Billie wins MasterChef, Heston job (2024)

SHOWING her trademark grace under fire, Ballina restaurant manager Billie McKay has won herself the title of this year’s MasterChef — and, as a sensational bonus, a new job working for international celebrity chef, Heston Blumenthal.

In a nail-biting finale which saw rival Georgia Barnes win two out of the three challenges, McKay came from four points behind in the final round to perfectly execute a monumental dessert from the UK chef, who was so impressed he hired her on the spot for his famed UK restaurant, The Fat Duck.

Blumenthal was wowed by the poise and resilience of the two grand finalists, who toiled through the epic five-hour dish some of his more senior kitchen staff struggled to produce.

“I kind of thought this could break these finalists, but you two pushed straight back...it was so impressive.”

Admitting he was “gobsmacked” by McKay’s efforts, in particular, he said she had “blown my socks off” in nailing the most difficult element of the dessert, a golden sphere of blown sugar.

Leading the praise from the resident judges, Matt Preston described McKay’s comeback during the final challenge as “the best individual cook in the MasterChef kitchen.”

The 23-year-old surged to a two-point victory over Barnes, taking the title, trophy, a cash prize of $250,000, new Alpha Romeo car, and a monthly column with Delicious magazine — scoring an impressive 82 points out of a possible 100.

The charming country gal revealed to NewsCorp she had listened to music from her dad’s favourite playlists, including Johnny Cash and Van Morrison, to calm her nerves early in the competition but just took the “head down, bum up” approach in the final challenge.

“I wish I could tell you how I did it so I could switch that on any time I need to but I just wanted to get the job done and go for it. It was just head down, bump up and do it.”

Her steely determination and extraordinary technical ability took over, with McKay clawing her way back into contention after Barnes had taken the early lead in the final showdown.

The first mystery box challenge was squarely in McKay’s wheelhouse, with both contestants given access to freestyle cook using the freshest ingredients brought into MasterChef HQ by the farmers who produced them.

Barnes seemed to unsettle the judges early when she set out to cook a sweet ravioli dish, using vanilla and goat’s cheese with a strawberry broth; despite the idea being discouraged by Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris.

But McKay struggled with over-complicating her serving of Strawberries Three Ways, adding four other elements to the dish including a grape seed oil cake, fresh strawberries in pineapple sage sugar and a caramel shard.

The first round gave Barnes a two-point advantage going into the next round, which came with added emotion as the families of both women arrived as special dinner guests.

Again, McKay was worried the arrival of her mum, dad and partner Hayden would prove a distraction, but found a calmness from cooking for the people she loves the most: serving up a refined dish of Fennel and Ginger Puree, Roasted Fennel with Seared Scallops and an Orange and Ginger vinaigrette, with spiced almonds and pickled and raw fennel.

While the dish was deemed a success by the judges, they picked at the lack of presentation which has been one of her strengths this season.

Barnes seized the opportunity to creep further ahead with a dish playing on her mother’s favourite vegetable, mushrooms: dishing up a Mushroom Custard with Hazelnut Granola and Hazelnut cream, with pickled and sautéed mushrooms, to steal a four-point lead.

But even with the advantage, Blumenthal’s final challenge — a 55-step, 17-element dessert inspired by botrytis — would decide the result.

McKay laughed it was “a dish (dessert king) Reynold (Poernomo) would have loved, but definitely the hardest thing we’ve cooked in the competition” — requiring each grand finalist to present a soil, made with parmesan, Roquefort and blue cheese powder; a peach jelly; a compressed red grape dipped in nitrogen; grape fluid gel; citrus sorbet; aerated saffron; chocolate sphere filled with pear caramel and popping candy; a golden sugar ball filled with citrus-infused yoghurt; a stalk made from churros and a caramel vine.

Former MasterChef winner Julie Goodwin also clearly had her favourite.

Barnes, who fell just short with her dessert, earning a total score of 80/100, paid tribute to her cooking combatant, who had held her nerve throughout the series.

“It was just a huge challenge and I was up against Billie who is probably someone no one has ever seen do so well in the MasterChef kitchen. She’s absorbs pressure and is just amazing when it comes to nailing dishes like this. I know I can hold my head high.”

Returning the favour, McKay defended Barnes from social media critics who had questioned whether she had been shown favouritism by the judges in getting to the grand final.

“I didn’t see any of that (favouritism) in the kitchen. It just comes down to the dish on the day, that’s what they judge and what’s great about the show. She’s made so many amazing, creative dishes they have loved...the food, not just her as a person. It’s been absolutely fair.”

During the rollercoaster results show, George Calombaris played a tough love life coach, shaking each contestant out of their emotional meltdowns.

When Barnes began to unravel as McKay took control of the cook, Calombaris told the crying contestant: “what is wrong with you? Get it together.”

McKay and her partner are now preparing to move to England within months, having arranged work visas for her next food adventure.

“I don’t know what is better, winning MasterChef or this job, but it’s such a cool thing to come out of it. We’ll head over there in the next few months.”

While the show was underway plenty of previous MasterChef contestants and even the judges took to Twitter.

holly.byrnes@news.com.au

Twitter: @byrnesh