Dan Merriman has been awarded the prestigious title of MasterChef: The Professionals Champion 2024, after an emotional final on Thursday.
The 29-year-old took took home the trophy after whipping up an ‘outstanding’ menu that reminded the judges what ‘good cookery is about’.
He impressed judges Marcus Wareing, Monica Galetti and Gregg Wallace with his intricate dishes and has cemented his place in MasterChef history.
As the 18th chef to earn to the coveted trophy, Dan follows in the footsteps of other incredible champions including last year’s winner, Tom Hamblet.
Dan took on 31 other ambitious professional chefs and cooked his way to success at the end of seven weeks of increasingly tough challenges.
Reacting to his win, he gushed: ‘To walk away as MasterChef Champion, it means the world to me.
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Dan Merriman has been awarded the prestigious title of MasterChef: The Professionals Champion 2024, after an emotional final on Thursday
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The 29-year-old took home the trophy after whipping up an ‘outstanding’ menu that reminded the judges what ‘good cookery is about’
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‘There’s not been that many times where I’ve been proud of myself in my life, but I’ve hit the pinnacle! This whole competition has changed my life. I’m forever grateful.’
Emotional viewers rushed to X to share their verdict on Dan’s win, as they admitted they were ‘tearing up’ as he was crowned champion.
Fans penned: ‘Is anyone else tearing up at Dan being announced the winner #MasterChef.’
‘It’s DAN #masterchef ….I’m a mess now.’
‘Dear god, @MasterChefUK is a total tearjerker. Bless Dan! What a life #MasterChef’.
‘I think that Dan has been the winner of #MasterChef since he first appeared I don’t think there has been a more consistent chef all the way through. Well done.’
‘Sobbing my eyes out at Masterchef , well deserved winner in Dan #Masterchef.’
‘Didn’t expect to be tearing up about a cooking show but here we are. Dan was absolutely the right winner #masterchef #MasterChefTheProfessionals #masterchefUK.’
‘I think we all wish Dan all the love and congrats in the world. I hope he opens a restaurant so we can all go and support him. What an incredible final #masterchef.’
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Dan took on 31 other ambitious professional chefs and cooked his way to success at the end of seven weeks of increasingly tough challenges
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Dan burst into tears as his win was announced
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Emotional viewers rushed to X to share their verdict on Dan’s win, as they admitted they were ‘tearing up’ as he was crowned champion
‘#masterchef #bbc DAN!!! I knew it’d be you! Flawless! So humble! You deserve this, congratulations!!!!’
Throughout the competition the chef has wowed the judges and impressed restaurant critics and some of the country’s leading chefs – delivering outstanding, innovative food and skilful cookery.
In Dan’s Quarter Final, Grace Dent felt his poached brill dish was ‘a piece of art’, while at Chef’s Table, Sally Abé described his food as ‘very accomplished – a bit of everything to excite the palate’.
Meanwhile, Tom Kerridge said: ‘I thought it was a beautiful looking plate of food. Flavour-wise, punch after punch after punch. I genuinely think it was an absolutely outstanding dish. Well done, Chef.’
The judges had so much to say about Dan, with Marcus Wareing commenting: ‘We have a star.
‘I see Dan’s cookery as fine dining at its very, very best. His food is precise, technical, it’s incredibly creative. I think it’s outstanding. This guy is shining. I can’t wait to see what this chef is going to do in the future.’
Monica Galetti added: ‘From the moment he walked in, he let his cooking do the talking. I don’t think Dan realises how good he is. The kind of cooking he’s been doing takes years to get right.’
And Gregg Wallace said: ‘Dan’s food has been blowing us away, not just in this Final but for round after round. Dish after dish of absolute beauty.
‘Watching this chef grow in stature has been a wonderful thing to witness. I think this has been a turning point in Dan’s life.’
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As the 18th chef to earn to the coveted trophy, Dan follows in the footsteps of other incredible champions
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Reacting to his win, he gushed: ‘To walk away as MasterChef Champion, it means the world to me’
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Dan said: ‘There’s not been that many times where I’ve been proud of myself in my life, but I’ve hit the pinnacle! This whole competition has changed my life. I’m forever grateful’
In an exhilarating Final Week, Dan was up against exceptional chefs – Gaston Savina, who left on Monday, and tonight’s runners up Chiara Tomasoni and George Birtwell.
He had to demonstrate his progress, passion and flawless palate to stand out from his competitors.
The first challenge of the week saw all four chefs take on Chef’s Table in the Michelin-starred Dining Room restaurant of The Goring Hotel, where 24 culinary giants – with a staggering 27 Michelin stars between them – had been invited to taste their food.
