0:00:02 > 0:00:04This programme contains strong language
0:00:04 > 0:00:07Hurry up! Take nine snacks from my right-hand side. Let's go!
0:00:07 > 0:00:10- Rachel?- Yes. - Can't hear you.- Yes, Chef!
0:00:10 > 0:00:1427-year-old Will Brown is one of Northern Ireland's
0:00:14 > 0:00:15most ambitious chefs.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18I believe as a chef and as a businessman,
0:00:18 > 0:00:20I'm on my way to the very top of the industry.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22You're on the quail egg, yes?
0:00:22 > 0:00:23Over 18 months,
0:00:23 > 0:00:26we follow him as he strives to put his restaurant
0:00:26 > 0:00:27on the culinary map...
0:00:27 > 0:00:30The tuna is not in the middle of the plate, look.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34..and win one of the food industry's most prestigious awards.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36A Michelin star is my main game.
0:00:36 > 0:00:37- Let's go!- Yes.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40Because I believe my food is the best food in the country.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42Give me two fucking plates straightaway, please,
0:00:42 > 0:00:44so I can do my job!
0:00:44 > 0:00:45Please!
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Right, beef, yeah, let's go.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59It's Valentine's tonight so there's a lot of lovers out tonight,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02you know, out to have a bit of craic and eat some nice food.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05Give me a tuna. Sea bream, garnish straight on.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07Get it straight on!
0:01:07 > 0:01:11This time last year, I think the Schoolhouse did 12 people for Valentine's Day.
0:01:11 > 0:01:16This Valentine's, we're doing 65 and we've turned away about 65.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19- Bread back, please. - Bread, bread, bread. Quickly.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23So you can see the change in one year. It's big.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25Right, two amuse, going to table 10.
0:01:25 > 0:01:26- Hello?!- Yes, Chef.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Table... See when I say something, can you say something back?
0:01:29 > 0:01:33So I don't have to fucking waste my time saying it twice. Please!
0:01:33 > 0:01:36Will trained with award-winning chefs including
0:01:36 > 0:01:39Marco Pierre White, Paul Rankin and Gordon Ramsay.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41Take these away.
0:01:41 > 0:01:42Take these away!
0:01:42 > 0:01:45He recently returned from London to take over his parents' restaurant
0:01:45 > 0:01:49and guesthouse, which he now runs with his partner Karena.
0:01:49 > 0:01:54Get two pork belly out, wakey wakey, two pork belly out. Yes?
0:01:54 > 0:01:58It's located in an isolated spot along the County Down coast.
0:01:58 > 0:02:03Will has ambitions to transform it into a destination restaurant.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05The restaurant had been closed, really, for three years.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08You know, when I started, it was just me
0:02:08 > 0:02:10and a 75-year-old waiter working in the restaurant.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12Table 14, go.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14The first weekend, I think I had zero.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16You're taking the checks down and putting them up
0:02:16 > 0:02:18- the wrong fucking way.- Sorry.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20So there's a system which I've got my head round
0:02:20 > 0:02:22to run this kitchen. Every time you take a check down
0:02:22 > 0:02:26- and put a number on it, you're putting it on the wrong way. - Sorry, Chef.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28Fucking front of house are fucking fucking me over here. What the...
0:02:28 > 0:02:31- What's going on? Where's the docket? - I don't know.- Well, what's on it?!
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Karena? There's desserts on here, I don't have a docket,
0:02:34 > 0:02:36John doesn't have a docket, they've been waiting 12 minutes.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40Working with Karena is fantastic because, you know, I love her more
0:02:40 > 0:02:43than anything in the world, I trust her more than anything in the world.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46What you do want off me?! What do you want off me?!
0:02:46 > 0:02:49Can I have two chocolates, please?
0:02:49 > 0:02:50Two chocolates, yeah.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52'I studied law and I was going to go down that route'
0:02:52 > 0:02:56but I found whatever I started, I really enjoy working here.
0:02:56 > 0:02:57Go and tell Karena!
0:02:57 > 0:02:59I have hard days, he has hard days.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Tell Karena I am being put under pressure.
0:03:02 > 0:03:03I do know how to calm him down.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06It's fucking rare, right? And a med-well!
