Samantha Dorling (45) – Essex

Sam has cooked on the QEII, and at some of the most prestigious London establishments like the Garrick Club and Grosvenor House.  She has also cooked for many famous people including footballers, the Queen and Margaret Thatcher.

Sam began to cook at school where she realized she had a natural flair for food and it quickly became the only subject she really excelled in. Once she left school she went onto study at Catering College and has never looked back. Sam has also taught special needs children how to cook, an experience she has found extremely fulfilling.

Sam went onto to running her own, very successful business, a burger van called The Crow’s Nest, in Felixstowe, Suffolk.

Sam has always harboured a desire to get back to “proper cooking” and sees this as her perfect opportunity. After raising two sons with her husband Michael, whom she has been married to for 21 years, she’s ready for a new adventure, and her family are more than supportive. There are no doubts as to who the boss of the Dorling Clan is!

Sam’s mother describes her as “unforgettable, love her or hate her, you won’t forget her,” and Sam admits she can rub people up the wrong way. She’s a team player but if anyone isn’t pulling their weight, Sam will be not hold back. Essex through and through, Sam is loud, feisty, and incredibly funny – although her tiny frame can be deceiving, as she is a true force to be reckoned with and a real live-wire. She might be a mother, but there’s nothing “mumsy” about Sam.

Previous TV Appearances

-”Ready, Steady, Cook”

-”Masterchef Goes Large”

-”Masterchef”

-”The F Word“