The Final Three were then whisked away to County Cork, Ireland – home to the two-Michelin-starred Turkish restaurant, Dede, run by trailblazing chef Ahmet Dede.
The professionals experienced a masterclass in Ahmet’s vision and approach to food – and ultimately joined Ahmet’s elite brigade of chefs for a lunchtime service where they were each responsible for two dishes – a feat that can take the most experienced chef months to master.
In tonight’s Grand Final, which Marcus described has the best he’d ever been in, everything the chefs have worked towards reached a crescendo – pouring everything they had into serving the three most spectacular courses of their lives to the MasterChef judges – in just three hours.
Dan’s winning menu started with barbecued scallop glazed in a sumac, chilli, paprika and Turkish red pepper paste, served with pickled cucumber, filled with roasted garlic and lime yoghurt, a tomato red pepper and fennel ragu, marinated gooseberries, finger limes and a red curry sauce, spiced with cumin and lemongrass, split with a parsley oil.
Gregg described Dan’s starter as one ‘of real contrast and real sophistication.’
Dan’s main dish was ex-dairy beef cooked in beef fat and smoked butter, served with maitake mushrooms glazed in black garlic, pickled shimeji mushrooms, pickled shallots, caramelised grelot onion, truffle and mushroom ketchup and a beef and bone marrow sauce.
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In an exhilarating Final Week, Dan was up against exceptional chefs – Gaston Savina, who left on Monday, and tonight’s runners up Chiara Tomasoni and George Birtwell
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He had to demonstrate his progress, passion and flawless palate to stand out from his competitors
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Dan’s main dish was ex-dairy beef cooked in beef fat and smoked butter
Dan’s winning menu started with barbecued scallop glazed in a sumac, chilli, paprika and Turkish red pepper paste and ended with a blackcurrant cassis mousse
This was served alongside a beef hash brown, topped with a dairy cow tartare, beef fat mayonnaise, grated truffle and a dashi and mushroom powder.
Marcus commented: ‘Everything about this dish is what good cookery is about.’
To finish, Dan served a dish inspired by his grandfather – a blackcurrant cassis mousse topped with a yuzu curd, wood sorrel and honey tuille dusted with a blackcurrant and sherbert powder and grated macadamias, finished with frozen clotted cream pearls.
Monica reacted with: ‘Dan, I just can’t help but smile, because that’s what your food does.’
After tasting the three dishes, Monica told an emotional Dan: ‘You’ve been one of the most humble chefs I’ve seen walk in here – very reserved, quite unsure where he stood – maybe not just in the kitchen, in the world.
‘I almost feel like this has been a bit of a haven for you to rediscover your love for your craft and for yourself. Take my word for it, we see something great in you.’
Dan is originally from Droitwich in Worcestershire and is the eldest of five brothers and now lives in Accrington with his partner, Chloe and their baby boy, Ernest.
Dan grew up with his mother and was also raised by his grandparents. Dan says: ‘Mum was a single parent, and we didn’t have a lot but we all loved each other.’
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Monica reacted with: ‘Dan, I just can’t help but smile, because that’s what your food does’
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She later told Dan: ‘You’ve been one of the most humble chefs I’ve seen walk in here – very reserved, quite unsure where he stood – maybe not just in the kitchen, in the world’
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Dan is originally from Droitwich in Worcestershire and is the eldest of five brothers and now lives in Accrington with his partner, Chloe and their baby boy, Ernest
Remembering how he got into cooking, Dan says: ‘I didn’t really go to school that much but needed a job, so I got a pot wash job at a local hotel, and they offered me the chance to start working in pastry and I fell in love with fine dining.’
Going through difficult times and family losses had led to a lack of self-confidence for Dan, but with encouragement from Chloe he applied to MasterChef: The Professionals.
Dan says: ‘I definitely wouldn’t have done it without them! All of this has surpassed absolutely every single expectation that I ever had. I didn’t even expect to get into the competition, let alone win.
‘MasterChef has changed everything for me. It’s made me realise that I am talented. I am good at what I do.’
Dan’s praises his professional industry with: ‘The one thing hospitality is that you can come from absolutely nothing. You can really make yourself something. All you need is hard work and love.’
Looking ahead to life after MasterChef, Dan says: ‘At the moment I’m working on getting guest chef appearances and intimate dining experiences.
‘My ultimate ambition is to have free reign to cook all my own food and share it with as many people possible. I want to cook in my own restaurant and make a big impact on the industry. I love what I do, and I want my food to be remembered.’
MasterChef: The Professionals is available to watch on BBC iPlayer