0:03:06 > 0:03:08- I try to! - SHE LAUGHS
0:03:10 > 0:03:12With Karena, I've got eyes out front.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14It's not as if I'm in the kitchen and there's
0:03:14 > 0:03:17a load of strangers out here doing things they shouldn't be doing.
0:03:17 > 0:03:18Karena?
0:03:18 > 0:03:20- OK?- Yeah.- Prawn!
0:03:20 > 0:03:23I do try and protect them but I also think that if there is
0:03:23 > 0:03:27a problem in the restaurant, then it's always best, after service,
0:03:27 > 0:03:29- to sit down and discuss it. - Pass it up.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31- Mitchell!- Yes?
0:03:31 > 0:03:33Two sea bass, please, table 9.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35She doesn't tell me during service
0:03:35 > 0:03:36because I'll probably kill somebody.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38Have it all up at the same fucking time.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41I'm stopping my whole service to go back and cut a croustillant!
0:03:41 > 0:03:43You can't make mistakes, that's it.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45He's a nice guy but if you make a mistake
0:03:45 > 0:03:47then his mood can change fairly quickly.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49Brioche... Brioche is burning.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51You stand right in front of it, yeah?
0:03:51 > 0:03:53If I took it to heart, I wouldn't be here, really.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55I would be well out of the door!
0:03:55 > 0:03:56What's the brioche?
0:03:56 > 0:03:58I don't want to hold your hand all the time.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00I think I'm hard on the staff, yeah.
0:04:00 > 0:04:01What's the brioche, yes?
0:04:01 > 0:04:04If they don't like the way I do things then they don't work here.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10I believe that in them busy services, it's life or death.
0:04:10 > 0:04:15John, get the manager! If you don't produce the goods, you're bankrupt.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20For Will, it's not just about staying afloat,
0:04:20 > 0:04:23it's about reaching the top of his profession.
0:04:23 > 0:04:24I think in 18 months,
0:04:24 > 0:04:27when I'm 28, I'll have the best restaurant in the country.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36Will is passionate about using local produce in his cooking.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40Even after a late night in the kitchen, he and his team can be
0:04:40 > 0:04:44found foraging along the Strangford Lough coastline at 7am.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51So, this plant is goosetongue, and we're going to use it
0:04:51 > 0:04:54in a mackerel dish that's going on the menu tonight.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57You see very little chefs going out so early in the morning
0:04:57 > 0:05:02before a 15-hour day and trying to find all this wonderful produce.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05- Your first time, Dan, you enjoying it?- Yeah, it's great craic.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10'All of our produce on the menu is local.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12'And where we are, we're so lucky.
0:05:12 > 0:05:13'We've got Finnebrogue venison,
0:05:13 > 0:05:15'we've got the oyster farm round the corner,
0:05:15 > 0:05:18'I'm getting my quails from Lisbane, it's a brilliant place
0:05:18 > 0:05:20'to have a restaurant cos the produce is so good.'
0:05:29 > 0:05:33For 30 years, Will's mum and dad ran the Schoolhouse.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36They now help him manage the adjoining guesthouse
0:05:36 > 0:05:38and support him in his pursuit of a Michelin star.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46Och, I do worry about him, because he strives for perfection.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50Even when he played rugby, the boots had to be the best,
0:05:50 > 0:05:53everything had to be the best.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56"Mum, if I have the best boots on my feet...and I'm
0:05:56 > 0:06:00"so comfortable in them, I will play better."
0:06:02 > 0:06:04There's a lot of things William wants to do.
0:06:04 > 0:06:09You know, he wants to build a bigger kitchen. He's always one step ahead.
0:06:09 > 0:06:14He never relaxes. I think that's what it takes.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17I think he deserves a Michelin star, because he works so hard,
0:06:17 > 0:06:20he's so dedicated, and food's his life.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24Sometimes I think he takes it too seriously.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26The only thing is, I always say,
0:06:26 > 0:06:29"I wish I had a big money tree in the back garden," you know?
0:06:31 > 0:06:35It's September 2014, and today, Michelin will announce
0:06:35 > 0:06:38which restaurants across the UK will receive a star.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47There will be a press release at 7.30, and every chef in the UK will
0:06:47 > 0:06:51be told if he's got a Michelin star, if he hasn't got a Michelin star.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland is finally out.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00Just says you can buy it for £11.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07A Michelin star is one of the highest accolades a restaurant can receive.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11Winning one would push Will into another league.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14From what I've read so far,
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Northern Ireland have achieved no Michelin stars this year.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21Em...
