EXCLUSIVE !!!!

 

BEN UNGERMANN

 

The on May 1, 1984 in Brisbane of Queensland in Australia born Ben Ungermann his mother is Dutch and his father is Dutch/Indian, but emigrated to Australia years ago. From 2004 to 2007, Ben did modeling work. He first exercised the profession of Retail Manager. The goal of a Retail Manager is to achieve optimal results within a store on a financial, qualitative and social level. However, this was not where Ben lay his heart and so he signed up as a candidate for the ninth season of the program "Masterchef Austalia". He completed the audit round and moved into the Masterchef house on Monday, May 1, 2017, to come out again almost 2 months later, on Monday, July 24, 2017. Ben ended up in the final, but eventually lost it to Diana Chan. After his "Masterchef" adventure, he was an intern at the restaurants of star chefs like Heston Blumenthal, Yotam Ottolenghi and Clare Smyth. With his mother as manager, his brother Danny as general manager and himself as leader of the kitchen team, the ice cream store Ungermann Brothers Ice-Cream Parlor was opened in Brisbane - Queensland in Australia on Friday 26 January 2018. Perry from Moov.nl was given the opportunity to interview the very friendly but busy Ben Ungermann for the internet site.

 

001.What is your favorite CD?

        For me this is the CD 'Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1 '. This is the soundtrack of the eponymous Marvel film from 2014.

002.What is your favorite song?

        In that case I go for the song "Little Lies" of the British-American band Fleetwood Mac.

003.Do you ever listen to music while you’re cooking?

       I always have music on during cooking. It translates it to the food.

004.How important is music in your private life?

       Music is very important to me. I travel a lot and I therefore have a lot of time to think. These are the moments when I like to listen to music.

005.Who is your favorite singer (man or woman) and/or group?

        My favorite singer is John Farnham.

006.With who would you like to sing a duet?

        With the Australian hip-hop group Hilltop Hoods I would like to sing a duet.

007.What is your favorite sport? And do you also practice a sport yourself?

        I like watching football. I have also played that my whole life!

008.The final of season 9 of "Masterchef Australia" was on July 24. 2017. To what extent has the program changed your life?

       It has changed my life very much. I have traveled all around the world since my participation to the program. The disadvantage of this is that I, as a

       family man, miss my children very much. But fortunately we all have whatsapp which makes us keep contact each other. During the stay in the

       Masterchef - house you were not allowed leave the house, outside the recordings for the program. There was also no newspaper and none

       internet. The only thing you could do there was to deepen your cooking even more. Twice a week we were allowed to contact the home front for 10

       minutes. You became informed of this before you started Masterchef. But still it was a very hard thing when it finally happened. I was very happy

       when I joined my family back in my arms in the final. Today I still have contact with Ray Silva who got the thirteenth place as a candidate in the

       contest and Benjamin Bullock who turned eighteen. Also winner Diana Chan I see now and then. With George from the jurors I sometimes still have a

       little contact.

009.If you had to make a choice, which of the members of the jury were you the most under the impression or did you see most as your

       example perhaps: George (Calombaris), Gary (Mehigan) and Matt (Preston). Who would that be then?

       In that case I will go for George. With The Press Club, Maha Bar and Gril, Hellenic Republic, The Belvedere Club, St. Katherine's, Mama Baba and

       another Greek restaurant in Australia, George has seven restaurants, while Gary is only co-owner of Restaurant The Boathouse in Australia. If

       someone from the participants is through it, then it is always George who steps down to that person. George understands the work pressure with

       cooking and he can reassure people very well. That is why it is likely that it is always George who ease the participants again.

010.In season 9 there were several guest chefs. But which guest chef of the season made the most impression on you?

       As guest chef I go for Clare Smyth who was there during week 11 for the Service Challenge. I then won this assignment. After "Masterchef Australia" I

       also have an internship walked at her 2 Michelin restaurant Core in London in England.

011.At what time of "Masterchef Australia" did you experience the most pleasure?

       Besides of the final this was also when I was in the semi-final against Diana and Karlie and made the dish for my grandmother. I then cooked with

       tulip bulbs as the main ingredient. I came to that idea because my grandmother did not eat anything in the Second World War and had to step over

       on tulip bulbs. Many people do not even know that you can eat it. My fellow participants who watched from the balcony and the judges were all

       amazed about it. The jury declared me crazy. But when they ate it once they loved it. The taste of tulip bulbs is a combination of the plants radish and

       celery. That dish with the tulip bulbs is also the dish where I’m the most proud of. I would like to refine that dish and place it on the menu of mine

       restaurant.

012.You have your own ice cream store. Can you tell us a bit more about this?

       In Brisbane - Queensland in Australia my brother Danny and I run the ice cream shop Ungermann Brothers Ice-Cream Parlor. This is a big store and

       there is just only organic ice cream to be sold. My mother is the manager there. My 32-year-old brother Danny is there the general manager and I am

       in charge of the kitchen team myself. Besides Danny and I, we have a sister, but she is not working at the ice cream store. She is a successful

       fashion model.

013.Would you like to have your own cooking program?

       After "Masterchef Australia" I was a guest in the program “Everyday Gourmet with Justine Schofield” of Justine Schofield (participant from the first

       season of "Masterchef Australia" of 2009, ed.). I think it would be awesome, having my own cooking program. However, I would like to go worldwide

       with my program, so I reach as much people as possible.

014.Have you already invented a name for your restaurant?

       The restaurant would then be called "Oma G" (translation is: Grandma G). The translation comes from the word great-grandmother, but this is too

       difficult for my children to say. That is why. So you could say that my children came up with the name. The plan is to make a small, exclusive

       restaurant with a capacity of 20 to 30 people where I refine my dishes and the prices has to be affordable for everyone.

015.How would you feel if (one of) your children decide to join you later to work in your restaurant?

       My sons Phoenix of 10 years and Oli of 8 years are more interesed in football. Phoenix is already very good at that. I think it's important that they are

       happy in what they do. My daughter Ella of 14 years is already interested in cooking. We often cook together. I love that. She also helps a bit in the

       ice cream store. If Ella decides about 3 to 4 years to also take part of "Masterchef Australia", I would be even more proud of her than I am already.

       It seems amazing to me when she decides to join me later in my restaurant. That is a bit of the dream of every father. Except her love for cooking is

       Ella also an artist. She makes paintings and drawings and she is very good at that.

016.What can we expect from you in the future in showbizz?

       The ice cream shop Ungermann Brothers Ice-Cream Parlor from me and my brother Danny is opened on Friday 26 January 2018 in Brisbane -

       Queensland in Australia. Very soon I want to introduce Dutch snacks in Australia.

 

Look for the way of the final from Ben at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFspmJQoVg0.

For more information about the Ungermann Brothers Ice-Cream Parlor ice cream shop, visit https://www.facebook.com/ungermannbrothers/.

 

Interview: Perry Krootjes