0:00:05 > 0:00:07Everyone craves success.
0:00:07 > 0:00:08OK, perfect.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10We all love a winner.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Yeah!
0:00:12 > 0:00:16But no-one makes it to the top on their own.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18Behind every star is a team of people -
0:00:18 > 0:00:22immensely talented, powerful in their own worlds.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25- I need two crab on the pass now! - Yes, chef.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28But invisible to us until now.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30Musical director.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32I am an absolute genius at what I do.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37These are the stories of the stars
0:00:37 > 0:00:39and the teams who strive to make them shine.
0:00:41 > 0:00:42Job done.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44CHEERING
0:00:44 > 0:00:46This is the world of the VIP people.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54They say if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen
0:00:54 > 0:00:56and things don't get much hotter than a busy day
0:00:56 > 0:00:58at one of the country's top restaurants.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02OK, ca marche, two scallops, venison rare, beef rare. 41.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06We've seen plenty of hot-headed, shouty chefs on TV but what does
0:01:06 > 0:01:10it actually take to be a top-flight chef in a real working kitchen?
0:01:10 > 0:01:12This is the important part of the day.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14If this is late, we are in trouble.
0:01:14 > 0:01:15Adam Bennett is an award-winning
0:01:15 > 0:01:19head chef at one of the country's best restaurants.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23In fact, the food and service is so good, it's been given
0:01:23 > 0:01:27the ultimate stamp of excellence in the cookery world - a Michelin star.
0:01:30 > 0:01:35As we know, VIPs always have a top team of VIP people behind them
0:01:35 > 0:01:39to make their job possible, and Adam is no exception.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43The whole team really pull together and it is a nice buzz.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47In a super-posh restaurant like Adam's, the VIP team have
0:01:47 > 0:01:51special French names and all have important roles.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55The assistant chef, known as a sous chef,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58in charge of the day-to-day running of the kitchen.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01The section chefs or chef de parties
0:02:01 > 0:02:05who are in charge of their own parts of the kitchen.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09And the junior chefs, called commis chefs, who fetch and carry.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12In the restaurant, the front of house staff,
0:02:12 > 0:02:15waiters and hosts are the public face of Adam's kitchen,
0:02:15 > 0:02:20making sure they create the perfect posh dining experience.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25Simpsons in Birmingham.
0:02:25 > 0:02:31It's a top-rated restaurant that serves up to 180 people a day.
0:02:31 > 0:02:32Customers book weeks,
0:02:32 > 0:02:36even months in advance to get in, and among the famous diners
0:02:36 > 0:02:40who've been here are Kylie Minogue and the Prime Minister.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44The food is based on fine French cookery and they serve
0:02:44 > 0:02:49all sorts of exotic stuff from caviar to tiny quail's eggs.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53What we aim for with the food at Simpsons is interesting dishes.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57Most emphasis is on flavour but also we go for a striking appearance.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00For Adam, who's been cooking for 30 years,
0:03:00 > 0:03:03being head chef is a dream job.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06School hadn't made all that much sense to me
0:03:06 > 0:03:09but as soon as I got to college and started producing food
0:03:09 > 0:03:13and dishes from raw products, then that all made sense.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15I knew that I belonged in a kitchen then.
0:03:15 > 0:03:20The dining experience here will set you back about £100 a head
0:03:20 > 0:03:23but it has earned the restaurant something that
0:03:23 > 0:03:27most establishments can only dream of - a Michelin star.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31A Michelin star for a chef is akin to an Oscar for an actor.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36Thought up by French tyre company Michelin to show
0:03:36 > 0:03:39drivers where the best restaurants were, Simpsons is one of
0:03:39 > 0:03:44170 places in the whole of the UK to have been given a star.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48It's a big accolade. It is important stuff.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51We're following a typical day at the restaurant.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53They have two sittings -
0:03:53 > 0:03:56one at lunchtime and one at dinnertime - called services.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59The doors don't open to customers until midday
0:03:59 > 0:04:04but Adam's kitchen VIP team are at work from eight in the morning.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06So, there are various people in the kitchen.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08Different chefs with different roles.
0:04:08 > 0:04:13Like most top kitchens there's a very strict pecking order here.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16It's a system invented more than 100 years ago by French chefs
0:04:16 > 0:04:20who wrote the rule book on fine dining.