0:07:21 > 0:07:23We haven't got a star this year.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Still 27 years of age, you know?
0:07:31 > 0:07:34Got plenty of time to go after that and get the star.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40What we've got to do is keep working hard, keep building the team
0:07:40 > 0:07:42and keep improving.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46And you never know, one day, we could achieve it.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49But it's not to be this year, by the looks of it, so...
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Just when Will thinks that all hope of an award is gone,
0:07:55 > 0:07:57some exciting news is posted on Twitter.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02So after all, we HAVE just achieved an award,
0:08:02 > 0:08:05which I am absolutely over the moon with.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10We got a Bib Gourmand from Michelin.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14A Bib Gourmand is an award for consistent food
0:08:14 > 0:08:16cooked to a very high standard...
0:08:16 > 0:08:19and it all falls into a certain price bracket,
0:08:19 > 0:08:22so you can have three courses for under £30.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26Can you believe it? Michelin? Michelin?
0:08:26 > 0:08:32They awarded and recognised the hard work that all the staff achieved.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35Do you know, I've a few chefs around the area who are
0:08:35 > 0:08:39big competition, they've been here for 10 to 12 years,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42and they've never achieved an award like this,
0:08:42 > 0:08:43and I've achieved it after a year.
0:08:43 > 0:08:48I don't want to sound cocky, but it has absolutely made my day.
0:08:48 > 0:08:49KARENA LAUGHS
0:08:49 > 0:08:50(Yes!)
0:08:53 > 0:08:57- I'm going to play this cool. - Yeah, right!- I'm only joking.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Type this for me, Karena, in these words.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Fantastic achievement in our first year at the Schoolhouse.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08- Well done to... - No, no, let me say, OK?
0:09:08 > 0:09:14Fantastic achievement in our first year at the Schoolhouse
0:09:14 > 0:09:15to win a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23(Yes!)
0:09:23 > 0:09:25Have to go to work now.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28- Have to go to work.- Woo!
0:09:28 > 0:09:31It will be a year before the next Michelin awards,
0:09:31 > 0:09:35and although Will has received a Bib Gourmand, a star is a long way off.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44If there's one person that can help Will achieve his star,
0:09:44 > 0:09:46it's Tim Magee.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Tim works all over the world
0:09:48 > 0:09:51and is consultant to the top restaurants in Northern Ireland.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55Any advice that he can give Will should prove invaluable.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00So tonight we have a consultant coming to see us called Tim.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03This is the starter we have, some local plaice came in this morning,
0:10:03 > 0:10:07with broccoli puree. Purple sprouting broccoli
0:10:07 > 0:10:10is a top piece of produce just grown down the road.
0:10:10 > 0:10:16It's all about what's in season, so Tim's in for a good night tonight.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18I think at this level of cooking you need to constantly
0:10:18 > 0:10:21question yourself. "Am I doing things right here?
0:10:21 > 0:10:22"Am I getting the best out of this onion?
0:10:22 > 0:10:25"Am I getting the best out of this potato gnocchi?
0:10:25 > 0:10:28"Could I add a bit more egg there or take a wee bit more egg away?"
0:10:28 > 0:10:32In this game, you're constantly striving to make things look better.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37- This is the menu I have at the minute.- Looks lovely, like.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41From a local-provenance perspective, you've got it, you know?
0:10:41 > 0:10:44There is a certain amount of bullet-proofing I think
0:10:44 > 0:10:46that needs to happen now to make sure you can't be
0:10:46 > 0:10:49criticised for something that isn't actually involving the cooking.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52- Yeah.- The salmon's farmed, and that's fair enough, it would be,
0:10:52 > 0:10:54but the sea bream, is it farmed as well?
0:10:54 > 0:10:56The sea bream...is farmed, yeah.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00Farmed sea bass has become the bane of the world, OK?
0:11:00 > 0:11:03What it does to the environment, and it's now essentially wedding food.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07Sea bream is next on the list on that, it's just queueing up.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09I know you can't have wild fish every day,
0:11:09 > 0:11:12but it's almost better to not have it and celebrate it when you do.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15Also, an alarm bell straightaway for me is the green beans,
0:11:15 > 0:11:18- where are the green beans from? Africa?- The green beans are...
