Chef-restaurateur Al Brown is beyond excited to join Josh Emett and Mark Wallbank on the judging panel of MasterChef New Zealand, which premieres this weekend.
"To win it, you will have to go from that safe zone and bring us something else. But if you put too much on there, it's lost," says Brown.
"Cook within your boundaries, but bring a little bit of magic with it."
The Kiwi chef, who is renowned for his love of simple foods "cooked perfectly", confesses embarking on the MasterChef journey is not just a learning curve for contestants, but also for him.
"I'm learning off these contestants and that's the beautiful thing about food: you never ever stop learning," says Brown.
Considering himself more of a mentor than a judge, Brown's main focus is to guide new talent throughout their MasterChef adventure. He wants to teach people the beauty in the simplicity of classics.
"Less is more. You have to look at your food and think 'Does it actually need that?'" says Brown.
The TV-chef and author owns three establishments in Auckland and claims food brings people together.
"I don't like conflict around food. Food is about happiness and sharing recipes and having a good time," he says with a smile on his face.
"Food is the glue that brings people together."
MasterChef New Zealand premieres Sunday on TV3.
Watch the full interview.
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