0:04:20 > 0:04:21And it means, whatever the job,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24everyone here has a fancy French name.
0:04:25 > 0:04:26Sous chef.
0:04:26 > 0:04:27Junior sous chef.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29I'm a chef de partie.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Then you get your junior chef de partie.
0:04:32 > 0:04:33I'm a commis chef.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36Starting his day lifting rather than cheffing is
0:04:36 > 0:04:39the most junior of Adam's VIP team,
0:04:39 > 0:04:41commis chef Paddy.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47Every top chef starts their career as a commis chef.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50The commis chefs do all the fetching and carrying and help with all the
0:04:50 > 0:04:55basic cooking stuff like chopping vegetables and making sauces.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00For Paddy, today's a big day.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02The first full day on the job.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05He's been chosen out of dozens of would-be chefs
0:05:05 > 0:05:09looking for a start in this top-class kitchen.
0:05:09 > 0:05:16My first day of going full-time after two years part-time,
0:05:16 > 0:05:18so a big step up. I've got to step up to the plate.
0:05:18 > 0:05:23It's heart-warming, to be honest. It's the best way I could put it.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26He spent two years at catering college, but it won't count
0:05:26 > 0:05:31for anything if he isn't prepared to put in some seriously hard graft.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35They make sure you learn from your mistakes.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39That's the best way I can put it. How many mistakes have I made here?
0:05:40 > 0:05:41A lot.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45'I've wanted to be a chef since I was 12. I went to college.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49'College helped me out with a few little jobs'
0:05:49 > 0:05:51and here I am now.
0:05:51 > 0:05:57'I'm one of the very few in here that has got everything to learn.'
0:05:57 > 0:06:00Not only has he got to get his head around the cooking, he also has to
0:06:00 > 0:06:04get his head around the language and I don't mean bad language.
0:06:04 > 0:06:05Soigne. Soigne.
0:06:05 > 0:06:06OK, ca marche.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10- Seven amuse-bouches. Apres, apres, yeah? Oui.- Oui!
0:06:10 > 0:06:14Because France is the home of really posh cooking, you hear
0:06:14 > 0:06:17a lot of French in a really posh kitchen.
0:06:17 > 0:06:18I don't know any French.
0:06:18 > 0:06:19- Oui.- Oui.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21But you learn to pick it up
0:06:21 > 0:06:25through phrases that you constantly hear when you are in work.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28Venison rare, beef rare, 41.
0:06:28 > 0:06:29Oui.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Oui is French. It means yes. So, yes, chef.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35Basically, it means yes, they have heard me.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38So does he know exactly what his job translates as?
0:06:38 > 0:06:43Commis chef. No, that's sous chef.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45I couldn't give you the definition of it.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47A French to English dictionary might help you, Paddy.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51It's got to be around here. Here we go. Clerk.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53Assistant clerk, it says here.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57Clerk, as in filing clerk, the lowliest job in the office
0:06:57 > 0:06:59and in the kitchen.
0:07:01 > 0:07:02Nine o'clock,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05time to make sure the restaurant has all the right ingredients
0:07:05 > 0:07:07coming from the suppliers.
0:07:07 > 0:07:08Oh, hello, are you all right?
0:07:08 > 0:07:11I am after some hand-dived scallops for tomorrow.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13I've got a whole saddle of venison coming today.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Hello, Nigel, are you all right? Like a real proper gem.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18Nothing too big and leafy.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22Do you know the frozen scallops that came in yesterday with the driver?