0:11:18 > 0:11:19They're probably African.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21I'm not sure, I'll have to ask my veg supplier.
0:11:21 > 0:11:26- I imagine they're long-haul. - Hold on a second, can we just stop?
0:11:31 > 0:11:33HE EXHALES
0:11:36 > 0:11:39That's this chap sitting at the side here talking about
0:11:39 > 0:11:41the green beans being from Africa.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46And I'm standing here now cooking for him, and he's sitting there...
0:11:48 > 0:11:50..talking to me like I'm a three-year-old.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56Soon as he walked through the door, I didn't like him. That's the truth.
0:11:56 > 0:11:57I don't know why, I just...
0:12:00 > 0:12:03Och, listen, the guy's a lovely guy, there's no problems.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06But he's in there talking nonsense. Come on.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08I do think the chairs are a little bit uncomfortable.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11If you have an international dining critic coming along,
0:12:11 > 0:12:13they're going to look at artisan light bulbs,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16which have been slagged off for the last two or three years.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18If one more restaurant opens in Manhattan with tiles
0:12:18 > 0:12:21and artisan light bulbs, they're going to lose their reason.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25But you've got that juxtaposition
0:12:25 > 0:12:27of this old Victorian or Georgian building
0:12:27 > 0:12:31and then this very modern side of it here,
0:12:31 > 0:12:33which is a little bit discombobulating, for me.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35If he asks where I got the onions,
0:12:35 > 0:12:37I'm going to say they were bought in.
0:12:39 > 0:12:44- Thank you very much, chef. Looks beautiful.- Bon appetit, sir.- Cheers.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47Not too busy, not too many things on the plate.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52It's lovely. The fish is seasoned perfectly.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55There's a slightly astringent taste coming from...
0:12:55 > 0:12:56Is it from the onions?
0:12:56 > 0:12:58Have a taste. Is it from the ash?
0:12:58 > 0:13:00I don't know where it's coming from.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04- Do you get it?- Not particularly.- OK.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06'He pretty much pissed me off, yeah.'
0:13:06 > 0:13:09And I'm quite an easy enough guy to get on with.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11I treat everyone like individuals,
0:13:11 > 0:13:14but I thought his attitude stunk, to be honest with you.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18Croustillant of beef cheek, fillet of Hereford beef.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21Do you think that having the pastry around the braised beef...?
0:13:21 > 0:13:24- Do you mean the potato strings? - I know it's there for texture,
0:13:24 > 0:13:27- which is great, but it can taste a tiny bit oily.- That's true.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30'I can take criticism, I take criticism every day,
0:13:30 > 0:13:32'I take feedback from my customers,
0:13:32 > 0:13:34'but whenever there's a chap enters your restaurant and you've'
0:13:34 > 0:13:39never met him before, and he doesn't really know anything about you...
0:13:39 > 0:13:42For me, when it comes to Tim the other night...
0:13:44 > 0:13:47..didn't impress me. Didn't impress me whatsoever.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55Will has some news that may force him
0:13:55 > 0:13:58to put any ambitions for a Michelin star on hold for a while.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02Me and Karena are expecting our first child together.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05We're not sure if it's a little boy or a little girl.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08It'll be in our world on the 26th of February.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11I'm going to have a busy schedule, I would say, after Christmas.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13What about black truffle, can you get me
0:14:13 > 0:14:16a better price on black truffle?
0:14:16 > 0:14:18I need to be sensible and make a few pound really,
0:14:18 > 0:14:21that's what it's all about. That's it.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24My priorities for the Michelin star have not changed,
0:14:24 > 0:14:27but the most important thing is to look after this
0:14:27 > 0:14:29family business that's been here for 30 years.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32Because I'm having a child and I would like to pass that on
0:14:32 > 0:14:34to my child, but saying that,
0:14:34 > 0:14:37if a Michelin star comes along, then brilliant.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45CHILD'S HEARTBEAT THUMPS
0:14:45 > 0:14:47- That's a reassuring sound, isn't it?- Uh-huh.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51Little black mark is the stomach, it's had a good feed.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54It's a well-nourished, healthy, happy baby at the moment,
0:14:54 > 0:14:56- so all good.- Good.
