Fresh from the grand final of 2023’s MasterChef: The Professionals, Bristolian Tommy Thorn speaks to Rosanna Spence about cooking food in front of the camera for his industry idols…
It’s no secret that Bristol is brimming with creative culinary minds. But when two-thirds of the chefs in the grand final of MasterChef: The Professionals are based in or near the city, you know for certain that our appetites are in safe hands.
From his very first challenge, born and bred Bristol chef Tommy Thorn appeared cool, calm and collected. For some of his 31 other chef competitors, the pressure of studio filming in front of industry heavyweight judges Marcus Wareing (who Thorn admits was a huge influence on him in his early career), Monica Galetti and Gregg Wallace made for nervy viewing. Yet Thorn – who was head chef of Bristol restaurant The Ethicurean until its closure in October 2023 – felt like a safe pair of hands from the get go. It was unsurprising then that he made it to the final, narrowly missing out on the trophy (along with Yate resident Kasae Fraser, who works at Robun in Bath), which was claimed by the ultimate winner Tom Hamblet. But was Thorn really as calm as he seemed during filming?
“I wouldn’t say I was calm!” he laughs. “I was definitely focused. My head was going at a hundred miles an hour. I guess it was controlled fear. A lot of people have said that I appeared calm, though.
“Waiting for that first challenge – [cooking monkfish for Marcus Wareing] – to begin, before I went in, I was thinking, ‘This is okay, I’m going to be fine’. But then the team led me through the room and in that moment, I felt like a ghost, it was honestly the weirdest thing.
“I remember walking in and seeing Marcus there and I was just in shock. It’s hard to explain it, it was a real out of body experience. I was so nervous. But when I started cooking, I felt like myself again.”
Though he’d never had to balance cooking and talking to the camera simultaneously before, after 10 minutes of feeling a little self-conscious, Thorn found his flow and got into the swing of things. “I was very much in my own bubble and was just pushing through to get everything done.”
I’m trying to focus on what I want to do now, I’m definitely excited for my next challenge.”
Asian-inspired plates
Thorn’s thoughtful use of Asian-inspired ingredients was his trademark throughout the series, subtly weaving seasonings and techniques used across the continent into refined European dishes.
An excellent example of his approach was the main dish he prepared for the final episode. Pan-seared veal loin was cooked in an ox heart garam (a fermented sauce), served with a soy and sesame seed carrot, carrot and ginger purée, crispy kale, pickled carrot disks on a carrot top and parmesan pesto, crispy sweetbread, dressed in a Caesar salad, and a veal-soy mirin (a type of Japanese rice wine) and cornichon sauce – finished with the aromas of rosemary.
So, where did he first fall in love with these Asian flavours?
“I had cooked for so long in the classic British-French manner,” he remembers, “then I went to Thailand and saw a new process of cooking food. I found it really exciting. When I tasted the food, it wowed me. The flavour impact it had was amazing.
“I felt that those flavours paired with the technique of the British-French style of cooking works hand-in-hand really well if you get the balance right.”
Though he didn’t rely on this influence to boost every dish he presented. The judges were just as wowed with his ingenious dessert using the flavours of an Espresso Martini cocktail in episode 18, for example. He created a coffee sponge with candied walnuts, honey whisky jelly, buckwheat tuile, and vanilla ice cream – finishing with a serving of soft espresso martini foam just before the judges devoured it.
Tough moments
As the competition entered its final week, the heat in the kitchen reached boiling point. Thorn says that the notoriously high pressure Chef’s Table event was his toughest, but most rewarding moment.
Held at the iconic Midland Grand Dining Room in the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel, London, the final four each prepared a course for 24 top chefs. How did Thorn fare cooking for the good and the great of the UK’s dining scene – who between them held 22 Michelin stars?
“We were all struggling with that task,” he admits. “I’d seen Charlie [Walters] and Tom go before me, so I could see what was about to come. It was a staggered build-up of tension. The pressure was immense. It was so tiring, but it was also probably the most rewarding part of the competition as well.
“That room was full of my idols. When I was in the room, I was in awe of who was there. It was like looking at my Instagram feed. It was everyone who I’ve ever admired. And to have them sit there and try my food was very surreal, I’ll never forget that moment.”
Best of Bristol
When he’s relaxing at home with his partner Courtney and their little boy, Thorn cooks spontaneously, making the most of whatever ingredients he has to hand.
“My tip for readers wanting to elevate their meals at home would be to enjoy your time cooking, the more enjoyment put into it the more you get out of it and the better the food will taste,” he advises. “Also, buy a temperature probe for your proteins.”
And when he’s venturing out and about, he loves heading to the laid back but high-quality eateries at Wapping Wharf. But his favourite restaurant is Bulrush.
“I really like eating in Bulrush,” he adds. “I’ve been there a few times and it’s great food, with a little Asian influence too, I believe. I think we’re quite lucky in Bristol, there are so many good places to eat.”
In terms of Bristol chefs, he’d always admired Peter Sanchez, who put Bristol on the culinary map with Casamia – a city dining institution that Thorn grew up around.
“But you’ve also got Josh Eggleton, who’s been doing some great things,” he adds. “He’s been changing the scene and pushing the boundaries. I definitely think there’s room for more chefs though. I think the Bristol scene is going through a hard time right now, as is everywhere else in the food industry.”
Thorn’s dream is to run his own establishment. But what would it look like?
“At the start I would like something quite stripped back and relaxed,” he explains. “Quite intimate. A 10-course taster menu, with guests staying there for two-to-three hours, I’d want it to be fun. I don’t like it when things are too formal. I just want people to have a good time.”
MasterChef finalist
Seeing off stiff competition from his industry peers to make it to the final week is impressive – a win in itself.
“It was incredible feeling to reach the final,” Thorn says. “Getting to that stage was a dream come true. Before I applied, getting to the final seemed so far-fetched. I didn’t really go in it to win it, to be honest. I was in it put myself through a really difficult situation and learn from the experience. Then as I progressed further into the competition, I got hungrier and hungrier to keep going. But I kept my focus on the round ahead of me.”
What’s his advice to other Bristol-based chefs keen to follow in his footsteps? “I’d say push yourself to do it, it might not be as bad as you think it will be. You could get the best thing out of it you could ever want. I believe that as a chef it’s all about pushing yourself, and learning, and at the end of the day, this is the best opportunity you’re going to get. So why not just go for it?
“Cooking for the judges was just a massive privilege; I’ll remember everything they said and every comment, because it was worth its weight in gold. You don’t often get the opportunity to have such a talented opinion shared on your food, so I really valued that.”
But what really stood out for Thorn was that he was cooking his own recipes for these culinary titans – no one else’s.
“It was all from my head and then out onto the plate. So, to have those judges evaluate what they think and feel about it was a very special thing.”
A new chapter awaits Thorn as we enter a new year, and he saw out the final few weeks of 2023 whipped up in the whirlwind of the series finally airing all the episodes. But he’s already got his sights on a new adventure. “I’m trying to focus on what I want to do now, I’m definitely excited for my next challenge.”
