Masterchef Champion Dan Merriman Credits Grandfather for Winning Dish

Masterchef: The Professionals victor Dan Merriman has disclosed that his final dessert was inspired by his late grandfather. Mr. Merriman, a senior sous chef at the Black Bull Inn in Old Langho, Blackburn, was crowned the show’s 2024 winner on Thursday night. Mr. Merriman, who experienced the loss of both his mother and father at a young age, was raised by his grandparents. He stated that if his grandfather were alive to witness his win – achieved in part with the blackcurrant cassis mousse that his grandfather inspired – he would have been “sitting on the sofa singing his heart out”. The 29-year-old remarked: “Everything I’ve been though has made me the person I am today.” He further added: “[My grandfather] would be incredibly proud.” Mr. Merriman, an Accrington resident, indicated that his concluding main course – ex-dairy beef cooked in beef fat and smoked butter – drew inspiration from fellow Blackburn chef Lisa Goodwin-Allen of Northcote’s. With this triumph secured, Mr. Merriman expressed that he felt it was his “time to fly” and that he aimed to establish “his own space” with “his own team”. He commented: “I’ve worked in the industry for 13 years, I’ve really put in the hours. “I feel like it’s my time to do my own thing and see where I can take myself.””