After battling 47 chefs, storming through seven weeks of incredible culinary challenges and a sensational final cook-off, Eckington Manor’s Mark Stinchcombe has become the ninth champion to win MasterChef: The Professionals.
The competition was judged and awarded by Michelin-star chef Marcus Wareing, Chef Monica Galetti and MasterChef presenter, Gregg Wallace. An emotional Mark Stinchcombe said: “I can’t believe it. I’m massively proud of what I’ve achieved; it’s been such a long journey. It’s been phenomenal.”
Marcus Wareing said “Mark is a star-quality chef who has delivered at such high levels all the way through the competition. He’s a very, very solid talented cook”. He went on to add “What a talent. I know one thing, if that chef ever opened up his own restaurant I would love to be the first customer.”
Mark, who was born in Bath, Somerset, first became interested in cooking at school. He said, “I had an amazing home economics teacher called Mrs May, I then went on to do work experience in a hotel in Bath when I was 16 and a half. My uncle was a great cook, and bought me my first set of knives”.
Mark trained professionally in a number of prestigious restaurants before working at Le Champignon Sauvage in Cheltenham, where he met his wife and current co-chef Sue. Mark and Sue are the duo behind Eckington Manor’s extraordinary restaurant and together, they excite guests with their seasonal menus using produce from Eckington Manor’s award winning farm, orchard, and vegetable gardens. The couple also teach at Eckington Manor Cookery School.