0:07:22 > 0:07:23With thousands of dishes to make
0:07:23 > 0:07:27each week, there's an impressive shopping list, including hundreds
0:07:27 > 0:07:32of fish and loads of exotic veggies like these weird-looking salsify.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36And it all has to be the best quality and arrive on time.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42Some mornings you can spend most of the time on the phone.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45That's all sorted by the next member of our VIP team,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48chef de partie Georgina.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54Chef de partie means a chef of a section.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57They're in charge of one area of the kitchen
0:07:57 > 0:08:00and have a number of commis chefs working under them.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04During a service the chefs de partie prepare specific parts of each meal.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09We have people running this section who are known as chef de partie.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12They're responsible for checking things within the section, making
0:08:12 > 0:08:15sure it is running well, making sure everything is as it should be.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18So, on the veg section you will have a chef de partie of the veg.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22Sauce section, you have a chef de partie on the sauce section.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26Pastry chef de partie. So each section has a chef for that part.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30Between the three of us chef de parties, we need to really help
0:08:30 > 0:08:33and make sure that everyone is pulling their weight and doing their
0:08:33 > 0:08:37bit and the kitchen is kept clean, tidy and everything is done right.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41The chef de partie makes sure the cupboards are stocked up
0:08:41 > 0:08:43and gets to order the commis chefs about.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47Are you ready, Paddy? Paddy. Hot tray, Paddy, yeah.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50- Two on the mains, yeah?- Yeah.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52Paddy. Spinach.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55- Paddy. Quick as you can, Paddy, yeah?- Oui, oui.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57Wake up, Paddy, you're not done yet.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Georgina has been here six years.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02As a little girl, I always sort of watched my mum cook
0:09:02 > 0:09:08and then thought, "The whole sitting in an office thing ain't for me."
0:09:08 > 0:09:11I thought, "I'll give cheffing a bit of a go."
0:09:11 > 0:09:15I really enjoyed it when I went to college and ended up here.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18Georgina gets to make the staff meals.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21But there's no fine dining for them.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23We've got faggots for staff.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27Faggots, or meatballs, and other big food help
0:09:27 > 0:09:31keep their energy up during a long busy service.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35We provide a good staff meal twice a day and it keeps everyone going.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37I'll just spend a couple of minutes eating this
0:09:37 > 0:09:40and then we are ready for service then.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42It's just gone 11.30
0:09:42 > 0:09:46and Adam's VIP team are working like a well-rehearsed orchestra.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Everyone knows their part.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Ingredients are chopped, sauces are fired up
0:09:52 > 0:09:56and meat prepared, ready for when the doors open to the public.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01Conducting it all is head chef Adam.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05Even as the boss, he has an eye for detail, particularly when it's one
0:10:05 > 0:10:10of the most important things in a professional kitchen - cleanliness.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14I think if your kitchen is tidy and orderly,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17then you have got a good chance of having a good service.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19'I think you need a disciplined atmosphere.'
0:10:19 > 0:10:23Get the cooked meat onto a separate tray. Get your knives clean,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26- get your sink clean and work like a professional.- Yes, chef.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28We work very long hours so people need to feel
0:10:28 > 0:10:30they're having some fun as well.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32But when service is going on, everything else stops
0:10:32 > 0:10:34and that's the only concern.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38But Adam won't be conducting the show entirely on his own.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41Myself and Matt will be running the service, checking everything,
0:10:41 > 0:10:43making sure we are happy.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46A busy service would not be possible without the most crucial
0:10:46 > 0:10:49member of Adam's team, his right-hand man -
0:10:49 > 0:10:51sous chef Matt.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58Sous is French for under and while Matt works under the head chef
0:10:58 > 0:11:02he has to be skilled enough to take over when Adam's not there.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04Day to day, Matt ensures that
0:11:04 > 0:11:07the kitchen is running at peak performance.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11A good sous chef for me should be like a sergeant major in the army.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Keep discipline, keep everything running smoothly
0:11:14 > 0:11:16and just look after the details.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18Matt has been doing that for a long time
0:11:18 > 0:11:20and he really is overdue for a head chef job.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23Every chef aspires to be a head chef one day.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25Matt has been here 14 years
0:11:25 > 0:11:29and knows the style of cooking better than anyone.
0:11:29 > 0:11:30I went to catering college.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33My parents always tried to put me off that cos they knew
0:11:33 > 0:11:36the hours that were involved and the work that was involved.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39I went to college anyway. I started at the Birmingham College Of Food
0:11:39 > 0:11:42and then I did my work placement at Simpsons about 14 years ago.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44I sort of love the place.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48As sous chef it's his job to make sure nothing goes into a dish
0:11:48 > 0:11:50that doesn't meet very high standards.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54It will be myself or one of the chefs de partie that will taste
0:11:54 > 0:11:55pretty much everything.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58You know, it is on my shoulders, obviously.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01He also keeps the newer chefs on their toes, teaching them
0:12:01 > 0:12:05the Simpsons way and making sure their equipment is up to scratch.
