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15 July 2009
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About the series

Chef John Torode and ingredients expert Gregg Wallace were on the lookout for a new star chef.

Weeks one to five

In the first five weeks of the competition, six contestants, picked from thousands of hopeful amateurs, faced three high-pressure tests per week. First they had to invent a dish from scratch in 40 minutes using only ingredients from the 'mystery box'. Next, the three contestants who showed the most potential had to survive the heat of a professional kitchen.

Mystery box

If you want to try cooking with the mystery box ingredients featured in the programme, we've got some ideas to inspire you.

Finally, the contestants had to impress the judges with a two-course meal that showed they had the flair, skill and potential to make it as a great chef. Only one of them got through to each week's quarter-final and got one step closer to becoming the MasterChef winner. Quarter-finals were on Thursdays with a special hour-long show.

On Thursdays the competitors faced three high-pressure tests. They had to design an exceptional three-course meal that would impress the judges. But before that, they had to prove to the judges that they had food knowledge and a passion for food, as well as a genuine commitment to changing their lives in favour of a future in the food industry.

From week six

From Monday 11 February, the 'comeback week' began, throwing contestants from the last series into a gruelling endurance test that saw them attempt an 18-hour shift in professional restaurants. Week seven and eight were the semis and finals, which pushed the boundaries even further in order to find the winner of MasterChef 2008.

Winning moment

Watch a video clip of the winning moment when James Nathan found out he was to be crowned with the title of MasterChef 2008. Plus, we've got recipes from all three finalists.