MasterChef Canada Season 9 Exit Interview: Brendon Shewchuk

For Brendon, competing on MasterChef Canada Season 9 was more than just a cooking competition  it was the chance to fulfill a dream he’d been chasing since childhood. A longtime fan of the series, the Manitoba-born home cook began experimenting in the kitchen around age 12, inspired in part by watching the show’s very first season. Fifteen years later, he found himself competing in the very kitchen he’d grown up watching on television. Following his elimination in a challenging team communication test, Brendon sat down with The Extra Mile to reflect on his experience, the dishes he never got the chance to showcase, and his plans to turn his passion into a career.

TEM (The Extra Mile):  How did you feel watching the epsiode back?

Brendon: Can I tell you a little secret? I actually haven’t watched it yet! So don’t give me any spoilers!

TEM: Okay! But you obviously remember being in that moment, having to communicate through the wall. What was that experience like?

Brendon: I was hoarse afterward. Absolutely hoarse! The level of communication needed was insane. I’m a coach and a foreman on a job site, so communication is key in those situations. I think what really hurt us was not being able to run back to the pantry.

Brendon: I’d been watching since I was about 12 years old. I remember watching the first season and rooting for Eric the entire time. Since then, I’ve been hooked. I’ve watched every season.Cooking is a meditative experience for me. It’s something where I can turn my brain off and just go with my intuition. I’m a bit of an overthinker, so when I get to do something where I don’t really have to think and can just feel, I’m right at home. I’ve been cooking since I was 12, so that’s about 15 years of experience and 15 years of the best time ever.

TEM: Did MasterChef actually inspire you to start cooking, or were you already interested in it?

Brendon: It came along right as I was starting, so it really propelled my cooking journey. I wanted to get better and make more interesting things. To be completely honest, I didn’t really get into fine dining until I was 19. Those first seven years were just me figuring out how to boil water, make pasta, cook an egg  all the basics. And toast!

Brendon: Usually, I use Instagram or YouTube for inspiration. I’ll watch cooking videos and then put my own twist on things. Maybe I want to make something Asian-inspired, Indian-inspired, or Mexican-inspired. A lot of it comes down to understanding substitutions and knowing how to mix and match ingredients. My ex-girlfriend was celiac, so I had to learn how to adapt dishes that I was used to making. If you’re cooking for two, you need to know how to make those adjustments. A big part of being a good cook is adaptability.

TEM: Do you feel viewers got a good representation of your cooking style throughout the competition?

Brendon: Oh, yes. One hundred percent. There were definitely things I wanted to cook that didn’t end up being shown, whether it was my core memory dish, because I’d already won the challenge beforehand, or my chicken and waffles, which was actually supposed to be chicken in waffles. I changed that at the last minute, and then the challenge got cut too. There were quite a few things I wanted to play around with to show my fun side. But hopefully, I’ll be back in that kitchen again one day.

TEM: What’s one dish you didn’t get to make that you really wish you had?

Brendon: I’ll give you two. The first was going to be an appetizer served inside a scallop shell. But instead of scallop, I was going to use pickerel cheek because I’m from Manitoba, and Lake Winnipeg is full of pickerel. I wanted to pair it with mango beurre blanc, little pearls of yuzu, and sweet potato purée underneath to make it look like waves. The second dish I was really excited about was a dessert called Sponge Cake. The inspiration was that I don’t have a dishwasher at home, so I’m constantly washing dishes. I wanted to make a yellow lemon sponge cake with pistachio and mint brittle on top to resemble a Brillo pad. Then I’d add coconut foam to look like soap, with raspberry coulis and coconut crème anglaise on the plate to make it look like a dirty dish. I’m definitely planning to make those dishes for social media so everyone can see them.

Brendon: I actually have a few projects going on. That’s why I didn’t get to watch the episode! I was busy filming and editing a video for social media. I’ve also opened a private chef business in Winnipeg. The website is live now at brendancooks.com. We’ve already had quite a bit of traffic, and we’re working with local influencers and media outlets to get the word out. There are private chef experiences in Winnipeg, but I haven’t seen many promoted through social media. I’m 27, and I feel like there’s an untapped market for people around my age who want to have a nice dinner experience without necessarily going to a restaurant. Maybe they want to have a beer with the guy who’s cooking their dinner. It’s about creating that experience with a little personality.

Brendon: The most grateful. Being on the show was a dream. Everything beyond just getting into that kitchen was gravy. Of course, I was disappointed with the results, but the experience has given me this delusional confidence at a time in my life when I really needed it. Everyone on the show is fantastic. But I genuinely believe that if I’d been allowed to go back to that pantry, I could have won the show. I’m a fierce competitor, and I’m incredibly driven. I know I still had so much left to show.

Brendon: I think there are a lot of people my age who want to be nonchalant, cool, calm, and collected. I’m a mess! I’m an absolute mess. I’ll go incredibly far to accomplish my goals, and I’ll put myself in the most uncomfortable situations. I think you have to put yourself in uncomfortable situations to succeed. I’d never been on television before, and look where it’s taken me. I’ve opened my own business, I’m starting social media, and I’ve met 15 amazing new friends who I’ll talk to for the rest of my life. That’s what putting yourself out there gets you. That’s what being vocal and trying hard gets you. I don’t think there’s a better way to describe me than saying I’m an absolute try-hard.

TEM:  We definitely got to see that throughout your journey. Congratulations on everything, Brendon! I’m excited to see where this next chapter takes you.

       Catch the next episode of MasterChef Canada on Sept 29 on CTV and Sept 30 on Crave