A former MasterChef contestant who told customers she had closed her gourmet burger van due to a ‘family emergency’ when in reality she was traveling 500 miles each way to transport cannabis has been spared jail.
Kayleigh Bowler, who reached the quarter-finals of the BBC last year’s cooking show, sells dishes influenced by her Jamaican and Irish background in Bournemouth, Dorset.
But last month she posted further Facebook to inform loyal customers that the business – Kayleigh’s Bournemouth – Fine Food For The Masses – was temporarily closed due to a ‘van conversion’.
When someone responded that they were “devastated” after missing a Philly cheesesteak, Bowler apologized and said she was dealing with a “family emergency.”
In reality, a court heard yesterday, the mother-of-two had driven to Merseyside, 250 miles away, as part of a cannabis plot that would have netted her £1,000.
Instead, Bowler was stopped on the M6 near Sandbach, Cheshire, on August 10 after a concerned member of the public contacted police to report a suspicious encounter involving two cars in the Lydiate area.
Police found 44 vacuum-sealed bags containing a total of 20kg of cannabis in Bowler’s car, Liverpool Crown Court was told.
It was learned she turned to crime after her catering business went into decline, leaving her in financial trouble while caring for her two teenage children.
Kayleigh Bowler, 40, reached the quarter-finals of MasterChef in 2025, but turned to crime after her expensive burger business fell on hard times
Chef turned drug courier Bowler, pictured outside court thanking a judge after being handed a 20-month prison sentence, suspended for two years
The 40-year-old was seen wiping away tears as she was sentenced to 20 months in prison, suspended for two years. She told the judge, “Thank you, I appreciate it” at the end of the hearing.
Bowler was chosen from approximately 20,000 entrants to compete in the 2025 series, narrate an interviewer said, it was “the beginning of something I always longed for.”
Despite fearing she would be ‘toast’ because her cooking was criticized, she reached the quarter-finals.
Viewers saw her serve a ‘deconstructed’ pineapple, lemon and key lime pie after running out of time to cook the affair, but she was praised by the judges for her improvisation.
After returning to her catering van – based at a hardware store – she took to social media to unveil a new menu featuring killer burgers and curried goat’s cheese.
But on August 10, Bowler posted, “Bring a packed lunch kids, I’m closed today. On our way to collect more materials for the renovation of the van.’
She added, “See you all tomorrow, bright and early at 7:30.”
Two days later, on August 12, she posted again: “Back tomorrow. I’ll see you at 7:30.’
Kayleigh Bowler (pictured) falsely told customers of her Bournemouth burger van that it was closed due to a ‘family emergency’, when in reality she was making a 500 mile round trip with cannabis
Bowler’s catering van, located in a Bournemouth car park, offers specialties influenced by her Jamaican and Irish heritage
One customer commented on the post, saying they traveled specifically to visit the van earlier this week and were “devastated” after missing out on a Philly cheesesteak.
Bowler responded that she was sorry and said she was dealing with a “family emergency.”
She added: ‘I’ll be here today, tomorrow and all of next week from Monday. Let me know it’s you when you come and I’ll arrange a discount for your wasted trip.’
But on the day she told customers she was away to renovate the van, Bowler had traveled to Merseyside to collect the cannabis before heading back to Bournemouth.
The court previously heard that Bowler had agreed to transport the drugs in exchange for £1,000.
Prosecutor Iain Criddle said a ‘significant amount’ of cannabis was involved and argued Bowler must have understood the scale of the criminal operation she was involved in.
However, the prosecution accepted that she was acting as a courier and not as someone who made significant profits from the operation.
Bowler, who has no previous convictions, told the court through her lawyer that her offending was ‘extremely out of character’.
Olivia Belle, defending, said she had been affected by her financial problems “Unfortunately, she felt she had no other choice,” describing her as someone who was “not a sophisticated or experienced street dealer.”
The court heard that she had since settled her financial debts and distanced herself from the negative peer pressure that led to her involvement in the crime.
Bowler admitted possessing cannabis with intent to supply.
District Judge Jack McGarva described the offense as ‘serious’ and told her she had been entrusted with ‘a lot of money worth of drugs’.
He said drug couriers were a “vital cog” in the supply chain and there was a case for immediate detention to deter others from taking on such roles.
But he concluded there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation and a real risk her children would end up in care if she was sent to prison.
Wearing a black vest and leggings in the dock, Bowler was seen wiping away tears as she was handed a 20-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.
She was also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and up to 20 days of rehabilitation activities.
