Masterchef winner won't give up day job

He may have won MasterChef New Zealand last night but Brett McGregor is sticking to teaching. And in an ironic twist it's second place-getter Kelly Young who's working at one of Auckland's fanciest restaurants.

In an interview in TimeOut today, 37-year-old McGregor says his goal is to be a principal by the time he turns 40 and that's still the plan despite beating more than 1000 wannabe chefs during the 12-week competition.

"Yeah, I am happy being an amateur cook, because I love teaching in the classroom."

He has only been teaching for six years and took up the deputy principal role at Christchurch's Branston Intermediate this year.

He won the grand final last night on TV One beating bubbly Auckland-based Young who quit her job as a fitness instructor to work at Euro, a restaurant run by MasterChef judge Simon Gault.

Young described the competition as "an absolutely amazing journey".

"I've had highs, I've had some lows as well. You'll be seeing more of me, that's for sure".

The final four-step challenge included a taste test, a lamb dish, a sausage-making task, and a dessert challenge.

McGregor's road to the final was not plain sailing. He ended up in the bottom two a number of times and on two occasions he says he was convinced he was going home.

But in the semifinals - where the two competition front runners, Steve and Tracey, were eliminated - McGregor impressed the judges with his Intrepid Food cook book. Then in the final it was his take on a Kiwi lamb roast and a sizzling sausage recipe that earned him top marks.

McGregor, who lives in Christchurch, was last night in Auckland to watch the screening of the final show.

"I flew my wife, Tracey, up [from Christchurch] to be with me, so it's going to be nice to watch the final with her here."

McGregor also had a few friends over at the Auckland City hotel he was staying at to watch the final episode.

"They don't know [that I won] though, so only my wife and I will be in on the secret - it's going to be crazy at the end."

McGregor revealed that he had never been a huge hit in the kitchen before MasterChef.

"I've never really cooked for my friends and family. My brother even said: 'Oi, you've never cooked for me, bro!"'

And he admitted the final was tough.

"My hands were all blistered - I'd put them in, bring them out and they'd be blistered and then finally, I just stood back and thought: 'What am I doing here?'

"It was the judges who came up to me and said: 'Hey look mate, you can do this'."

TVNZ last night said there would be a second series of MasterChef on screens early next year.