Matt Tebbutt After MasterChef
Words by
Clara Taylor
6th May 2026
With his departure from MasterChef confirmed, Matt Tebbutt reflects on the chefs who shaped him, hosting the nation's favourite cooking shows and why messy food is always the best.
Growing up in the mid-70s and 80s, we didn’t have much money and we used to go on caravan holidays to Brittany, which is where I first got into food. We used to eat in little bistros and brasseries, discovering delicious food, like fish soup, garlic bread, and oddities like snails. We’d have beach picnics, go to local boulangeries and patisseries. It was exposed to food you couldn't really get in the UK back then, like proper bread, a fantastic croissant, or an amazing baguette, first thing in the morning. It ignited something in me.
Matt has hosted Saturday Kitchen since 2016. ©Saturday Kitchen, BBC.
You've worked with some amazing chefs over the years. Is there one in particular that stands out to you as the most impressive or most impactful on your career?
The first that stands out is Marco Pierre White, whom I really wanted to work for when I was starting out. He brought out this book called White Heat, which made cooking look really exciting, really sexy and a bit dangerous. Totally unlike what you'd imagine cooking was. Marco made it look really vibrant, so I always wanted to work for him.
The other is a lovely guy who is no longer with us, sadly, called Alistair Little, who introduced me to simple but beautiful Italian cooking. Alistair was a one-off. He was smart, intelligent and came to cooking from a very different angle.
Did you overlap with Gordon Ramsay when you were with Marco Pierre White?
No, but the stories were legendary.
Is there anything that you took from that time that continues to influence how you cook today?
Standards. Marco was all about standards and precision. Also, just tasting. Lots of chefs for some reason won't taste things as they make them.
With BBC's Saturday Kitchen, do you get a say in who comes on the show?
Generally, that is the team's job. They really look at pairings – who works well with whom. I can obviously suggest people, especially if they're new to the industry, or if I'm out for dinner and I come across a great chef, I’ll say we should get this person on.
What makes for the best pairing?
Basically, you don't want to be too focused on one thing. You don't want to focus only on a certain kind of cuisine. Food is everywhere, and we need to represent it all, because there's something out there for everyone. Then we have to look at the personality behind food. Many chefs are very accomplished. They're fantastic at putting food on a plate, but not necessarily great at communicating it.
Blenheim Palace, south lawn. ©Peter Seaward.
What's the biggest challenge about presenting live every weekend?
The biggest challenge is remembering I'm on TV! It can be super relaxed, like you’re messing around in your own kitchen with some friends, especially since I know most of the chefs very well. We already have a rapport, which helps break down any nerves that anyone might have. By and large, within about 10 minutes, the guests get into it and fully relax.
What would be your food heaven and your food hell?
My food hell would be food that’s been too messed around with. The type of tweezer food with dots on plates – my pet hate! That, or food made by somebody I don’t particularly like. It doesn't really happen much anymore, but you used to hear chefs being absolutely bullied and berated in the kitchen, and then the food would appear, looking like a work of art. But you’d know the pain that had gone into it. I don’t want to eat like that, it’s horrible.
How did you find MasterChef?
It was really nice to do. Really fun. Marcus and Monica were great to work with, both very encouraging. Walking into such an established show, you have to tread carefully. But they were really encouraging. It took a couple of days of filming to find my feet, but once I did, I really enjoyed it.
You also get really into the competition. I know it's just TV, but you get really behind the chefs. You can see the amount of work they put into it. People forget they have to do their day jobs, they then have to practice their food, come back and do it all on telly. Plus, you’ve got the pressure of looking at bloody Marcus and Monica, who are terrifying, and then produce fantastic food for them. The pressure is on and I got really invested in it.
What actually wins MasterChef today?
Attendees of Blenheim Palace Food Festival, ©Peter Seaward.
Not only were you joining an established and beloved show, but you were also joining after a series of controversies, so you had to tread carefully in that respect, too.
Definitely! But coming into any new role on any show is tricky. Like when I took over Saturday Kitchen, there was a swathe of people who liked the show as it was. They didn’t want some new guy coming into their show.
