Newcastle’s Matt & Luke have been crowned My Kitchen Rules Champions after delivering a five-course menu that showcased modern Australian cooking with a classic Italian twist.
The cricket mates faced off socialites Ibby & Romel in an all-male, all-NSW Grand Final.
The cricket mates got off to an average start in the competition, but their solid partnership saw them peak at the right time, winning People’s Choice at the final location challenge and coming in second on the Ultimate Instant Restaurant ladder.
Their opponents Ibby & Romel had been the team to beat all along and tonight they served a menu “full of attitude”, “skill” and “flavour”, but perhaps a little heavy on the spice leaving judges’ palates fatigued.
Meanwhile Matt & Luke saved their best til last according to Pete, and with the record number of 10 judges describing their food as “elegant”, “stunning”, “restaurant quality” and “divine”, the mates walk away with a life-changing $250,000.
Teams have to produce a five-course menu, producing more than 100 plates for a packed restaurant of family, friends and previously eliminated teams plus, for the first time, 10 judges in celebration of 10 years of MKR.
2019 MKR CHAMPIONS AND WINNERS OF $250,000
Matt & Luke, Newcastle (Matt Gawthrop, 27 and Luke Stewart, 28)
Luke: “Our experience has been nothing short of a miracle, from where we’ve come from to where we are now, this is something I’ll never forget. We bloody worked hard for this. This is going to change our lives forever.”
Matt: “It’s literally the toughest thing we’ve ever done in our lives, absolutely insane. This takes the cake against any cricket final I’ve ever been in.”
Luke: “Throughout the competition Ibby & Romel have been the benchmark for everyone, everyone’s chased them so to be standing here next to them tonight is an honour.”
RUNNERS-UP
Ibby & Romel, Sydney (Ibby Moubadder, 30 and Romel Kouyan, 42)
Romel: “We are so happy for the boys, We’re not ashamed of losing because I’m so proud of what we have done. This is one of my biggest achievements, something that I will never experience in my entire life ever again. It was an absolute honour.”
Ibby: “We’ve given it everything we have and we are proud with what we served so we have won in our heart. Before this competition we were friends but now we are best friends. Honestly I don’t think I could have done it with anyone else.”
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