MasterChef US and UK Of course, we're all curious where that veritable smorgasbord of delights ends up after filming is over. As it turns out, the crew gets first dibs, Marketplace reported. All leftovers and unused pantry items are then donated to MEND – a support service charity based in LA.
"What happens is that it gets ground down and cooked into compost, and that goes back into the gardens at Masterchef because that's a huge part of the show, the fact that we grow fruits and vegetables and herbs that the contestants can use," she told The Design Files.
Well, MasterChef makes it very clear that absolutely no food is wasted after the judges have tested the meals. We'd all love a taster of the mouth-watering meals, and it seems like the crew is no different. The culinary delights are left for those operating cameras and directing the show behind the scenes.
While most of the cooked food is eaten by the judges, and the contestants often have a nibble as well, sometimes there are leftovers and the lucky contenders are encouraged to take it home!
Do the MasterChef contestants have to buy their own ingredients? If the contestants wish to practice cooking up their food masterpieces at home, then they are expected to foot the bill for the ingredients, and they aren't reimbursed.
Contestants have to buy any ingredients they require to practice dishes to make at home and aren't given any money towards it - but ingredients and a full pantry are provided in the MasterChef kitchens.
All of your living expenses are paid for by production.
Contestants on the show are put up in a hotel for the duration of filming. Additionally, their transportation and food expenses are paid for by the show.
The LA-based "MasterChef" puts competitors in an undisclosed hotel during the duration of their stay. Distractify explains that this is necessary as they can be summoned to the show as early as 3:00 a.m. and can work up to 12 hours per day.
Well, as it turns out, after the judges have a taste, the contestants are allowed to eat the food. They're even encouraged to take it home in doggy bags. We're drooling just thinking about the insane leftovers.
The crew usually eat the leftovers
The food cooked is very rarely thrown away and they are usually eaten by the crew after each round.
While former MasterChef: The Professionals star Rosanna Moseley told the Birmingham Mail: "The food stays there for a bit after you've finished so they can get good shots of it. "So it can be cold by the time the judges get to it - especially if you're last to be judged - but they take that into consideration."
"They do most of the time [eat the food cold], but after everyone's finished cooking and time is called, the judges come around to the benches and try everything.
But if you're wondering just how John Torode and Gregg Wallace are able to fairly critique the contestants' dishes without allowing heat or a lack thereof to mar their final judgements, then you'll be pleased to find out that they actually taste the food as it's being cooked.
Production staff takes each cook's phone before they come on set and hold on to them for the duration of filming. When not filming, the contestants are allowed contact with their family but aren't allowed to discuss any details of the filming, or broadcast where they are on social media.
And they don't get to keep the aprons they wear on the show. But they are sent nice new ones in the post later. This is so no one is spotted with a MasterChef apron before the series goes out on TV.
Hailing from across the country, MasterChef contestants travel to Melbourne for filming, where they are put up in serviced apartment accommodation. A reliable source close to production tells Refinery29 Australia that usually two contestants share an apartment, but each has their own bedroom within the unit.
Promoted Stories. Food is central to MasterChef, yet it's essentially impossible for Gregg and John and the guest judges to taste everything while it's still hot – even warm. Usually, contestants' dishes are room temperature. The flavours remain and judges always know whether dishes are pleasing or not.
Specifically, the food that gets cooked and plated eventually gets tossed. Instead, a new version of the same dish is actually cooked for judges to taste. These are called “swap outs” and can include versions of the dish in different stages of completion.
Do Master Chef contestants get recipes to cook things that they have never cooked before? For the time they're on the show, they have a 6-day workweek - they get Sundays off to do what they want. The other six days, they're either filming for the show, or they're taking cooking classes.
Yep, reports on the show have revealed that contestants are actually only paid slightly more than the legal minimum wage.
With the judges rumoured to be taking home around $500,000 a year with Ten, the show's rampant popularity and critical acclaim could see bigger fees negotiated for future seasons.
It's All Engineered Fiction
While the cooking and the judging might be real, a lot of the things in the show are over-dramatized or done in certain ways to keep the series entertaining. A former season 2 contestant, Ben Starr, commented in a blog post that MasterChef is purely entertainment.
The contestants put their lives on hold, but that doesn't mean their responsibilities freeze and bills don't have to be paid. The contestants on MasterChef do get some money, but it's probably nowhere near what you think and in some aspects, contestants actually pay the show.
MasterChef Australia's three judges enjoy a growing friendship.
A recent MasterChef winner has revealed the surprising way he spent his $250,000 prize money, dishing on one very generous detail. Justin Narayan was crowned the thirteenth winner of MasterChef Australia in 2021, when he was just 27 years old and worked a day job as a youth pastor.