0:12:05 > 0:12:06Blunt.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10They keep sending up herbs and they're a bit bruised cos
0:12:10 > 0:12:15their knives aren't sharp enough so I've just given it a little tickle.
0:12:15 > 0:12:16Knives are quite personal items
0:12:16 > 0:12:19and they're a personal preference on what you like to use.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22Being a chef at this level, you know, it's a craft.
0:12:22 > 0:12:23Every craftsman has his own tools
0:12:23 > 0:12:27and for an example, that one is probably about £190.
0:12:27 > 0:12:28I have had that a while now.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32Everyone in the kitchen is expected to learn on the job.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35Matt's there to make sure mistakes aren't repeated.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39If they do something wrong, they need to be told.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43You know, obviously, the first time, I try and show them
0:12:43 > 0:12:46the right way instead of the wrong way.
0:12:46 > 0:12:52And then, obviously, if it happens again and again and again,
0:12:52 > 0:12:54I might shout a little bit.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56Get a grip. Calm down, will you?
0:12:56 > 0:12:59I know, yeah, but it's your job. We don't all scream and shout about it.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01At the end of the day, we are all here to learn.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05You know, I am still learning every day.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08Adam and Matt will be conducting the service from the front
0:13:08 > 0:13:10in an area known as the pass.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12The pass is where we organise the service
0:13:12 > 0:13:14so we'll be calling the orders out,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17coordinating things between the different sections
0:13:17 > 0:13:21and then finally it is where things go on the plate and get sauced
0:13:21 > 0:13:23and taken to the restaurant.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25It's 20 minutes to service
0:13:25 > 0:13:28and preparation time is running out quickly.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32Just giving Paddy a little hand now to get ready. He is a little behind.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35You can tell by the way he's panicking a little bit. Eh, Paddy?
0:13:35 > 0:13:37Yeah.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39This is the period of the day where there is
0:13:39 > 0:13:41a transition between getting ready and being ready.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44Everybody's mind starts to focus on service now rather than
0:13:44 > 0:13:47preparation, so this is the important part of the day.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50If this is late, we're in trouble.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54As the kitchen picks up the pace preparing food, in the restaurant,
0:13:54 > 0:13:57the front of house staff are getting ready to serve it.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01The waiters are a crucial part of Adam's team.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04The service has to match the quality of the food
0:14:04 > 0:14:08so the waiting staff are expected to know the menu inside out.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10OK, anyone has any questions?
0:14:10 > 0:14:13Have you seen the menu, the new menu, Alex? Yeah? OK?
0:14:13 > 0:14:17What the customers are looking for from a good waiter is to have all the
0:14:17 > 0:14:21information at their fingertips when a question is asked about the dish.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25In charge is the final player in Adam's VIP team,
0:14:25 > 0:14:27restaurant manager Tony.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34Tony meets, greets and seats customers in style and keeps
0:14:34 > 0:14:37the kitchen up to speed about what's happening in the restaurant.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40It's his job to make sure the waiting staff delivers
0:14:40 > 0:14:42a service that's second to none.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48As the first customers arrive,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Tony pops into the kitchen to let them know.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53First table is in.
0:14:54 > 0:14:55Lunch is served.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59There are around 50 customers expecting some top-quality grub
0:14:59 > 0:15:01and the kitchen is in full swing.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07First course went on onion veggie, pork...
0:15:09 > 0:15:11This is the main room which is the conservatory.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15We have seven tables here and in this room, you normally have...
0:15:15 > 0:15:18At the moment it is Yannick and Alexander sort of making sure
0:15:18 > 0:15:20that everyone has got bread, wine, water.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26Just like the kitchen staff, there are different levels of waiter.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29There are waiters to carry the trays of food from the kitchen
0:15:29 > 0:15:31and waiters to actually serve the food.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34An ideal person who would be working in front of house has
0:15:34 > 0:15:37to have the drive, motivation, passion for good food
0:15:37 > 0:15:39and good wine, be a good team player.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41You have to be a caring person
0:15:41 > 0:15:43if you want to work in this kind of industry.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46Tony's been at Simpsons for seven years
0:15:46 > 0:15:50but started his restaurant career serving takeaway pizza.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53You have to have hospitality in your blood.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56When an order comes in, the chef announces it with another
0:15:56 > 0:15:58French word - ca marche.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03OK, ca marche, two scallops, venison rare, beef rare, 41.