0:14:56 > 0:14:57Brilliant.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00- Cheers, all the best. - Thanks very much, doctor, thank you.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05Bit of good news on a Friday morning.
0:15:09 > 0:15:10KARENA LAUGHS
0:15:14 > 0:15:16Christmas is kicking off,
0:15:16 > 0:15:19and the pressure in the kitchen has stepped up.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23On top of this, Will has implemented major changes behind the scenes.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29I reshuffled my team, cos I wasn't very happy with them.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32To be honest with you, they just weren't talented enough.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35They didn't want to go that extra yard to produce good food.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37It's like picking a football team,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40you pick your best team to win you the match.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Here, let's get this down to a T, I'm being serious.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46So tonight's a bit tougher for us, we've changed the menu,
0:15:46 > 0:15:48we've got a new set-up, this is our first night
0:15:48 > 0:15:50properly working as a team,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53properly together, so it's going to be difficult.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56This is when it gets a bit frustrating,
0:15:56 > 0:15:58because food sits on the top of passes for too long.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01- Have they finished the table?- Yep. - Where's Scott gone?
0:16:01 > 0:16:05I've mellowed a lot over the last six months. I think so.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08I think so, I think I have.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10Definitely, I definitely have.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13- Sam, do you think I've mellowed over the last three months?- Oh, yeah.
0:16:13 > 0:16:14WILL LAUGHS
0:16:17 > 0:16:19Is the crumble in the oven?
0:16:19 > 0:16:21If you had put the fucking crumble in the oven then
0:16:21 > 0:16:23we would have just lifted it out to send it to the table.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25So put the crumble in the oven
0:16:25 > 0:16:27whenever it comes straight on order.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33We have to get this by Saturday.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36When I'm finished and plating the main course, you just go and...
0:16:36 > 0:16:37HE SLAMS COUNTER
0:16:37 > 0:16:39You know what I mean?
0:16:41 > 0:16:44We need to get it right as a team, and we're getting it right,
0:16:44 > 0:16:47but there's always room for improvement, all right?
0:16:50 > 0:16:53Never, ever want to see the soup boiling.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55There needs to be four of these on the wall every night
0:16:55 > 0:16:57before service, so if we get a fucking tasting menu on
0:16:57 > 0:16:59it's already there and I'm not
0:16:59 > 0:17:00running around like a headless chicken.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02At some stage, we need to get it right, OK?
0:17:02 > 0:17:08- Right, boys. Cheers. - Here's to Saturday.- Great service.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11Six doubles in a row, got another seven doubles to go,
0:17:11 > 0:17:1716-hour days, but it's worth it. It could go either way for me here.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19A - I'll be a very successful young man
0:17:19 > 0:17:22and I'll have a very successful restaurant.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26Or B - I could go bankrupt in six months. It's as cut-throat as that.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29But I'm through my first two-and-a-half years,
0:17:29 > 0:17:32and we're making money.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36But it's not going to grow with me sitting on me arse
0:17:36 > 0:17:4016 hours a day, I need to be in here with my team,
0:17:40 > 0:17:44trying my best to make things better, every day.
0:17:52 > 0:17:58It's January and, on weekdays, the restaurant is empty.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03Will needs to come up with a plan to keep business coming in.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06Everyone's spent all their money over Christmas.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09The food at the moment is very up-market.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12I'm looking at the menu, it's quite expensive,
0:18:12 > 0:18:14and we want to change our direction.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16We want to go a little bit more bistro,
0:18:16 > 0:18:18a little bit more brasserie-style.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25Because we're not busy enough, and we need to get it busier.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27Fork for a burger!
0:18:27 > 0:18:30A bistro-style menu might mean a busier restaurant,
0:18:30 > 0:18:33but it also threatens the likelihood of a Michelin star.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38The new menu seems to be working.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41Valentine's night has come around again and the place is packed.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46But Will and Karena have more personal matters on their minds.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49So hopefully, fingers crossed, the baby's born on Monday.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51Cos we're closed on Mondays.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53I've got ten days to go.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55So yeah, ten days to go, I feel fine,
0:18:55 > 0:18:57so I thought I might as well come in and help.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59I feel like a whale!
