Greta’s ability to think on her feet paid off, the judges loving both the taste and presentation of her dish. While similarly impressed with Jack’s efforts, they agreed that his strawberry mouse hadn’t quite done the rest of his dish justice.

It was time for the first round of scores to be dished out, with the results predictably close. Jack scored 8/10 from all the judges except George, who went one better with an impressive 9/10. Greta was awarded an 8/10 from Anna, but was even more delighted to receive 9/10 from the other judges, putting her in the driving seat for the Pressure Test.

A MasterChef finale Pressure Test is always a special thing, but on this occasion it was made doubly so by the presence of the legendary Tetsuya, who unveiled the dish the cheflings would be cooking: Steamed Tian of Queensland Spanner Crab with Bean Curd, Water Chestnuts and Junsai. Rather than be overawed by the occasion and dish, Greta and Jack gamely jumped into life, cooking with flair, confidence and most importantly fun.

The judges were amazed at how closely two young chefs had managed to follow the recipe of a culinary great, setting the stage for another tight round of scoring where just a few points could make all the difference. After scoring 8/10 from Tetsuya and Gary, and 9/10 from Anna, George and Matt, Jack was understandably thrilled. It wasn’t enough to take the title, however, with the judges awarding a combination of 9s and 10s to Greta, confirming that her performance in the challenge had been close to flawless.

Though Jack fell just short of victory, his graciousness in defeat is to be applauded. “I’m very proud of what I achieved,” he says. “So many kids applied to be part of this show, and I came second! I have loved every minute of it, but the most important thing I leave with are great memories and plenty of new friends.”

Greta, meanwhile, still can’t quite believe her new status: Junior MasterChef 2011 champion. “I feel, like, amazing! I told myself don’t get your hopes up, but here I am! This has been the most amazing experience of my life. I want to continue with food and show the world how much I love it,” she shares.

It seems this is just the beginning of Greta’s culinary journey, and we can’t wait to see where it takes her next.