By Minal D’Rozario, Co-Founder and Director
From Gary’s one killing look on plating and assessing efforts to George’s unique set of tweezers and detail for perfection to Matt’s lifetime experience and knowledge of every flavour across the globe. And finally to that breath-taking 5 seconds silence on their feedback on every morsel, were strangely the simplest things that kept you hooked on to the show for 11 straight years.
What if they weren’t a part of it? Unimaginable right?
Masterchef Australia was not just any other cooking show. It has stirred conversations and discussions for many to dream bigger. Whether it is to start their own cafe, or just to start cooking as a source of healing. It has enabled cultures to come together and bond over food and flavours, to revisit relationships and learn about food, people and life. These 11 years have not only impacted contestants, but also each one sitting across the screen to initiate their passion for food or any other fields of interest.
Rationale thinking would suggest that since the judges had been around for so many years, it was time for a change. New faces, fresh perspectives and renewed thinking. But there has been something which has kept these gentlemen glued not only to the show but also to its viewers and the community at large. In my personal opinion, the emotion of a contestant living their life through an entire series was so impacting. Winning was manifested in several ways and it changed how people approached their own lives.
Their recipe for success was made up of a simple formula- Passion, Perseverance and Perfection. The three P’s have helped millions to put things into perspective as suggested by every judge. Any one missing ingredient makes it a one time dish but put all three together and you’re looking at a timeless remembrance.
Passion is the child-like behaviour to embrace the freshness and the new aromas of life. It’s the things that get you excited and curious. It’s the love for building or creating something beautiful and hoping people will love it just as much as you do. This ingredient allows you to champion your vision of your creation. It’s not an easy task since your passions may or may not be unique from the millions that exist. But it definitely allows you the ability to explore and push you enough to try it out.
Now here is a hard one- Perseverance. This requires a lot of patience and motivation to keep trying and come close to your vision of what you dreamt or imagined. There are the hard calls, the ability to move forward at times and not being able to be excited every day. But the most important part of this is the right choice of equipment/tools and a lot of learning to strive towards the constant need for perfection. Doubts, confusion and challenges may strike, and most importantly, the choice to achieve perfection. Is it always the right one?
But during the course of this journey, the people, environment, culture and your past play a huge role to continue working without trying too hard to impress anyone but yourself.
Perfection is that selfless experience of closure and inching towards a possible result, which can make or break the response or reaction. It’s that stage wherein you take a deep breath and see your final result- whether it is an exact replica of your vision or somewhat close to it. It’s the stage where you question whether you are relevant to the end-user of your product, or if you have done everything in your hands to give your best. To be worthy of a smile and joy to the person who is the consumer of your passion.
The combination of Gary, George and Matt have helped us understand the importance of passion, perseverance and perfection coming together to form a humble yet beautiful dish. Every day, hour and minute, there are millions getting inspired to show you the world from their own perspective. And it all comes down to the 5 seconds and the experience you give or get when you build something you love.
We will miss every word, learning and experience which you have given us all these years!
Love from millions who dream every day.