Chariya is set to join the star-studded line up at Bolton Food and Drink Festival later this month, which includes celebrity chefs Gok Wan, Nisha Katona, James Martin, and Michael Caines
Two months ago, Chariya Khattiyot left the MasterChef kitchen for the final time with trophy in hand after judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace announced their newly crowned champion.
Up against exceptional finalists Anurag Aggarwal and Omar Foster, Chariya’s triumphant victory was hailed as the ‘greatest ever win’ in the show’s history as she became the 19th amateur cook to be awarded the coveted title of MasterChef winner.
Taking on 44 other ambitious contestants at the start of the competition, Chariya broke down in floods of tears completely overwhelmed with her unbelievable achievement while judges Torode and Wallace were also visibly emotional and teary-eyed at her reaction to winning the show.
Now following her victory in June, Chariya’s professional cookery debut has been announced as she joins the chef line-up at the Bolton Food and Drink Festival 2023, which is taking place over the August bank holiday weekend later this month.
Chariya is in good company as she joins celebrity chefs including TV icon Gok Wan MBE, Mowgli Street Food’s Nisha Katona MBE, Saturday Kitchen chef James Martin and Michael Caines MBE who has held two Michelin stars for 18 consecutive years.
Chariya is set to host a cookery demonstration on Saturday 26th August at 1pm on Bolton’s Town Hall Square, with a dedicated stage that will be transformed into an outdoor industrial kitchen.
What makes Chariya’s professional cookery debut even more special is that it is completely free for the public to attend, meaning fans of MasterChef can come along on Saturday for a special face-to-face demo with the shows reigning champ.
Her love of cooking stems from growing up in Northern Thailand with her grandfather, who with very limited means taught Chariya how to make the most out of what they had and get the best flavours from their food, something that she is passionate about championing throughout her future endeavours.
Last year, Bolton Food and Drink Festival welcomed over 450,000 visitors over the four-day bank holiday weekend, making it one of the biggest and most popular foodie festivals in the country – and with this year marking the festival’s 18th birthday, organisers are expecting an even bigger turn out for 2023.
Guests attending Chhatriya’s cookery demonstration can expect a Northern Thai inspired menu, similar to that which she showcased on the hit BBC show.
Reacting to her MasterChef win, Chariya said: “This is unbelievable. It means the world, the sun, the moon, and everything to me. I don’t think anything can top this. I’m so happy!
“This just proves that if you dream something and you work really hard and you never give up, you can get it. That’s what my grandad said to me – never give up. He would be so proud of me!”
“I’ve loved watching MasterChef for many years and decided to enter the competition so I could showcase Northern Thai cuisine.
“In some ways I’ve been mentally preparing for this for a while. I was initially nervous to cook for John and Gregg, but they were so supportive and they made me want to be the best! I’m also very competitive by nature and I think that’s helped with my mindset in the competition.’
“I hope there will be opportunities to work with food and I’m excited about getting experience and turning this love of cooking into a profession.
“I want to show the world that Northern Thai food is amazing because it really is. I just love to see people’s faces light up when they eat my food.”
Bolton Food and Drink Festival 2023 takes place over the August bank holiday weekend from 25th to 28th – the festival is free to attend with a wide variety of entertainment, activities, and food and drink traders that the whole family can enjoy.
Over the weekend there are also a number of ticketed events including celebrity chef demos, bottomless brunches, and an extra special DJ set at The Afterparty with Gok Wan.
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