0:16:03 > 0:16:04Oui.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08Ca marche, in kitchen speak, means listen up or else.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Ca marche, three crab, one scallops.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16With 150 dishes to make, no-one can afford to miss an order.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20Communication is the key for a smooth service.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23If everybody communicates well, then you should get a good service.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27Ca marche, parfait, two egg, cod, pork, venison. The ven is medium rare.
0:16:27 > 0:16:28- Table three.- Oui.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32And all the chefs, right from the commis
0:16:32 > 0:16:37to the chef de partie to the sous chef aren't told what to do,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40they're expected to know.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42Three beignets, two raw.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46As the elements of each dish are cooked
0:16:46 > 0:16:50and delivered to the pass, Adam composes them like a painting
0:16:50 > 0:16:52before they go out to the diner.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57- We're away. Parfait, two egg.- Oui.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03Over the three hours, there's no slacking off.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05Just waiting on you now, Pad.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08The last dish has to be made with the same care as the first.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18And even when the service is over, the work isn't done.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20The surfaces have to be scrubbed down.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23Everyone is expected to clean up after themselves
0:17:23 > 0:17:26ready for the next session in just two hours' time.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Everywhere is soaped down, squeegeed off,
0:17:31 > 0:17:34disinfected down, the floor is cleaned as well
0:17:34 > 0:17:37just so that we are all fresh, ready to start again.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40So while some staff are able to head home for a quick break,
0:17:40 > 0:17:44Adam as head chef is never entirely able to switch off.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50You need to be a little bit obsessed. Really, it is an ongoing process.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53We are always thinking, looking, researching.
0:17:53 > 0:17:54It is a job that you live.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59We've seen how Adam's VIP team work together
0:17:59 > 0:18:02to deliver an award-winning service.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06It's a teamwork that's going to be put to the test as Adam takes
0:18:06 > 0:18:08a break from the kitchen.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10He's off to France to compete in a major
0:18:10 > 0:18:14international cooking competition and has several weeks
0:18:14 > 0:18:18of serious cooking practice to get in away from Simpsons.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21Leaving his VIP squad to run things without him,
0:18:21 > 0:18:23everyone has to up their game
0:18:23 > 0:18:26and it's young Paddy who's really feeling the pressure.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Paddy, get a grip. I need two crab on the pass now!
0:18:33 > 0:18:36It's 7pm, and the evenings are when the crowds
0:18:36 > 0:18:38really start to turn up.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42Good evening, gents.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44Hello. Welcome to Simpsons. Evening. How are you?
0:18:44 > 0:18:46Lunch, if we get business people,
0:18:46 > 0:18:48it is a little bit more of a rush, and in the evening,
0:18:48 > 0:18:53people like to take the time and relax and make an evening of it.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56In a top-class restaurant, the waiters don't just serve
0:18:56 > 0:19:01the food, they're expected to know almost as much about it as the chef.
0:19:01 > 0:19:02You serve from the right
0:19:02 > 0:19:05and make sure that you present the food the right way,
0:19:05 > 0:19:09explain the main ingredients, what's in a dish, let them enjoy.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13It can be difficult to remember though who exactly is having
0:19:13 > 0:19:17what so they've developed a very special way of keeping track.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21We have got a check here which describes every starter
0:19:21 > 0:19:23for the individual. Gentleman, glasses.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25Gentleman, no hair. Gentleman, hair, etc, etc.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27So it just describes who is having what.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30When we actually come to the table with the food on the tray,
0:19:30 > 0:19:32we don't ask who is having what. We know already.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35Sometimes being a waiter means being a mind-reader.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39A customer has ordered a dish without realising they're
0:19:39 > 0:19:42allergic to most of it, causing a bit of friction in the kitchen.
0:19:42 > 0:19:47So, she is allergic to nuts, fruit.
0:19:47 > 0:19:52It's your job to, you know, speak to them and find out more information.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55I can't cook for someone if I don't know what they can and can't have.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57You know, you have to have the information and
0:19:57 > 0:20:00communicate with your colleagues and the chef.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03That's how we deal and then prevent it. By communicating.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07The service continues until the very last customer finishes.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10The kitchen might not pack up until the early hours,
0:20:10 > 0:20:13ready to start all over again.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25Adam's always on the hunt for new menu ideas
0:20:25 > 0:20:28and today he's looking for them at a local plant grower's.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30We are going to see Will.
