Heston Blumenthal
British three Michelin-starred chef Heston Blumenthal attends a photocall to launch his new show ''How to Cook Like Heston'' as part of the MIPTV, the International Television Programs Market, event in Cannes in this April 2, 2012 file photo. Reuters/Eric Gaillard

"MasterChef Australia" has finally named a winner for season 7, and it's the 23-year-old Ballina restaurant manager Billie McKay. What makes the victory extra sweet, in addition to the new Alfa Romeo Giulietta car, AU$250,000 prize money and a column in Delicious, a national food magazine, is a new job at international celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal's UK restaurant, The Fat Duck.

Sydney Morning Herald reports that McKay managed to triumph over finalist Georgia Barnes despite the latter getting the nod for two out of three challenges. It was her version of Blumenthal's complicated yet monumental dessert, however, that earned her a nine-out-of-10 score from the British superstar himself. That score catapulted her to triumph in the contest. It also got her an instant job offer from Blumenthal. News.com reports that McKay scored 82 points out of 100 in the finale, with resident judge Matt Preston calling her "the best individual cook in the MasterChef kitchen." Barnes' final score was 80 out of 100.

In an interview with Fairfax Media, McKay said she was actually very lucky. At the start of the competition, both her and Barnes would not have moved forward had judge George Calombaris not given them another chance in the second set of auditions. McKay and her boyfriend are reportedly planning to move out of Australia to the UK to take on her new job over the next months. She added that while she still doesn't know what to do about her prize money, the amount would certainly be helpful in getting the couple settled in Britain.

"I wish I could tell you how I did it so I could switch that on any time I need to, but I just wanted to get the job done and go for it. It was just head down, bump up and do it," she told News Corp.

For the finale of "MasterChef Australia" season 7, McKay prepared Strawberries Three Ways, a dish of fennel and ginger puree, roasted fennel with seared scallops and orange and ginger vinaigrette. She also prepared Blumenthal's Botrytis Cinerea-inspired 55-step, 17-element dessert.

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