More than a culinary journey
As many Masterchef Australia contestants find it, the aftermath of the competition is the real challenge. Dee Williams, the first Sri Lankan woman to compete on the show in season 11, shares that same experience as she sits with us for a chat.
Pic by Ishanka Sunimal
Dee missed the competition from the minute she left. As she recalls, MasterChef is rife with opportunities and you’d also get to meet and learn from a lot of international chefs along the way. But stepping out from that environment and into the “real world” is quite the process, since a commercial kitchen is quite different to the one on the show.
“When you’re in that MasterChef bubble, you’re living with all 24 contestants and it’s always about food and the culinary experience,” Dee explains. But once you leave the show, it becomes about what you want to do after.
“So the purpose of getting into MasterChef and coming out, how am I going to see that progress in the real world?” was the question Dee had to ask herself.
Though one of the regulations going into the competition is that you have to be an amateur cook, MasterChef gives you the chance to be able to make a career in the industry. If she had wanted to work in a restaurant after the competition, the organizers would contact the management and get the contestants an opportunity to work there. “In that way they help you to get where you want to, regardless of whether you’re the winner or not,” she explains.
Our conversation progresses to the Masterchef household itself and the ongoings behind the cameras.
According to Dee, all 24 of the other homecooks bring their own skill set to the show. Living in this setting for a couple of months without any access to the internet, though tough, also gave her the opportunity to build close friendships and gain some different culinary experiences.
“When you come together as 24 contestants you do have different personalities and you’re all adults. And when you’re suddenly put in one house together. It’s an amazing experience,” she shares. She recalls that it was like revisiting her boarding school days, which was fun for her.
The MasterChef household included a range of cookbooks which also give the contestants several ideas, which helped with challenges like the Mystery Box, because you’d know how to work with different ingredients, she says.
Unlike some of the similar competitions around the world, Dee always found the Masterchef Australia environment to be a supportive one, be it the crew or the contestants. At times when three contestants would know they’re in the elimination challenge, Dee recalls the top three contestants always being mindful of it. They’d also make breakfast for the downcasted contestants the following day.
They still learn from each other and keep in touch, she says, adding that this is helpful if you’re trying to do something new because you can always exchange ideas.
The competition overall was Dee’s first television experience and this only seemed to add to the pressure. “You’ve got to cook and at the same you’d have to explain to the judges about the dish you’re making,” she recalls. Any comments they throw at you will have to be taken in because this helps you improve your skills.
Aside from the pressure though, an important lesson Dee learnt from the show is to never give up. You’re there for a purpose and you have to push yourself to do it. This was the thought process that guided her throughout.
As she takes us through her final challenge in the MasterChef kitchen. Dee was about to throw in the towel in the middle of a pressure test, since things weren’t going well. But, she was quick to come back and finish a replication of Darren Purchese’s Bombe Alaska.
Looking back at her journey, this is the same message Dee would give any aspiring chef. “If you want to do something and if you know you’re capable of doing it, you should just get out there and do it,” she says.
As soon as she got out of the competition, Dee worked for two weeks at ‘Om Nom’, a restaurant renowned for its theatrical desserts in Melbourne. She has also started her own Youtube channel “Deelicious”, with recipes for Sri Lankan dishes, desserts etc. Dee also runs her own catering business under the same name.
Currently Dee is on a tour with Jetwing Hotels, focusing on Sri Lanka tourism and authentic culinary experiences in the country. As we close, she tells us today her life is a learning process, and she is grateful for the stepping stone given by the competition. For a once amateur homecook, she is well on her way in the culinary world.
Watch the video interview with Dee Williams on her Masterchef experience at www.sundaytimes.lk/ tol_exclusive