The one thing that stood out and the one thing you look out for are the chefs who grow. When you look at the finalists, they're the ones who have changed, adapted and continued to hit the mark. They’ve got to deliver in the time frame as well and that throws off a lot of people.
I love the section of the show where they create dishes for a pop-up. Have you thought about what you’d cook if you were a contestant?
It would be a crowd pleaser, but a crowd pleaser that really stands out. Something filthy and delicious. I remember Gareth (Baty) who won the show, had a brilliant dish – soufflé potatoes with Comté cheese and truffle. That type of dish will always do well. Food that’s messy.
Blenheim Palace Food Festival: L-R: Sabrina Ghayour, Matt Tebbutt and Raymond Blanc OBE. ©Peter Seaward.
The Blenheim Palace Food Festival is happening at the end of the month. How did you first get involved?
This is my first time being involved, but it looks great. It's a great time of year to do it – right at the start of the season. There’s a real street food, with music and some fantastic chefs, like Raymond Blanc – he's an absolute legend! The lovely Sabrina Ghayour, who comes on Saturday Kitchen a lot. It's a nice occasion for people to wander around, buy different food, chat to people, meet chefs and sample new food.
Some of the bigger, more established food festivals (which I won't mention!) and chefs will run out, they'll do their shtick on stage and not venture out into the crowd. I don’t get that. Part and parcel of this job is to go out, mill around and absorb everything.
Matt on set. ©Saturday Kitchen, BBC.
You’ve previously run your own restaurant. Would you ever be tempted to open somewhere again?
Never say never. The restaurant scene is a crime at the moment and the government seems to be doing its best to see everyone off. Hopefully, that will change, but at the moment, no. Would I ever do it again? 100%. It's always in you, if you, if you've done it before. There are huge highs in having your own place and that's what attracts people to it. It is the excitement, the drama and the hospitality. Just pleasing people and getting smiles on their faces. That's the best part of hospitality.
Matt's restaurant in Wales, The Foxhunter.
What does your perfect day off look like?
I like to spend at least three hours cooking and pottering. If it’s a sunny day, I’d just be mooching around the garden with my cats. I'd go for a walk – we've got some kind of beautiful hills around us in Wales and so I'd disappear for a couple of hours, not pick up my phone, not answer emails and make the most of where we are.
If it’s summer, I’d be cooking outside, having vermouth spritzers at sunset. Nothing too heavy – not Negroni territory! Something nice to take the edge off.
If you have friends coming over, what do you cook?
Probably three or four big sharing platters. The main event would be something with meat or fish, served alongside a lovely, warm salad and roasted or grilled vegetables. Maybe something Middle Eastern, that has maximum flavour and is very easy to make. All delicious spices, pomegranates, preserved lemons and things like that.
For dessert, Jeremy Lee does this thing called a tumble. It’s a soft, chewy meringue with lots of fruit cream, thick custard, ice cream, fruit purées and coulis. It looks like a right mess, but it's utterly delicious.
What is your all-time favourite restaurant?
There's one in particular that I love. The food is not the best in the world by a long way, but the setting and the history behind it are incredible. It’s La Colombe D’Or in Vence. They have magnums of rosé, serve hors d’oeuvres in market baskets, some really great bread and desserts.
It’s where local artists like Picasso, Matisse and Renoir would hang out before they had any money. When they couldn’t afford lunch, they’d leave a painting, so you have these priceless masterpieces on the wall
What’s next for you?
Well, the MasterChef thing isn't over, so I'm waiting to hear a few things on that (N.b. since we spoke, it’s been confirmed Matt won’t return to the show). Saturday Kitchen rolls on, thankfully. I’m also supposed to be doing a book this year.
I've got pots and pans coming out later this year, which is exciting. That is very exciting. My podcast on BBC Sounds, called Check Out Confessions, has just come out, as well. I interview celebrities and we start by talking about five or six items in a shopping basket that they’ll always reach for. I’m also working on another one, potentially with Ollie Smith, which could be exciting.
Blenheim Palace Food Festival takes place 23-25 May 2026.