0:18:59 > 0:19:01SHE LAUGHS
0:19:01 > 0:19:05Impending parenthood doesn't distract Will for long.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08We can't have indecisiveness, it makes us look like amateurs.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10Yes, Chef. If someone doesn't want onions,
0:19:10 > 0:19:12- you ask them, straightaway... - Yes, Chef.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18"Do you have an allergy, sir, or is it your preference?"
0:19:18 > 0:19:19Or whatever, OK?
0:19:19 > 0:19:21- So that we don't look like morons. - Yes, Chef.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27I couldn't get out of the kitchen today so my mum went
0:19:27 > 0:19:29and got them for me.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31I'm not going to tell her that but.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39A few Brownie points.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41You need to build the points up
0:19:41 > 0:19:43so you can go for a pint once a week.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Couldn't do it without her, there's no way.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49I might be able to cook, but she helmed the ship,
0:19:49 > 0:19:50you know? She really did.
0:19:53 > 0:19:58- Give us a kiss on the cheek. - That's made my day. Yes!
0:19:58 > 0:20:00That's me happy for another day.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Over the last two years, I've totally chilled out.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13It's not worth losing the head over a green bean not being
0:20:13 > 0:20:16cut the same size, because you'll have a nervous breakdown.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18That's not to say my standards slipped,
0:20:18 > 0:20:22but I deal with things better now, I do not lose the plot any more.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26But that just comes with experience, growing up.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32Another source of torment for Will is feedback from customers
0:20:32 > 0:20:34on websites like TripAdvisor.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37There's a bad TripAdvisor come in today.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41Fucking shocking, it's the worst one we've ever had.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45HE EXHALES
0:20:45 > 0:20:49It's just came in this second. Fuck's sake.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57"We had such high hopes for The Old Schoolhouse Inn,
0:20:57 > 0:20:59"unfortunately the staff did not help.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01"After ten minutes of deciding what to eat,
0:21:01 > 0:21:05"we then realised that the staff had given us two different menus.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08"It was 95 minutes from sitting down till main course arrived.
0:21:08 > 0:21:09"Two out of five."
0:21:09 > 0:21:11And that is the worst TripAdvisor we've ever had,
0:21:11 > 0:21:14and it just came in this second.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16I want to call every member of the team a dickhead,
0:21:16 > 0:21:20but I won't do that, cos it's unprofessional.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22So what I'll do is just sit everyone down
0:21:22 > 0:21:27and just try to understand what happened out front.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31Most important thing is to keep your head
0:21:31 > 0:21:32and deal with it in the right way.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35It's a fucking disgrace!
0:21:35 > 0:21:36It's disgraceful.
0:21:37 > 0:21:42We may as well close the front doors. It's absolute madness.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45I thought we were doing really well.
0:21:45 > 0:21:4875% of TripAdvisor said the service is crap.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50That's not all it says, Will.
0:21:58 > 0:21:59Everywhere gets mixed reports.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15What... What's happened on Sunday, like?
0:22:16 > 0:22:19You know what I mean, what's happened on Sunday? Again.
0:22:19 > 0:22:24There's people saying here that the front-of-house staff did not help.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26OK? So that's you.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29"I overheard a waiter asking bar staff
0:22:29 > 0:22:32"if the Gewurztraminer was German."
0:22:32 > 0:22:35Now, whoever asked that needs help.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39- Because...- Hang on a second, no, sorry, that's out of context.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43Niall came up to me at the bar and said it sounds like a German wine.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45He said it SOUNDS German.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47- I'm talking rationally here... - Are you?
0:22:47 > 0:22:50..I'm just reading exactly what it says on our Facebook.
0:22:52 > 0:22:53PHONE RINGS
0:22:55 > 0:22:57Hello, Old Schoolhouse.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08I'm going to be a father in a few hours.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12If someone had asked me a year ago, I was going to have a child,
0:23:12 > 0:23:14I would never have believed them.
0:23:14 > 0:23:15You wouldn't believe it,
0:23:15 > 0:23:19this is the first lunch service in two-and-a-half years I've missed.
0:23:19 > 0:23:20It's well worth it.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24How's it going, Scott? See for lunch... Yeah, she's good.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27See for lunch, mate, could you just do five starters,
0:23:27 > 0:23:30five main courses, all for £21.50?
