Local woman in MasterChef final six

Annie Assheton, of Bradfield Southend, impressed the judges on last night's show (Wednesday)

WEST Berkshire's representative in this year's MasterChef competition impressed the judges and celebrity guest Richard Wilson in last night's (Wednesday) episode to make it safely through to the final six.

Annie Assheton of Cock Lane, Bradfield Southend, and the other contestants had to create a dish for celebrity caterer Bertie de Rougemont before feeding the cast of BBC drama series Merlin with each contestant preparing two items for a lavish buffet.

For the cast, the 39-year-old, who lives with her husband, Johnny, and their two children, Milly, aged seven, and Rupert, aged four, cooked a spiced custard pot with blackberry compote and a cardamom shortbread, and a salted chocolate tart with caramelised pecans.

She said: “After cooking 12 plates of vegetarian food in a tent for circus riggers and performers last week, it should have been pretty straightforward to produce a single dish in the comparative luxury of the MasterChef kitchen. But this couldn't be any ordinary plate of food. We were entering the world of fine dining and had to impress Bertie de Rougemont.

“Even though it was a relief to be allowed once again to devise menus including meat or fish it was clear that at this point of the competition we were expected to raise our game significantly and produce dishes that would be acceptable to the most demanding customers.”

To find out whether the 39-year-old makes it through to the final five watch the next episode, which is scheduled to be aired on BBC One at 9pm on Wednesday (March 30).