Flash-grilled: Natalie Coleman
What do you consider to be your signature dish?
Roast dinner, which is the dish I cooked when I won MasterChef in 2013.
If you weren’t in kitchens, what would you do?
I’d be a DJ.
What industry figure do you most admire, and why?
Tom Kerridge because he’s one of the loveliest chefs I know. I did a week’s work experience with him and he was really accommodating, gave lots of advice and his food is just amazing.
What's your pet hate in the kitchen?
Rap music.
What’s the oddest thing a customer has said to you?
Someone once said they had an allergy to mosquitos.
Sum up your cooking style in a single sentence…
Seasonal British produce, classic dishes with a twist, and posh family food.
Which single item of kitchen equipment could you not live without?
A blender.
What would you choose to eat for your last meal?
A roast dinner, black forest chocolate gateau, and lobster.
What’s the best meal you’ve ever had in a restaurant?
The tasting menu at Viajante by Nuno Mendes.
Favourite fast food joint?
McDonald’s.
Which do you prefer: MasterChef or Great British Menu?
Great British Menu.
What's the most overrated food?
Rice.
You're restaurant dictator for a day – what would you ban?
Pepper.
Who would your dream dinner party guests be?
Winston Churchil, Queen Victoria, Nicole Kidman, Alan Carr, and Emily Blunt.
What’s your earliest food memory?
Making cakes with my nan in the kitchen.
Twitter or Instagram?
Instagram.
What’s the closest you’ve ever come to death?
Falling 20 feet down the cliff.
Where do you go when you want to let your hair down?
Fishing.
What's your tipple of choice?
Red Bull.
What advice would you give someone starting out in the industry?
Try to do stages in restaurants, take a notebook and try to write down everything that you learn.
