Beata Śniechowska: “There was a time when I believed that the only way forward was to be perfect. Today, instead of perfectionism, I choose professionalism. Professionalism means trust – in yourself, in your team – and the understanding that things don’t have to be flawless to work out.”

Beata Śniechowska, one of the leading Polish chefs, speaks with us about proving things to others and to herself, creative freedom and what it means to be a woman. From engineering academic to MasterChef winner, from television fame to chef-owner recognised by the Michelin Guide, Beata Śniechowska’s story could easily serve as the backbone of a Hollywood screenplay. A story about a woman who walks away from a stable, “proper” career to follow her passion. But it is also, perhaps more importantly, a story about learning how not to let that passion take over your entire life.

I must admit I was never a devoted MasterChef viewer. I knew the show existed, of course – that it launched with a bang, became one of the most popular programs on Polish television, and that viewers eagerly followed the journeys of its contestants. Even if you didn’t watch it, you still knew who sat on the jury, who the frontrunners were. They were everywhere – not just in the staged studio kitchens, but in headlines, interviews, lifestyle sections. Practically jumping out of the fridge.

That is how I first “met” Beata Śniechowska. “Met” meaning me, half-watching TV while doing something else, and her – on the other side of the screen – framed by cameras and studio lights. It was season two of MasterChef Poland. And Beata won.