0:23:30 > 0:23:34And a £3 sup on the duck. Thanks, bye.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46- Go with the vegetable... - She gets toast after anyway.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49- Yeah, I'll go with ice cream. She loves ice cream.- OK.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51- Cheers.- Thank you.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56I'm a little bit worried about both of them now.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03You don't like to see your loved ones in a bad way.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15BABY CRIES
0:24:15 > 0:24:17After 15 hours in labour
0:24:17 > 0:24:21and an emergency C-section, Will finally gets to meet his son.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26KARENA LAUGHS
0:24:26 > 0:24:29He's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39Stevie, I need another Yorkie made, I've burnt that one.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41Three medium and one rare.
0:24:41 > 0:24:46Fuck's sake. Fuck off! Go get Niall.
0:24:46 > 0:24:51A few days later, Will is back in the kitchen working a 90-hour week.
0:24:51 > 0:24:57My head's gone totally. I can hardly string a sentence in front of me.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00But I just need to keep focused on the food and keep giving 100%.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05I'm not physically exhausted, just mentally.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08It's been a very long week and it's nearly over.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13What you say is, "I'm sorry," yeah? And just forget about it.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Don't come and say, "It's my mistake,"
0:25:16 > 0:25:17I know whose mistake it is.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20I'm the one who has to fucking sort it out, know what I mean?
0:25:25 > 0:25:28Summer has arrived, and the restaurant has picked up.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35After a short maternity leave, Karena is back at work,
0:25:35 > 0:25:40and Will is forging ahead with improvements to his business,
0:25:40 > 0:25:43including a new vegetable garden to supply the kitchen.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49At the same time, Will is learning to balance work and family life.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55Working with Karena has become a lot easier, we know when to leave
0:25:55 > 0:25:59each other alone, we know when to say the right thing or the wrong...
0:25:59 > 0:26:02We've become really good.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Hold on, hold on, I never said to go anywhere.
0:26:04 > 0:26:05Right, let's go.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Obviously it's a very high-pressure environment
0:26:08 > 0:26:10and you would tend to vent at those closest to you,
0:26:10 > 0:26:12so I find working with Will, it works better
0:26:12 > 0:26:16if I sort of minimise my time in the kitchen directly.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Come on, ladies, let's go, yeah?
0:26:18 > 0:26:21You have to grow a thick skin, which is something I didn't really
0:26:21 > 0:26:26have before I worked here, but now I would say it's very thick now!
0:26:26 > 0:26:28I'm not starting until the other two are back,
0:26:28 > 0:26:31cos it's a fucking nightmare when that happens.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39It's September, and time for Michelin to award its stars
0:26:39 > 0:26:41to the industry's top restaurants.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44This year's results have been leaked on Twitter.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50Yeah, the two restaurants that achieved a Michelin star was
0:26:50 > 0:26:52OX Belfast and also Michael Deane.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54So congratulations to them both.
0:26:56 > 0:27:0012 months ago, Will received a Bib Gourmand from Michelin,
0:27:00 > 0:27:02an award for good food at good value.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06He has just heard that he gets to hang on to it for another year.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08It was really nice to keep it,
0:27:08 > 0:27:11it means we're still achieving a high standard of food
0:27:11 > 0:27:15and that we're progressing as a business and a restaurant.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20If you weren't a little bit disappointed that
0:27:20 > 0:27:23my career's went a different path now,
0:27:23 > 0:27:27and it's about the Schoolhouse bistro now,
0:27:27 > 0:27:29it's about our Bib Gourmand.
0:27:30 > 0:27:35But there is a part of me that still wants a star one day,
0:27:35 > 0:27:39but I'm 28 years of age and it's all ahead of me.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Will's ambitions for a Michelin star remain intact.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54But he's in no hurry.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00I think the most important thing about what I've achieved here
0:28:00 > 0:28:07in the last year is learning...how to run a successful business.
0:28:10 > 0:28:16You don't become a fantastic chef or restaurateur by sitting
0:28:16 > 0:28:18on your ass for 15 hours a day.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20You need to be in your kitchen.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25For the next ten years, I will be here.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27In my kitchen, on my chopping board,
0:28:27 > 0:28:29working from 8 o'clock in the morning
0:28:29 > 0:28:31till 11 o'clock at night, five days a week.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35Then hopefully I might get a wee break after that.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41MUSIC: Viva la Vida by Coldplay