Will Stewart and Steve Flood win My Kitchen Rules
It was the night the Empire did strike back — with British-born best mates Steve Flood and Will Stewart trading on their refined palates and sophisticated techniques to get one over two “chicks from the sticks” and win this year’s My Kitchen Rules crown.
The ecstatic English expats, who quit their jobs as bankers to chase Flood’s food dreams, beat out country cousins, Jac Bakhash and Shaz Sellings to become the first all-male team to earn the MKR title.
Pumped ... Will Stewart and Steve Flood raise the roof after being named the winners of MKR. Source: Channel 7
Flood found extra motivation to serve up his best dishes after Channel 7 surprised him by flying in his parents for the most important night in their son’s life.
Joy ... Will and Steve take the final prize in the MKR grand finale.
Their arrival triggered a few tears, but once focused the NSW-based team kicked on to score a winning total of 52 out of 60 for a menu praised by the judges as “a triumph of creativity and restraint.”
Their rivals — who could be trademarked as the ‘cockatoo cooks’ for their signature squawk, “we’re just Jac and Shaz” — flew the flag impressively for their mining home town of Mt Isa, serving up five courses of classic Australian cuisine.
Nervous wait ... Will and Steve face Jac and Shaz in MKR cook off. Source: Channel 7
While both teams were tested by the pressure-cooker climax, it was Will and Steve’s more adventurous menu of cured kingfish with yellow curry, quail with corn and jus, red mullet with Jerusalem artichoke and basil, confit duck with beetroot and compressed watermelon and peaches and cream which won favour.
The Kingfish with yellow curry was a hit with judges and other contestants. Source: Supplied
Next up Will and Steve sent out tasty Quail with Corn jus. Picture: Supplied. Source: Supplied
They followed the Quail with a dish of Red Mullet with Jerusalem Artichoke and Basil. Picture: Supplied. Source: Supplied
Confit duck leg with honeyed beetroot and compressed watermelon. Picture: Supplied. Source: Supplied
The dessert of peaches and cream looked simple but it was a knockout. Picture: Supplied. Source: Supplied
Despite keeping their cool in the kitchen, Jac and Shaz’s menu of prawns, avocado and pink grapefruit, lamb with feta, beetroot and rosemary honey, confit salmon with roasted fennel and avocado mousse, beef cheeks with port and celeriac puree and red velvet with chocolate and raspberries fell just short (earning 50/60).
But in an indication of how tight the contest was, two judges, Colin Fassnidge and Guy Grossi could not split the teams, dishing out identical scores and narrowing the winning margin to just two points.
Stressful ... Will and Steve in the thick of it during the finale. Source: Channel 7
The difference for co-host Manu Feildel came down to the boys’ seafood course of red mullet, which he said “was one of those dishes I will remember for a long time.”
Both teams were kept in the dark about the result until tonight’s broadcast, with producers following the show’s usual format of filming alternate endings.
While this led to initial confusion for the Mt Isa team and their supporters in Kitchen HQ — who were unaware of the practise — the pair said they were “proud as punch” of their efforts in being the first team on the show and one of the last still standing.
Big hopes ... Will and Steve will use their prize money to follow their foodie dreams. Source: Channel 7
Sellings said “we will take away the belief that you are capable of anything. I can’t believe we’ve reached the end. I’ve been bossing (Jac) around for months and she’s handled it like a dream; I just love her to death. We love being together and we love cooking; we’ve had an absolute ball.”
Flood has confirmed he will use his share of the $250,000 prize pot to bankroll his dreams of being a full-time foodie — an ambition now also open to his mate, who has gone from cheerleader to talented sous chef.
Stewart said: “For me it’s been a massive journey and I’m really starting to believe in myself more than I’ve ever done before. MKR has totally changed the direction of both of our lives.”
Source: NEWS.com.au May 5th 2015
