Ajay John is a contestant on MasterChef UK Series 15 & 20. He is placed 27th with Sonia on Series 15 & 17th with Matthew & Natasha on Series 20.
Biography[]
Retrieved from bbc.com
Location: Lambeth, London
Bio: Forty-seven-year-old Ajay is Head of Customer Management and Success for a Tech company. He was born in Madras, India and lived in Lagos and Kano, Nigeria when he was young. He moved to the USA at 21 to do his MBA in International Business and lived there for 10 years, in multiple cities including Providence, San Francisco, and Boston.
He moved to the UK in 2008 for work and initially lived in Kent, then moved to London in 2011 and where he lives with his wife, Regina.
When did you first appear on MasterChef and how did it go?
“I was on MasterChef Series 15 in 2019 and I reached Quarter Finals.”
How would you describe your style of cooking?
“My cooking is heavily influenced by the flavours of South India and my travels across the world. My cooking style is focused on the flavours of South India reimagined with global influences.”
How did you get into cooking? Earliest cooking memory?
“I’ve always loved to cook since I was a child and wanted to be a chef when I was younger but felt I had to choose a business degree and career following that instead.
My earliest cooking memory was helping my mom cook the family meal. Helping might be an exaggeration as I might have been getting in the way when I was very young, but that evolved to helping as I grew older.”
How have you and your cooking changed since you were last on MasterChef?
“Since MasterChef, my cooking style and focus has been on South Indian cuisine. I love creating dishes that pair well with wine, beer and cocktails and have built a good understanding of pairings. I also put on a few Supper Clubs at home and run cooking lessons regularly.”
How does it feel to be back in the MasterChef kitchen?
“It feels amazing to be back, an absolute pleasure and so much fun. I love the MasterChef kitchen and cooking for the judges. Somehow, I am extremely relaxed in the MasterChef kitchen, so I gladly take every opportunity to cook there.”
What is your food dream and has that changed since first time round?
“I have more aspirations with food since the first time around. I am launching a new growth consulting & networking events company that mixes my professional skills with my love for food. In the food industry, I’d like to continue to run supper clubs at home, and I would like to write a cookbook focused on food and drink pairings. I also plan to travel more and cook in different countries, learning new techniques and enhancing my favourite South Indian flavours.”[1]
References[]
External links[]
Ajay John on Instagram