Superstar MasterChef winner Lisa Snowdon is EHAAT ambassador

Superstar MasterChef 2022 champion Lisa Snowdon is “on cloud 9” after profitable the BBC cooking contest.

And impressed by one of many challenges on this yr’s sequence of MasterChef, the high-flying TV presenter and podcaster has joined Essex & Herts Air Ambulance (EHAAT) as a celeb ambassador.

The transfer got here on account of the mass catering episode, which aired on Tuesday, September 6, when Lisa, together with the seven different remaining celebrities, received a uncommon glimpse behind the scenes of the work carried out by the charity.

Happening at EHAAT’s state-of-the-art airbase at North Weald, the eight semi-finalists cooked lunch for 70 friends together with medics from EHAAT and the School of Paramedics, pilots, and charity help workers, designing and creating 4 dishes in simply three hours.

Lisa, who grew up in Welwyn Backyard Metropolis however now lives in Essex, mentioned: “I’m so excited I’m going to be working with the group at EHAAT.

“On the Superstar MasterChef mass catering day, Jane Gurney, the charity’s CEO, invited me to be an envoy.

“Nothing would make me prouder to be concerned to assist the group proceed to boost cash for the life-saving work that this superb service gives.

“Myself and my fellow semi-finalists had been so moved to have the ability to prepare dinner for them, and to satisfy them as effectively. These guys are real-life heroes and unbelievable folks.”

Lisa, 50, lined up within the Superstar MasterChef 2022 remaining on TV final Thursday alongside McFly star Danny Jones and All Saints singer Mel Blatt.

Essex-based ex-EastEnders star and Name The Midwife actor Cliff Parisi, who lives within the countryside close to Saffron Walden, went out within the penultimate episode of the sequence.

The sequence 17 finale was filmed earlier this yr but it surely wasn’t screened on BBC One till September 22 on account of modifications within the TV programme schedules following the dying of Queen Elizabeth II.

After an in depth contest within the kitchen, 2008 Strictly Come Dancing finalist Lisa was topped a deserving winner of the 2022 Superstar MasterChef title by judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace for her “daring combos”.

The three finalists needed to prepare dinner and current a faultless three-course meal in two hours for the judges.

Lisa Snowdon’s starter within the remaining was pan-fried mackerel served with poached rhubarb, and a fennel and orange slaw.

Her essential course was pan-fried duck breast on a sunflower seed purée with pickled chestnut mushrooms, fried enoki mushrooms and sautéed shiitake mushroom, together with crispy and poached cavolo nero, and a sticky honey and soy sauce.

Gregg Wallace known as Lisa’s essential course “impressed”, including “it’s a superb dish”.

He mentioned: “Pay attention, you have cooked duck earlier than, not notably effectively.

“You discovered redemption on this duck, it’s good.”

He added: “I’ve by no means had sunflower seed puree earlier than. There is a bitterness to it however you have put one thing sharp via it like a vinegar. Pretty!

“That sauce of soy and honey is impressed. You had candy and bitter sauce together with your sweetbread at Locatelli, you have made candy and bitter sauce once more, have not you?

“It’s a superb dish.”

John Torode commented: “Mushrooms, lovely. Duck, lovely. Sauce, lovely. Simply lovely.”

A darkish chocolate ganache tart with a biscuit base, topped with a brandy snap cigar with crème fraîche inside, served with cherries poached in brown sugar and purple wine vinegar was Lisa’s dessert.

“It is genius” was Greg Wallace’s evaluation after tasting it.

Within the remaining, Torode advised viewers: “Lisa has proved herself to be a terrific prepare dinner via this competitors.

“She takes the unusual and makes it extraordinary.”

“I wished to participate in MasterChef to problem myself,” mentioned Lisa. “Do this stuff which might be going to simply push me out of my consolation zone. And that is precisely what’s occurred.

“It is opened my eyes massively.”

After being awarded the trophy, the brand new Superstar MasterChef champion mentioned: “I am actually so blown away.

“It has been such a life-changing expertise. I really feel like this is not actual. I simply can’t consider it.

“I am simply, like, on cloud 9.”

Nonetheless coming all the way down to earth after her magnificent MasterChef triumph, a charity near residence will now profit from Lisa’s excessive profile celeb help.

EHAAT’s Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) groups consists of a pilot, co-pilot, pre-hospital care physician, and a essential care paramedic.

These essential care groups will be rushed to the scene of an incident in Hertfordshire, Essex and the encircling areas with life-saving help tools to ship superior scientific care that’s usually solely discovered within the hospital emergency division.

As soon as stabilised, the affected person will likely be conveyed by air or land to essentially the most acceptable hospital for his or her wants.

In 2021, EHAAT attended 2,545 missions. 

Lisa joins the well-known actor Ray Winstone, who lives in Hertfordshire and has been a celeb ambassador for EHAAT since 2014.

Over the approaching months, Lisa will likely be working alongside EHAAT’s CEO, Jane Gurney, and the fundraising group, to develop alternatives the place collectively, the work of this life-saving charity will be highlighted.

Jane mentioned: “We’re so wanting ahead to having Lisa onboard.

“Our dedicated, extremely expert, essential care groups stay devoted and able to assist when somebody is having the worst day of their life.

“We obtain restricted direct funding from the federal government and none from the Nationwide Lottery, and with every mission costing on common round £2,200, we rely closely on the generosity and goodwill of the native communities of Essex and Hertfordshire.

“We recognize Lisa’s time is extremely useful, so we’re so excited she will likely be becoming a member of the EHAAT household; there isn’t any doubt that her help will enhance the attention of the necessary life-saving work that we do inside our native communities.

“Personally, I can’t wait to begin planning how Lisa will help among the charity’s key occasions and initiatives.”

About Essex & Herts Air Ambulance (EHAAT)

It prices in extra of £750,000 each month to maintain the EHAAT service operational and canopy all charitable prices.

The charity’s HEMS groups attended 2,545 missions in 2021 – 485 street visitors collisions, 991 medical emergencies, 419 unintended accidents, and 650 different trauma incidents.

Of those, 1,317 missions had been delivered by air ambulance and 1,228 missions had been delivered by Fast Response Autos (RRVs).

Throughout 2021 EHAAT’s essential care groups handled 70 sufferers with blood merchandise, concerned primarily in street visitors collisions, penetrating accidents and falls.

The fleet consists of two air ambulances, and 5 RRVs. The RRVs are crewed by a pre-hospital care physician and a essential care paramedic and carry the identical life-saving tools because the helicopters. 

From 7am till 8pm, the Essential Care Workforce gives the service utilizing helicopters based mostly at Earls Colne and North Weald.

An RRV is used earlier than dawn, after sundown or when the helicopter is unable to fly due to poor climate or upkeep.

In a single day from 7.30pm to 7.30am, the service is offered utilizing an RRV based mostly at North Weald in Essex.