Masterchef New Zealand

The competition kicks off with 1,000 amateur cooks vying to be New Zealand's first ever Masterchef.

The Top 24 cooks face three tough tasks - a taste test, fish filleting and a mystery box cooking challenge.

The remaining 12 contestants move into a luxury home in Auckland. Whoever cooks the worst dish will be eliminated.

The remaining 11 contestants here face a grueling challenge - to cook two signature dishes by renowned Auckland chef Tony Astle.

The Top 10 Kiwi chefs have a day at the races at Ellerslie, where they face their toughest task yet - to cook a three-course banquet lunch for 80 paying guests.

More nail-biting challenges for the Kiwi chefs. The remaining nine contestants must make their own pastry and cook two pies - one savory, one sweet - for guest judge Judith Tabron.

The remaining eight chefs face a daunting team challenge - to prepare canapes at a glitzy hotel for 120 VIPs and celebs.

And then there were seven! The search for New Zealand's first Masterchef is down to just seven contestants, who must cook four different Chinese style dishes.

Six contestants remain in the competition. Divided into two teams, the gourmands must cook a seafood barbecue lunch. But a shock twist turns the whole competition upside down!

The remaining six contestants face their most technically-demanding challenge so far - to make a "super-hard" dessert.

The Kiwi cookery show is down to its final five wannabes. In a nail-biting edition, the contestants must cook a ten-course degustation dinner for three respected New Zealand chefs.

Edge-of-the-seat stuff in the semi-final of the Kiwi cookery show. The top four must impress cookbook author Al Brown with dishes they would like to include in their own cookbook.

This is it, the grand final of the Kiwi cookery show! In a two-hour special, the finalists face four tough challenges to decide who will be New Zealand's first-ever Masterchef.