In the year the year 2016, MasterChef Canada had gained a solid reputation to be one of the country’s best cooking competitions. In its third season, the pressure was high and the show was redesigned with fresh format tweaks and ambitious home cooks and a growing appetite (literally as well as metaphorically) from the audience, Season 3 delivered both the drama and the deliciousness. Season 3 also made history when the show crowned its inaugural female contestant. Let’s take a look at how this unfolded.
Season Timeline & Format
- First Aired: February 14, 2016
- Finale / Last Aired: June 19, 2016
- Number of Episodes: 15
- Network: CTV
Like previous seasons, this season’s format was comprised of Mystery Box challenges, invention tests and team challenges as well as pressure/elimination exercises, and culminated in a three-course competition between the final two contestants. A slight change for Season 3: there are fourteen contestants instead of 16.
Judges
The panel of judges for Season 3 was the same trio:
- Michael Bonacini
- Claudio Aprile
- Alvin Leung
The judges assessed the dishes the taste technique, presentation, the ability to present, and consistencyespecially in the case of pressure-related challenges and cook-offs for the final cooking.
Contestants (Top 14)
Here’s a list of the contestants who were able to make it into the Top 14 with their age, hometowns, jobs and the length to which they made it:
| Contestant | Age | Hometown / Region | Occupation | Elimination / Final Status |
| Mary Berg | 25 | Toronto, Ontario | Insurance Broker | Winner (June 19, 2016) |
| Jeremy Senaris | 34 | Winnipeg, Manitoba | Building Plan Examiner | Runner-Up |
| Matthew Astorga | 25 | Pitt Meadows, British Columbia | Digital Design Consultant | Eliminated June 12 |
| Veronica Cham | 35 | Toronto, Ontario | Lawyer | Eliminated June 5 |
| April Lee Baker | 38 | Calgary, Alberta | Homemaker | Eliminated May 29 |
| Shawn Karls | 29 | Montreal, Quebec | Doctor | Eliminated May 8 |
| Terry Adido | 33 | Edmonton, Alberta | PhD Law Student | Eliminated May 1 |
| Jennifer Baglione | 23 | Maple, Ontario | Salon Manager | Eliminated April 24 |
| Jacqueline Clark | 29 | Abbotsford, British Columbia | Accountant | Eliminated April 17 |
| Michelle Nault | 37 | Bolton, Ontario | Teacher | Eliminated April 10 |
| Julia Mark | 30 | Burnaby, British Columbia | Makeup Artist | Eliminated March 27 |
| Sean Hickey | 47 | London, Ontario | Auto Worker | Eliminated March 20 |
| Vince Spitale | 41 | Pickering, Ontario | Contractor | Eliminated March 13 |
| David Young | 32 | Moncton, New Brunswick | Carpenter | Eliminated March 6 |
Winner, Runner-Up & Prize Money
- The winner was Mary Berg 25, a 25-year-old Insurance broker from Toronto.
- Second-place: Jeremy Senaris Building plans examiner of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
- Prizes and Award: The grand prize was $100,000 CAD and included it was the MasterChef Canada trophy and the title.
More About the Winner: Mary Berg
Mary Berg’s win is memorable for many reasons other than getting the prize. Here are a few highlights of her trip and the things she did afterward:
- It was her only woman to be awarded MasterChef Canada.
- Before joining the show she was an agent for insurance. The competition gave her the chance to pursue her love of cooking.
- In the final the final was close. Mary’s final meals (especially the dessert) were highly praised for their elegance and balance as well as their creativity. One of her desserts was the blueberry-based financier made of Brown butter Crumbs, kettle Corn blueberry sauce and buttermilk corn Ice cream. This dessert played an important part in winning the game.
- Following winning the competition, Mary leveraged the win in a variety of ways: she began to expand into food-related media, becoming a frequent chef on Canadian television programs( Your Morning, The Social, The Marilyn Denis Show), and later host her own show ( Mary’s Kitchen Crush (2019-2020), Mary Makes It Simple (2021-present)). She also wrote cookbooks and remains an influential figure in the Canadian food industry.
Highlights & Memorable Moments
- The contest was fierce. Mary Berg and Jeremy Senaris were consistently good and the final cook-off was widely considered to be one of the most intense finales in the history of the show.
- The format was changed which saw less participants (14 rather than 16). Also, auditions were harder as contestants had to get an unanimous “yes” from the three judges to advance; otherwise, they would have to fight in an “second chance” fight.
- The final dessert round was particularly examined. Mary’s blueberry financier with its complex components was often juxtaposed with Jeremy’s more experimentative dessert, but Mary’s was evaluated as more well-balanced and well-coordinated.
Legacy & After the Win
Mary’s climb from insurance broker to host of a television show and cookbook writer demonstrates the kind of career path the show MasterChef Canada can offer. The show’s success opened doors to other areas than the kitchen. She was an acclaimed food media personality in Canada providing easy cooking with the comfort of home. Her style, personality, and her cooking style captivated viewers, and helped her cross beyond competitions for cooking into the hosting industry, publication of books and lifestyle programming.
