Over the past couple of years, the global confectionary market has seen a major rise in the popularity of the French meringue-based treat, the macaron. Macarons come in many flavours and colours, but usually consist of egg whites, sugar, ground almonds or coconut.

Masterchef semi-finalist Tim Kinnaird, from Norwich, opened a shop in the city centre over a year ago, named Macarons & More. I caught up with Tim (and tasted some macarons – they are delicious!), to find out more about his passion.

Q: After competing in Masterchef in 2010, what gave you the idea to open a macaron shop?

A: I'd been making and selling macarons around Norfolk at Farmers' Markets for three years, so I wanted to offer more than I could when I was selling them under a gazebo in the rain!

Q: Why do you like them so much?

A: Mainly because they are delicious. If you get the texture right, I think they are the best cake in the world. I also like them because they are relatively difficult to make - I like the challenge of getting them perfect.

Q: What's your favourite flavour in the shop?

A: Always salt caramel!

Q: Thinking back to before the show when you were working in a hospital, would you ever have imagined owning a shop?

A: Not really. The last four years have a been an amazing dream. The things I've got to do and the experiences I've had are unbelievable. I still can't quite believe it's all happened.

If you want to join in with the macaron-making, why not buy Tim's book: Perfecting Patisserie (available in-store and on Amazon) for plenty of recipes.

Tallulah Self, 15, Hellesdon High School