CHENNAI: Veterinary surgeon Brin Pirathapan has claimed the prestigious title of MasterChef Champion 2024, triumphing at the end of the 20th series of TV’s biggest cooking competition. Born in the UK to parents who migrated from Sri Lanka in the 80s, Brin's culinary journey is deeply rooted in his heritage. "I've always been excited by food; it takes up so much of our lives, so it should be good. Growing up, I was surrounded by incredible Tamil Sri Lankan food at home and exposed to a huge variety of cuisines at university. My earliest memories of food are running to the kitchen at family parties to find the mutton rolls," says 29-year-old Brin.
Brin grew up in Chelmsford, Essex, before moving to Bristol for his veterinary studies. He still lives there with his fiancée, Anna, whom he calls his biggest supporter (and occasional critic). He credits his parents for inspiring his love of food. “Cooking runs in my family. I’m really lucky to have this amazing spicy culinary background from my parents. They are great cooks, and I've been fortunate enough to enjoy incredible Tamil Sri Lankan flavours throughout my life. The areas of cooking I love are a true amalgamation of my Tamil Sri Lankan heritage and my British upbringing. I have a passion for creating dishes with bold flavours and refining them to high standards using European techniques. I like to draw flavour combinations from all over the world to create balanced dishes," shares Brin.
The chef adds that his culture profoundly influences his food, teaching him how to develop layered and bold flavours. Brin observes that food is becoming increasingly accessible - “With online food content, everyone can learn how to produce a variety of cuisines at home. Also, supermarkets are now stocking a much broader range of international foods,” he tells DT Next.
When asked how he plans to leverage his MasterChef UK win to further his culinary ambitions, Brin opens up. "I want cooking and food to take me around the world. Much of my MasterChef journey was inspired by my travels, and I want to keep exploring in the hope of continuing to learn. Maybe one day it will even bring me to Chennai!"
Brin hopes to have a future in the food industry. He says that waking up every morning knowing he is doing something he loves would be a wonderful feeling. "It would be amazing to write a cookbook and explore supper clubs or private dining. In the long term, I want food to take me all over the world. MasterChef has already allowed me to cook for some of my absolute heroes – including Tom Kitchin, Monica Galetti, and Pierre Koffman. I’d love to do another Chef’s Table for some more of the greats and see what they think of my food. I feel like I’ve got so much more to learn, and this is hopefully just the beginning," concludes the winner.