ABOUT THUY
Thuy Hoang was born in Saigon (now called Ho Chi Minh City) in Vietnam. She came to the United Kingdom at the age of nine as a refugee with her family. Across her life, and aside from work as a professional musician, Thuy has pursued a huge passion for baking and cooking with a particular focus on the vibrant food culture of Vietnam. She places huge importance on its significance to the culture of the Vietnamese diaspora in Britain. In 2023, she was a Quarter Finalist on BBC1's MasterChef in the UK.
Thuy's activities in the food industry are diverse. She advocates for excellent and award-winning food and wine producers through her social media channels having supported Angelucci coffee, BoTree peppercorns, Droitwich salt, Marasby wine, and Louisa’s Honey, among many other producers. She has given on-stage cooking demonstrations at major food shows and festivals in the UK and Ireland to spotlight Vietnamese cuisine coupled with superb local ingredients. In 2024, her work will take her e.g., to festivals: in Kilkenny, Ireland; at Knebworth House and Ashridge House, Hertfordshire; at Lydiard Park, Wiltshire; at Dinton Pastures, Berkshire; at Hampton Court Palace, Kent; at the BBC Good Food Show, National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham; and at The Hurlingham Club, Fulham, London. She is also part of the judging panels for the UK Quality Food Awards, the Great Taste Awards (Guild of Fine Food) and the Great British Food Awards. This year, Thuy has also published an article and recipe (two-page spread) called "Fire up flavour" in Great British Food magazine (Summer 2024 issue). She has been chef for supper clubs, including for central London businesses and events. Additionally, Thuy is planning cooking classes at Jeremy Pang's award-winning School of Wok in Covent Garden, London. When not "on the move", Thuy enjoys food writing and developing Asian-inspired recipes in her kitchen at home.
Comments from BBC1's MasterChef on Thuy’s dish, bún thịt nướng chà giò:
“Thuy, your dish is absolutely delightful. Getting that leaf and being able to put herbs in it with some perfectly cooked, soft noodles, and then that lovely salty, almost sticky pork plunged into a dip that is citrusy and sweet I am loving. Your spring rolls are also packed full of vegetables with a crunch. Just really, really enjoying your food.”
(Gregg Wallace, Judge, BBC1's MasterChef)
“I really love this pork. It’s got the taste that it’s been cooked over charcoal, and I really love that. The pork is lovely and tender. What you’ve made I think is wonderful. It’s great. It’s fresh.”
(John Torode, Judge, BBC1's MasterChef)
Thuy remarks:
“I cook many styles of food but have a particular focus on Vietnamese cuisine with a modern twist. The ingredients of Southeast Asia never cease to inspire me from the very wide variety of fresh herbs to tangy nuoc mam (fish sauce), to fiery chillies. I also get inspired by the dishes, techniques and high skillsets of professional chefs and bakers like Raymond Blanc, Marcus Wareing, Cédric Grolet and Richard Bertinet.”
“Cooking and cuisine are massively important to Vietnamese families. Even as a small child, I would have watched my grandmother, mother and aunts prepare dishes like pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) in their kitchens. I come from a huge family so there are a lot of dishes to learn about. It is important to start early!"
"When we came to the UK as refugees in the 1980s, we did not have much money. So, the ingenuity of the women in my family to create superb dishes for a large family, but on a very small budget, was inspirational. It was also a way to keep our heritage alive. I am very appreciative to have been surrounded by such a clever and vibrant food culture in my upbringing.”
"I am very passionate about my cultural heritage and its strong connection with food. Vietnamese food is so varied and not like any other cuisine worldwide. I want to be an ambassador for it, bringing it greater prominence in the UK and beyond.”
Comments in the press:
Eastern Daily Press, 30 April 2024
Norwich Evening News, 30 April 2024