MasterChef UK semi final takes place in Peru

The well-known reality cooking competition MasterChef UK chose the Peruvian capital, Lima, as the stage for the final part of the 2018 season. Peru was selected for its varied culinary history, which was shared with around 6.5 million Brits on 11 April on BBC One.

The episode shows the adventure experienced by the finalists, Alex, David, Kenny and Nawamin, in Peru. They were able to discover the essence of local cuisine with Gastón Acurio, and delve into Lima's food scene, applying what they learned in one of the best restaurants in the world – Virgilio Martínez's Central.

The MasterChef UK episode highlighted Peru's more than 5,000 years of culinary history, as well as its territorial riches and cultural diversity which offer an explosion of flavors. The contestants were also impressed by the quality and amount of Peruvian products.

It is worth pointing out that Peruvian cuisine has made a big impression on the British food scene in recent years. This has been reflected in the opening of several restaurants such as LIMA, Coya, Ceviche and Andina, where the British have been able to try iconic Peruvian dishes and super foods.

According to the travel site Travelbag, searches for holiday packages to Peru increased by 1,204% in the days after the show was aired. Isabella Falco, the PROMPERÚ Communications and Country Image Director, highlighted the fact that our cuisine continues to consolidate its place as a mobilizing influence on travel and is a point of reference in the culinary world.

As regards tourists coming from the United Kingdom, between January and November last year Peru welcomed more than 65,000 British tourists, who spend an average of US$ 1,824 during their stay, according to PROMPERÚ’s Foreign Tourist Profile. They stay for 14 days and are especially interested in activities related to culture, nature and adventure.

ABOUT MASTERCHEF UK:

It is one of the most successful TV shows in the UK. For over 15 years it has been taking on the task of discovering talented British chefs in a competition-based format where contestants complete various challenges throughout the season. The winner last season was Saliha Mahmoon Ahmed.