From little chef to MasterChef

Simon Wood - MasterChef contestant

A CHADDERTON cook is about to face the toughest culinary call of his life: pleasing the palates of TV’s John Torode and Gregg Wallace.

Simon Wood (38) appears on the BBC One show “MasterChef” tomorrow. The father-of-four was chosen from hundreds of hopefuls to jon 39 other contestants in the latest series of the hit show.

Simon described the contest as the most nerve wracking time of his life.

“We spent the night in a hotel and though I went to bed at 9pm I woke up at 1am and never got back to sleep,” said Simon. “We then had 14 hours of filming. I was exhausted!

“It was the most nerve wracking, horrendously pressured experience; you’re never alone while you’re cooking. You’ve either got a big camera filming you or John and Gregg talking to you. You can’t concentrate and you’re already nervous. I was shaking at times. It was exciting, daunting and brilliant at the same time.

“John and Gregg were great. Their knowledge of food is amazing and you really want to impress them.”

Simon’s preferred cuisine is classic French or Mediterranean and despite his fondness for cooking he loves dining out too.

This isn’t the first time Simon’s culinary prowess has hit the Chronicle headlines. In 1985 he was an eight-year-old chef who spent a day in Chadderton’s Bower Hotel kitchen with head chef Larry Abela.

At the time he told us: “I want to be a chef when I grow up. I already make my father’s tea and my mother lets me help her.”