and Nigel Slater. I have met Nigella Lawson and have a signed copy of How to Eat, which has a special place in my growing collection of over 300 cookbooks. During the competition, I have realised my love for developing recipes and cooking for other people outside of my friends and family, so would love to do more of this after the show.” Tom was up against fellow finalists Mike Tomkins, 27, and Alexina Anatole, 30, in the BBC cooking competition. Meanwhile, crush the saffron in a pestle and mortar, then combine it with the yoghurt and boiling water until you have a gleaming golden-coloured mixture. Stir through a third of the cooked rice.