0:20:30 > 0:20:35He's the guy that grows a lot of our herbs, shoots, leaves, etc.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37Also flowers that we use in the dishes.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39He is always working on something new
0:20:39 > 0:20:42so hopefully today he will have something exciting to show us.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46For Adam, just cooking the food is not enough, he needs to keep
0:20:46 > 0:20:50the menu fresh and is constantly searching for new ingredients.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52We are off to the greenhouse
0:20:52 > 0:20:55to have a look at some of Will's new products.
0:20:55 > 0:21:00Looking for something a little bit novel, a little bit new.
0:21:00 > 0:21:01This is incredible.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04The flavour of this is actually like oyster, seafood.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08That is a perfect pea flower.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11You will see an ingredient and it will start you
0:21:11 > 0:21:14thinking in a certain direction and that can become a dish.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18Edible flowers are a distinctive part of Adam's cooking
0:21:18 > 0:21:20but not all flowers are safe to eat.
0:21:20 > 0:21:25These have been grown especially for him, to look and taste great.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28Flowers have been used before in food. It is not a new thing.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30I think they have gone out of fashion a little
0:21:30 > 0:21:33but they have come back with a vengeance now.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Look at those. Beautiful. This is red butterfly sorrel.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Sorrel is a herb with a distinct-looking flower
0:21:39 > 0:21:42and a strong, lemony flavour.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45Wow, yeah, it's sorrel-y.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48So we will hopefully try to use this on our new dish.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53Back at Simpsons, Adam's thinking about how
0:21:53 > 0:21:55he can use the flowers he picked up.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58So these are the flowers from this sorrel.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03Then we have got the butterfly sorrel flowers as well.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06So I think between all of these different things
0:22:06 > 0:22:08we should come up with something good to go with the venison.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Venison is the name for meat that comes from deer
0:22:11 > 0:22:15and is one of the luxury foods that the restaurant specialises in.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18They'll be serving it tartare, which means raw,
0:22:18 > 0:22:21and it's as much about getting the look right as the taste.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24- Are we on the right lines? - Yeah, yeah.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28I think it would be nice to have it with watercress as well.
0:22:28 > 0:22:29- For pepperiness.- Yeah.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32Even developing a new dish is not a one-man show.
0:22:32 > 0:22:37Adam, as always, relies on sous chef Matt to help get things right.
0:22:37 > 0:22:38Which is just as well
0:22:38 > 0:22:43because Adam won't be in the kitchen here at all over the next few weeks.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48Adam's such a top chef he's been asked to compete in a big
0:22:48 > 0:22:52international cooking competition in France, called the Bocuse d'Or.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57It's going to take a lot of preparation to get ready.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01It's a bit like a sporting event with a bit of Eurovision thrown in.
0:23:01 > 0:23:02It's quite a spectacle.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05He even has a specially-built practice kitchen
0:23:05 > 0:23:08set up at the local catering college.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13It means Adam won't see the inside of Simpsons for at least
0:23:13 > 0:23:16eight weeks, leaving Matt and the rest of his VIP team to
0:23:16 > 0:23:20keep up Simpsons' high standards while Adam's away.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25And today is really going to test them.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30- Strain off three crab, one for table three. Soigne.- Oui.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32Sous chef Matt is in charge.
0:23:32 > 0:23:37More than 80 guests - 240 dishes to make.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41- Prawn cocktail, sea bream, two scallops, yeah?- Oui.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43When you got a really full-on service and it's going well,
0:23:43 > 0:23:46it's a bit like flying, you know. You almost don't have to think.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49Everything is automatic and you just get in the zone.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53Dishes are flying out the door, the orders are coming in thick and fast.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55Perhaps a little too fast.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57You have got to slow it down. You're killing me here.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00You're putting us under too much pressure here.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04You can't get too many orders all together and you can't also
0:24:04 > 0:24:08rush your diners because if they feel rushed they feel uncomfortable.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11It is not an easy job finding a balance, you know.
