Hayley Bilton hung up her apron for the last time on Sunday night when she was eliminated from the MasterChef kitchen.
The 31-year-old lost out on being one of the final two contestants on this year's competition after not cooking her last lamb dish properly.
"I always cook lamb perfectly but just not this day. I put it down to [putting] the lamb on a cold tray to go in the oven and I should have used a hot pan," she said.
Despite the problems, Ms Bilton - a territory manager for a beverage company - would happily cook the dish again.
"I would've put my lamb on a bit sooner so I wouldn't have undercooked lamb, but I stand by my dish and wouldn't change a thing. It's still an amazing dish."
Ms Bilton, who grew up in Rotorua, said it was hard watching her final episode especially after the public had started approaching her and telling her she would win the cooking contest this year.
But she was excited for what the future would hold for her and her cooking, she said.
"Now the new chapter, and the new journey of my life can start."
Starting back at work next week, she said she had more cooking plans for the future, hopefully including TV shows, cookbooks, food columns, food blogs and food festivals.
She is heading to the Kaikoura Seafood Festival this weekend with fellow contestant Ben Sheehan and will also be at the Christchurch Food and Wine Festival this year.
Ms Bilton said she would miss the show especially the people she had met including overall winner Tim Read and Glenda Clark.
Her best moment on the TV reality series was when she got 10 out of 10 for her dessert in Dubai, while her worst was being eliminated.
"I now have the confidence behind it [cooking], to know that I know what I am doing. I can trust my flavours, you have to have confidence to make it work so that would be the best thing I have gained from it."