Gregg Wallace has noticed a switch back to "old-fashioned" cooking.

Gregg Wallace has noticed a switch back to old-fashioned cooking

Gregg Wallace has noticed a switch back to old-fashioned cooking

The 59-year-old chef has judged amateur cooks on 'Master Chef' since its revival in 2005 and also features on celebrity versions of the show and as a group of professional chefs compete against each other in a cook-off for the new series of 'Master Chef: The Professionals', has admitted that there is a "fusion" of flavours in today's world that don't rely on "gimmicks".

He said: "I’ve noticed a movement almost back in time, to the skill, the touch and the timing of the chefs, with less reliance on gimmicks and machines. It's back to old fashioned cookery, which I’m really loving. I’ve also noticed a sort of fusion of East meets West. Using European cookery techniques with Asian flavours is something I find really exciting. I think it’s a great reflection of modern multicultural British society. It’s particularly great to see it in fine dining cuisine, where historically this wasn’t the case. You've got chefs from a mix of different backgrounds learning classic techniques along with flavours from all over the world and it’s fantastic."

The former 'Strictly Come Dancing' contestant judges alongside fellow chefs Monica Galetti and Marcus Wareing on the new series - which will launch on BBC One on Monday 23 October - and explained that some of the taste tests are amongst some of his "most enjoyable" moments he has had during his TV career.

He said: "One of my favourite parts was sitting next to Marcus and Monica during the skills test. It’s some of the most enjoyable television I've ever done in my life because I get to eat it and I get a one-on-one cookery lesson from two of the best chefs in the country. Their skills are just incredible so it’s a real honour and a privilege, and they really love teaching.

"And a really standout moment when we weren’t filming, was when Marcus and Monica and I went to a funfair with a ghost house in Copenhagen. If you can imagine, it was the three of us holding hands in there, which was a mixture of screaming and laughing. One of our finest evenings!"

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