Exciting news for anyone planning a simchah in the near future: MasterChef contestant Emma Spitzer may soon be available for hire.

The mother of four from East Finchley, whose dishes have included date balls, spiced chickpeas and latkes, said she has enjoyed putting Israeli food on the map and would love to go into catering when she is done with the show.

"I think it's a really underrated cuisine," she said. "Most of my friends had never heard of za'atar or sumac spices before."

The 40-year-old, who was competing in this week's semi-finals, developed her love for Middle Eastern cuisine after travelling to Israel aged 11 and used to rely on her Israeli-born mother-in-law to bring ingredients back from the spice markets in Jerusalem. "Luckily, they now sell it all in Waitrose," she added.