MasterChef is celebrating a significant milestone as it marks its 20th anniversary on the BBC. The iconic cooking competition has welcomed 58 new amateur cooks who are vying for the coveted title.
For those avid fans who are curious about the filming locations of their favorite cooking show, here’s all you need to know. Since 2014, MasterChef has been filmed at 3 Mills Studios in Newham, East London.
However, the 20th-anniversary series will be the last to be filmed at this former distillery turned film and television studio. The studio has also been the backdrop for other popular shows like Gordon Ramsay: Cookalong Live, Million Pound Drop Live, Stand Up To Cancer, and Bad Girls.
In the earlier years, MasterChef was filmed in student halls at City University from 2005 to 2010, and later at Ram Brewery in Wandsworth from 2011 to 2013.
But the show is set to make a move in 2024 as it will now be filmed in Birmingham. Producers have secured a six-year deal at Digbeth Loc studios, founded by the creator of Peaky Blinders, Steven Knight.
This means that the show will be based in Birmingham until at least 2030, with construction expected to be completed by autumn 2024. Spinoff shows such as MasterChef: The Professionals and Celebrity MasterChef will also relocate to Birmingham.
As always, the contestants on the show will have the opportunity to work in professional kitchens during the quarter-finals.
This season, they will be cooking at Nessa and Joia restaurants. In a unique twist to the format, the final four contestants will travel to Singapore to showcase their skills to special guests including MasterChef Singapore judge Damian D’Silva at The Fullerton Bay Hotel.
They will then return to London to cook at the chef’s table at Le Gavroche under the guidance of past MasterChef: The Professionals judge Michel Roux Jr.
Throughout its history, MasterChef has showcased some of the most renowned restaurants in the UK and around the world.
Contestants have had the opportunity to cook at places like Sartoria in Mayfair, London, Carlton Towers in North Yorkshire, and Central in Peru. The show has also taken contestants to the Glyndebourne opera house, the Royal Society in London, and even on a culinary adventure to Hong Kong.
For fans eager to catch the latest season, MasterChef 2024 premiered on April 1 at 6.30 pm on BBC One. The season will consist of 24 episodes over eight weeks, with three episodes airing each week. Broadcast days may vary, so it’s advisable to check the BBC schedule to keep track of the episodes.
