Thomas Frake has been crowned the winner of MasterChef 2020.
The banking and finance professional from Tooting, 32, watched his victory play out on-screen on Friday, after being furloughed from his City job due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Following his victory Thomas revealed he may have to put his dream of opening a gastropub on hold, as the restaurant industry continues to be hit hard by the nationwide lockdown.
Victory: MasterChef champion Thomas Frake, 32, has revealed he dreams of opening a gastropub after winning the show, despite recently being furloughed from his banking job
Thomas filmed his MasterChef victory back in December, but kept his accomplishment a secret from a majority of his friends and family.
While he originally planned to watch his final episode with loved ones, due to social distancing he watched the win with his girlfriend at their flat in Tooting.
Speaking about his plans after winning the show, Thomas explained he would love to secure work experience in a kitchen before opening a gastropub of his own.
But after being furloughed from his banking job, he added his plans may have to be put on hold.
He told The Times: ‘The restaurant trade has been quite badly hit so even when the lockdown comes to an end it’s going to take a while for chefs to get their kitchens back up to speed.’
Amazing: The banking and finance professional from Tooting watched his victory play out on-screen on Friday, after wowing judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace
Praised: Thomas (pictured right with finalists David Rickett and Sandy Trag) said he hopes to land work experience in professional restaurants after his win
Delicious: Thomas won over the judges with his take on classic pub dishes, after growing up in East London
Thomas started cooking at the age of seven but said it was not until he was 21 that he began ‘properly’ getting into it.
He said: ‘My real appreciation for food started after travels to Greece and Spain, experiencing the Mediterranean diet for the first time.
‘I love to understand why and how ingredients are cultivated where they are, the people that farm them and the origin of recipes. That’s why I love the classics amplified and done well.’
Thomas won over judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace with his incredible version of pub favourites, with a starter of monkfish scampi with pickled fennel, gherkins, onions and tartar sauce.
For his main course he opted for ox cheek braised in black treacle, with crispy onions, shredded vegetables and horseradish mash.
Sensational: Speaking after his victory, Thomas said winning the series ‘blew his mind,’ and described it as a ‘dream come true’
He then topped of his incredible meal with a salted caramel custard tart with orange zest, toffee popcorn and a popcorn ice cream.
The mixture of flavours and choosing to stick to dishes he would want to eat himself, proved to be the ideal combination, and Thomas was awarded the MasterChef trophy.
Speaking after the victory he said: ‘Honestly, it’s a dream come true. It’s been immense and the best thing I’ve ever done in my life.
‘I can’t see me not working in food for the rest of my life because it just makes me happy seeing other people happy with it.’
Yummy: Thomas won over the judges with his take on classic pub food, with monkfish scampi, ox cheek and mash and a salted caramel tart (pictured on the show)
John added: ‘Thomas is a real talent and his food has always been about putting a smile on your face. I admire Thomas’ work ethic, he’s a grafter.
‘He’s able to take a classic and deliver it with real style and finesse. That’s the gift of a great cook. He knows exactly the direction he wants to go in and, for me, his food today tasted fantastic.’
Gregg added: ‘Thomas has a definitive style. He takes the ordinary and make it extraordinary. I really admire Thomas. He wants to take all the foods that he grew up with and make them better.
‘He has delighted me all the way through the competition and today I think his three courses were just exceptional. They had his heart and his soul in every single forkful.’
Sadly this meant fellow finalists David Rickett, 31, and Sandy Trag, 24, lost out on winning the trophy, despite producing equally impressive three course meals.
Battling it out: Sadly this meant fellow finalists David Rickett, 31, (left) and Sandy Trag, 24, lost out on winning the trophy, despite producing equally impressive three course meals
Despite winning the show, Thomas recently revealed that he is yet to receive the MasterChef 2020 trophy due to the coronavirus lockdown.
He explained: ‘The trophy is still in lockdown because of the whole social distancing and quarantining in the UK.
‘The crew can’t actually get to it to be able to courier it to me.
‘I have touched it once for some press photographs before Christmas and then I haven’t touched it or seen it since then. I think it’s going to be a few more weeks before it ends up on the bookshelf.
‘It itself is in quarantine. I will see it once life starts to return to normal.’
Battling it out: The finale once again saw the finalists create a three course dinner. The series was filmed months ahead of the coronavirus pandemic