0:24:11 > 0:24:12Come on, Paddy, quick.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16With Adam out of the kitchen, everyone has to up their game and
0:24:16 > 0:24:20young Paddy has been given a salmon and crab starter dish to make.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23- I need three crab, one potato terrine, soigne.- Oui.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27- Ready on three crab?- 30 seconds. - Come on, hurry up, Paddy, please.
0:24:27 > 0:24:32Paddy, get a grip. I need two crab on the pass now!
0:24:32 > 0:24:34How many times do I have to call a check
0:24:34 > 0:24:36before it registers in your head?
0:24:36 > 0:24:39It's big step up for a commis chef like him.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41And he's feeling the pressure.
0:24:41 > 0:24:42Let's go, Paddy.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45When it gets a bit trickier is when you're not in the zone
0:24:45 > 0:24:47and you have to pull it back together.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49Any dish, before it gets to the restaurant,
0:24:49 > 0:24:50goes through a series of checks.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52Everybody who handles it should be looking at it
0:24:52 > 0:24:54and making sure everything is right.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57- About time. Let's go. Come on, Paddy. Move, now.- Oui.
0:24:57 > 0:24:58Service, please.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00Occasionally there is a slip up.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04Restaurant manager Tony has noticed something missing
0:25:04 > 0:25:06and it's on Paddy's dish.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10In fact, the most important part of a crab dish - the crab.
0:25:10 > 0:25:11Oh.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14Did you definitely put crab on that salmon?
0:25:14 > 0:25:18- The three salmon that you just sent. Was there crab?- I didn't send it.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23You have to be, first of all, apologetic about it
0:25:23 > 0:25:24and offer apologies.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26Just try and correct it as much as possible.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28Paddy.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32Paddy, when I say a soigne table, it's got to be the best you can do.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36You forget the crab. The main thing on the dish is the crab.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40Matt shows Paddy the right way to do it
0:25:40 > 0:25:44and let's loose with some colourful kitchen language.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47- Soigne. Soigne.- Yes, chef.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50French, of course. Soigne, meaning make it excellent.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55- How long on four crab?- Gone, chef.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57- With the crab.- Yes, chef.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02The rest of the service is trouble-free.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06Matt wouldn't have it any other way.
0:26:06 > 0:26:0730 seconds on scallops.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10I got shouted at more than Paddy, probably,
0:26:10 > 0:26:12you know, when I was training.
0:26:12 > 0:26:13But, you know,
0:26:13 > 0:26:16that's what we like mistakes for cos you learn by your mistakes.
0:26:16 > 0:26:17It sometimes gets frustrating when
0:26:17 > 0:26:20you think you're past the learning curve and then go back.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24Come here. Mate, that is like the worst service I've ever seen.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27By far the worst service you've ever had. OK.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30We have learnt a few things today, haven't we?
0:26:30 > 0:26:33It's the tough days where you learn the most.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36It is hectic and it is mad but that's part of the fun.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38We are a family and we work together
0:26:38 > 0:26:40and that is what makes our job easier and better.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42And what about the boss?
0:26:42 > 0:26:46Between services, Matt and the kitchen crew follow Adam
0:26:46 > 0:26:50online as he competes in that big cooking competition in France.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54Everyone is on Twitter, aren't they? Finding out, trying to find out.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58A British chef has never done better than sixth place.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01'United Kingdom.'
0:27:01 > 0:27:03CHEERING
0:27:03 > 0:27:06It's a fourth for Britain, the best result ever
0:27:06 > 0:27:11and Adam's meat dish was so good it won an award of its own.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Done brilliantly well. We are chuffed. Chuffed.
0:27:17 > 0:27:18A few days later,
0:27:18 > 0:27:23Adam's back at Simpsons to celebrate with his VIP team.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26Adam has only been able to step away from Simpsons
0:27:26 > 0:27:29because his talented crew has what it takes to deliver
0:27:29 > 0:27:33a Michelin star service even when he's not there.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36You need everyone to concentrate, communicate
0:27:36 > 0:27:40and really work well as a team. They're the three key things.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44Everyone from commis chefs to the front of house staff have
0:27:44 > 0:27:46played a part in Adam's success.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48And his prize-winning efforts
0:27:48 > 0:27:51establish him as one of Britain's top chefs.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd