Steak aside, Ben Bayly wants every meal to be well-done or not done at all.
The co-host of New Zealand’s first My Kitchen Rules started out as a humble Te Awamutu dishwasher at age 15, working at Taylor’s Restaurant after rugby practice.
He was later schooled at Michelin-starred restaurants in London with fellow host and friend, Gareth Stewart, where the two “became men”.
The 34-year-old will be testing the efforts of amateur cooks across the country and while he isn’t expecting immaculate hors d’ouevres, he says: “if you’re going to do something, you do it well.”
Bayly and Stewart (our very own Pete and Manu) scoured kitchens in Cambridge, Orewa, Christchurch, Dunedin, Wainuiomata, Wellington and Auckland in search of the perfect menu.
The cooks that impress will then battle it out in a dark, moody studio with chandeliers – what Bayly describes as a Roman amphitheatre.
The drama and fast-paced sweat of My Kitchen Rules is a recipe for ratings success.
Across the ditch, Australians lapped up the show which has just finished its fifth season – although the finale is yet to screen in New Zealand.
Here, My Kitchen Rules filming is two thirds completed, with Bayly maintaining his day-jobs as head chef at both Auckland’s The Grove and Baduzzi.
“It’s more than what I expected. You don’t just show up and taste the food… Every episode takes a couple of days to make and we’ve got 30 episodes so it’s around 60-70 days filming.”
Bayly’s been keeping a keen eye on the Australian version and has observed a different psyche within New Zealand contestants.
“We’re neighbours but I think we behave differently under pressure. We still have drama but we’re a lot more tolerant of each other.
“I’ve found contestants get along with each other really well and help each other.”
Aside from anything his wife cooks (that’s his favourite meal) Bayly says he looks for how a meal is cooked, not what it contains.
“If you’re going to braise a beautiful beef check I don’t want to see it undercooked. I like to see people cook within their capabilities and do things really well.”
He says wannabe-chefs often burn out when they try to create something they don’t understand.
