Natalie Coleman wins MasterChef 2013


Updated on 04 May 2013 | 0 Comments

Well, Natalie won. Congratulations to her! Do you think Gregg and John got it right this year? Have your say.

Part-time DJ Natalie won this year's amateur MasterChef crown, and looking at our poll below she was the lovefood readers' favourite too. What was it that you liked about her cooking? Tell us in the comments below. Here's a reminder of the three finalists.

Natalie Coleman

If 2013 follows the same pattern as last year, then Natalie – the only woman in the final – will triumph, just as Shelina Permalloo did. She’s certainly got the skills to.

Bio: 29-year-old part-time DJ Natalie, who lives in Hackney, East London, took to cooking when she began looking after her grandad Chris and disabled uncle Danny. She credits her family as the inspiration behind her drive, and has probably been the most improved contestant throughout the competition.

Curious fact: She loves Haribo.

Best bit: Natalie made John Torode cry (tears of joy) with her showstopper pigeon dish.

Worst bit: Almost breaking down at The Savoy during a challenge to feed 12 ex-Bond girls.  

Dale Williams

Dale has finished every dish off with a touch of elegance, and probably has the widest cooking repertoire of all three MasterChef finalists.

Bio: Dale, 28, is from Cardiff and works as a recruitment consultant. Funnily enough, he recently admitted to never wanting to be a professional chef, but remains an ardent foodie all the same. He practises dishes with his mother Jackie, who has been Dale’s tower of strength throughout the competition.

Curious fact: There isn’t a single food which Dale doesn’t like.

Best bit: The showstopper round, when seven contestants were whittled down to four. Dale’s sensational ‘chicken burger’ was the first time he 'showed personality through his food'.

Worst bit: The battering he got from chef Marcus Wareing after cooking razor clams incorrectly.

Larkin Cen

Our second Cardiff-born contestant, but from the opposite end of the city. Larkin has taken bold decisions since the start of the competition and could be called the most innovative chef of the three.

Bio: 28-year-old solicitor Larkin learnt how to cook by watching over the shoulder of his grandfather, who was a chef in Hong Kong. He grew up over his parents’ Chinese takeaway and specialises in Asian cuisine.

Curious fact: Larkin had never made a dessert before going on MasterChef.

Best bit: His Dover sole stir-fry, served in a ‘crispy Dover sole bone basket’. “It looks like it should be in the Science Museum!” exclaimed Gregg Wallace.

Worst bit: Another Marcus Wareing moment, who declared “I’m not going to eat that” when presented with Larkin’s white chocolate soufflé in a mango. 

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