29 year old Fannata is a health and safety specialist. Born in Accra, Ghana she has lived in New York, Los Angeles and now in Peterborough.

How would you describe your style of cooking?

“My cooking style is quite experimental. I would say it’s very west African, the kind of food I ate growing up with influences from amazing food from around the world. I am inspired by my grandparents especially as well as my countless family members who have shown me different delightful ways of approaching cookery.”

What is your earliest cooking memory?

“I fell in love with cooking while watching my grandfather cook an entire lamb on my 10th birthday. He had to build an outdoor clay oven for it and marinated the meat for three days, it was the most amazing thing I’ve ever eaten, full of spices and sweetness and it was at that point that I understood that food was his way of expressing love.”

Why did you enter MasterChef?

“To challenge myself really, pushing myself to try new recipes and showcase the food I grew up eating. It would be amazing to be able to showcase this on such a large platform as well as honing my cooking techniques along the way.”

What is your food dream?

“My biggest dream is to learn from the best and own a restaurant. On this journey I would absolutely love to document the growing international food scenes and recipes that are out there. The current global food scene is becoming more accessible than ever and I’d love to be part of that – showing the wonderous recipes of the past that form traditions but also new fusions that excite me.”