Tom, 24, won the professional version of the BBC show in the final which aired. As the rest of the nation found out for the first time, the Horsham-based sous chef celebrated at home with his chef parents, girlfriend and dog.
Now that the secret is out he says he is ready to continue learning from the “once in a lifetime experience” – and take over the restaurant where he has learned the trade under his executive chef dad.
Tom told The Argus: “I watched the show at home with my parents and girlfriend – they went crazy when it happened even though they already knew.
“It was really nice and quite a hard secret to hang on to. Everything will be pretty crazy when I get back into work.
“I feel like the final was my strongest round. It was the most pressure and the most on the line.”
Tom, who works under his father at Camellia, a fine dining restaurant in South Lodge in Horsham, wowed judges and critics alike throughout the series.
Michelin-starred judge Marcus Wareing called his food “exquisite” during the final and Monica Galletti and Gregg Wallace also sang his praises.
He also won the acclaim of some of the most pre-eminent food critics in the country. I’m A Celeb alum Grace Dent called one of his deserts the best she had ever had in MasterChef. Tom revealed that the first time he heard those comments was when they aired in the quarter final round roughly a fortnight ago.
Like all those entering the competition, Tom was driven by his passion for cooking – but his own reason also had a deeply familial connection.
Having previously spoken about how his dad and girlfriend convinced him to enter, Tom revealed in the final that his decision was partly driven by the passing of his grandfather.
He told The Argus that he went into the show “to give my grandmother a distraction”. He added that his trophy will be housed at home next to the TV and a photo of his late grandfather.
The big question on everyone’s lips will of course be “what’s next?” for a young chef at the top of his game.
Tom says he does not plan on opening his own restaurant just yet – but that will not stop him from taking over Camellia for three months in the new year.
His menu will be inspired by the flavours he showcased in his MasterChef journey, and Tom revealed that while he was ready following his success on the show the restaurant’s website may not have been after crashing minutes later.
He signed off by saying: “Hopefully people will enjoy those combinations as much as the judges did on the show.”
MasterChef: The Professionals is on BBC iPlayer.
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