Local celebrity chef Sean Gravina tells Stephanie Fsadni about his participation in MasterChef, his love for food and various future projects
Cookery programmes have taken on a glamorous sheen in the past couple of years due to the worldwide distribution of TV shows such as MasterChef, Hell’s Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, Bake-Off, Cake Boss and The Taste, among others.
Thanks to their popularity, the chefs hosting these shows have gained international reputation and many programmes’ participants have become household names in their countries and beyond.
This has been the fate of local chef Sean Gravina, who acknowledges his quick rise to fame to his participation in the seventh season of MasterChef: The Professionals and the subsequent role of resident chef in the local cookery show Gourmet Today.
“TV will always be TV. Being on BBC and TVM has pushed my career forward in a short time span,” says Gravina.
“TV was always my target. I worked very hard and spent my life savings to go work and study in London, so a bit of luck was greatly appreciated.”
Gravina, 28, studied culinary arts part-time at the Institute of Tourism Studies while working at Hilton Malta. After graduating, he spent a number of years at Chez Philippe in Sliema, then moved to London where he studied French cuisine at Le Cordon Bleu, while working at various restaurants including the French-influenced Clos Maggiore, luxury hotel The Dorchester, under chef Wolfgang Puk and Gordon Ramsay’s Thai-French fusion restaurant Maze.
It is a real honour for me that the Maltese love what I’m doing
Despite claiming that he had put his mind on TV, Gravina took part in MasterChef almost by chance.
“The father of my room mate in London proposed it. I had cooked up a meal for them and he told me I should do it. I laughed it off obviously, but the next morning I came across a pop-up application of Master-Chef and I started filling it up. I got bored half-way and continued the next day.”
He cannot reveal much about the selection process because of the contract he signed, but discloses that he went through four interviews in all, on the phone and in person.
“It’s a long process. All I can say is that it’s harder getting on the show than the actual show.”
However, being on the pro- gramme needed some getting used to.
“Walking in that famous warehouse for the first time and realising what’s going on wasn’t easy. I’ve always watched MasterChef on TV and now I was on it. It was a huge shock.”
The hardest test, however, was his last one: he had to make eight dishes from scratch in one hour 15 minutes. This happened in the quarter-finals when he eventually got eliminated.
“My goal was to get to the quarter-finals. Maybe it was a mistake, I should have set higher goals, but I was up against chefs who have been working in Michelin star restaurants.
“I’ve been cooking for a decade now, but only worked in a Michelin star restaurant for a couple of months. I’m a MasterChef quarter-finalist forever, but I’m very happy.”
The Michelin star restaurant he is referring to is Ramsay’s Maze in Mayfair, where he worked as demi-chef.
“It was a great experience, where I worked in various sections and I learnt a lot. It was tough, I was working 17-hour shifts 11 days straight at one point, but it was definitely worth it. It’s crazy but all passionate chefs should work at a place like that.”
Speaking of passion, Gravina has definitely got heaps for cooking.
“I love the creativity and the freedom. It is now my job and less of a hobby than it was in my early years, but every now and then, when time permits, I love cooking up something relaxed at home.”
He loves pampering his family, friends and his girlfriend [who happens to be none other than singer Ira Losco] when time permits, but he also likes cooking for close friends and diners in general.
“In other words, I just love cooking for everyone.”
As regards what he enjoys cooking most he mentions huge joints, “because they require skill and precision”, and says that his best dish ever was a slow-cooked lamb shoulder in balsamic. His favourite cuisine is Japanese, while his least preferred one is Turkish.
Asked whether he has any intention of opening his own restaurant in the near future, Gravina says that it’s not on the cards at the moment.
“A restaurant requires full commitment and I don’t think I’m ready as yet. But if a good opportunity comes along, I'll take it.”
However, he has other interesting plans in the pipeline. He has just launched cookery courses together with Fino and is just about to open a catering company with another party. He also announces “a big project” for the coming summer without going into detail.
Cooking apart, his waterpolo career is up and running again and he is playing for Exiles.
Meanwhile, Gravina intends to keep working on TV.
“I’m extremely happy with the feedback I’ve been getting. I really make an effort to answer everyone on Facebook and even in the street.”
He says that people often stop him asking for tips, but it doesn’t bother him in the least.
“I’ve always loved socialising and extremely love talking about food, so I’m very happy to do so.
“It is a real honour for me that the Maltese love what I’m doing. I cannot thank them enough.”