MasterChef finalist credits Sri Lankan heritage for love of food

May 24 - A veterinary surgeon whose love of cooking is inspired by his Sri Lankan heritage has been crowned the 20th winner of BBC TV's Masterchef.

Brin Pirathapan, 29, from Chelmsford, impressed judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace to beat 57 others in this year's amateur contest.

Mr Pirathapan cooked a winning menu of a seafood starter, a spiced venison main and a dessert of white chocolate and cardamom and saffron cremeux with a lime and chili sorbet.

"The show is one of the reasons I’m the cook I am today," he said.

He was working as a veterinary surgeon in Bristol before entering the show, and said he had watched the show since he way a boy.

"The food I grew up with was never boring. Coming from a Tamil, Sri Lankan background, we had nice food on the table and it's never bland," he said.

"There was just something about this year where I thought if I didn't apply I would probably just sit and watch it and regret that I didn't. I just thought 'bite the bullet... what's the worst that could happen?'."