The Swan Inn Chefs: Put Your Menu Where Your Mouth Is

Britain's top chefs...

Yee-ha!

-..are going up against each other...

-This'll be a good battle.

..to see who can make the most money from creating fabulous food

for the great British public!

It's all about making money.

Our award-winning chefs will be putting their reputations on the line...

Help me-e-e!

..as they're challenged to produce a delicious three-course meal...

Yes!

..for a room full of ravenous diners.

-We can't have customers waiting!

-We want beef.

-Perfect.

-Wow.

They'll be working in kitchens they've never set foot in before.

This is impossible.

-With a limited budget.

-Deal.

You've got to go a bit lower than that.

And up against the deadline of that day's service.

That took forever to cook.

But the big question is... WHO will make the most money?

-Rock on!

-And win?

We came, we saw, we conquered.

Today, the fully flavoursome Paul Rankin

takes on the superbly seasoned John Burton-Race.

in an action-packed face-off that will push their cooking prowess to the edge.

Coming up... John plays dirty.

I'm going to have to start winding Paul up a bit more,

see if I can break his concentration so that he makes mistakes.

Tempers flare during service.

What are you waiting for?

Why is there a cold lamb on the pass?

And it's Meat Wars -

will John's sumptuous saddle of lamb get the vote?

Or will Paul's splendid steak win the day?

Chefs - put your menu where your mouth is!

Ah, rural Britain - a green and pleasant land

in which our villages and hamlets nestle!

Our tale takes place in Buckinghamshire, in sleepy Denham,

where you might imagine taking long strolls

down unspoilt country lanes...

Oh, the peace! Oh, the tranquillity!

And it's all about to be blown apart.

Because the food fight to end all food fights is about to kick off,

right here, right now in the local pub!

I think you've just declared war, mate.

Two superstars of the culinary firmament

are about to go into combat in this restaurant

to establish beyond all doubt which one of them is the better chef.

It looks like we're going to murder him.

Both our challengers have headed award-winning gourmet restaurants.

In the blue corner,

the man who revolutionized cuisine in Northern Ireland...

It's kitchen king...

I suppose in the kitchen I'm really a very competitive person.

You're only really as good as your last plate.

In the red corner, it's the man with two Michelin stars to his name

and a big personality...

Like most chefs, I'm fairly competitive.

If I'm going to do something, I want to do it properly, I want to win.

If I take part in a competition, I like winning.

As they home in on Denham, our top-ranking chefs have no idea

about the challenge ahead,

but it's time for them to find out!

They'll be crossing saucepans at The Swan Inn -

the village's award-winning country pub.

Here, the loyal clientele have the highest expectations.

We live locally and always expect a really good meal.

This restaurant's usually really nice, amazing food.

Good staff, a nice cosy, comfortable restaurant.

I really enjoy coming to it.

So our boys will need to call upon all their years of expertise

to create sensational menus for up to 60 diners.

And that's not all - they'll also have to source and buy

all of their own ingredients. They've each got a budget of £350,

with which they'll have to hunt out the very best deals.

The winning chef is the one that makes the biggest profit

and all proceeds go to their chosen charities.

John Burton-Race and Paul Rankin,

it's time to put your menu where your mouth is.

-I'm quite comfortable with a gastro pub, you're probably comfortable with that too.

-Gastro pub, well...

-You like good, honest cooking.

-I don't even know what a gastro pub is, to be honest.

Is that a pub that does high-end cooking?

Good, simple English food, John.

-Good, simple English food, don't do that.

-You do do that!

350 quid - I don't even get out of bed.

-For 60 people.

-Do the numbers worry you?

Yeah, it does. And I have an idea, straightaway in my head,

about what I want to do but I don't know if I can afford it.

-I'm a bit worried cos I think you'll be good at this.

-You're worried about me?

-Yeah.

Yeah, you should be worried about me, actually.

Well, with both chefs determined to decimate their opponent,

the deciding factor here will be strategy.

This is a really tough challenge.

It's all about the money, I haven't got enough

and it's really how I can buy it.

I mean, I've got to barter like no-one can barter

because if not, I'm not going to get what I want.

So John's planning to spend minimally on ingredients,

but what about rival Paul?

For my strategy, what I'm thinking about

is if I can really take John on the main,

I should be able to take the whole day.

Well, just you be careful, Paul,

there are two other courses in this competition and the first one is the starter!

What have these two old bruisers got planned?

For my starter, I'm going to make a pan-fried scallop with a really rich cauliflower cream,

truffle oil and chestnut mushrooms.

I think that'll be delicious.

You only get one scallop, though. That's not about money, but about the balance of the dish.

Ooh, the balance of the dish!

Yes, in a competition all about profit, right, John?

What's Paul planning for tonight's discerning guests?

My starter today is baked onion soup.

If I can find a good local blue cheese,

I'll use that as part of the crust.

It should be delicious.

So John's gone high-end with a sophisticated scallop,

while Paul's gone rustic with his hearty soup.

But which one will win over the diners?

Getting the menu right is hard enough,

but cooking it up for nearly 60 people in a kitchen

you've never even set foot in before is a whole new level of challenge!

But look at these two - they look more like two amiable old pals

on their way for a cheeky pint.

But what a transformation when they don those chef whites!

Now it's WAR - and our boys get to meet their soldiers!

Paul and John have each been assigned a fearless volunteer

from the regular kitchen staff who'll be their allies in combat.

Glad you've decided to join the winning team.

Yeah, so they've lost, we've won but we've got a lot to do, Mark, all right?

Both sides have their sights firmly set on victory -

but with service only hours away, they need to get cracking!

John's wasting no time and starts hammering away at the mushrooms

which will complement his scallops.

Paul gets stuck into grating the cheese for his onion soup

and he reckons he's got his hands on some top-notch merchandise!

So look at this lovely Oxford Blue.

Good local cheese...

-Beautiful, mild...

-We're not in Oxford.

..creamy blue flavour.

He's a cheeky one that John Burton-Race, isn't he?

Cor, is this how it's going to be all day?

Surely these two bastions of the business are way above

resorting to cheap digs?

Well, he's making a... This so-called onion soup for his starter

but all I can see is like kilos and kilos and kilos

of grated cheese.

I can only hope that it curdles.

Ah, clearly not.

Looks like we're going to be enjoying the company of two

overgrown naughty schoolboys!

With his mushrooms chopped, John gets them into the saucepan

and he's feeling confident about his starter.

What I'm going to do is just seal the scallop

and then this will sit on a little mushroom.

The French call it duxelles,

but basically what it is is fried mushroom with a little garlic shallots,

some fresh thyme and then the scallop will sit on top

and the cream will be round the outside and then

we'll have some chopped chives and truffle, it will be lovely.

Ooh, let's hope so, John!

Now, earlier in the day our chefs went shopping

for their ingredients.

This could be my lucky day!

It could be, Paul - but your opponent is taking no prisoners!

The ultimate winner of this competition is the chef who

makes the most profit, so both chefs were focused

on keeping their costs to an absolute minimum!

Paul needed onions - but how would he get them for a great price?

Tony, I want to use your lovely English onions for my onion soup.

Right.

So they're 40p a pound, what about...20p a pound?

20p a pound?

Yeah, I don't have much money and I really want to beat John.

I know, but...that's rather a big reduction, isn't it?

I could probably go 5p off that.

Ooh, it's not going to be easy, Paul!

John hit the phones in the hunt for his most expensive ingredient.

I'm after some scallops.

Yeah, I need 40 pieces, so what's your best price?

99p each? No, I can't afford that. What about 80p?

Is that a deal? Thank you very much indeed.

Thank you, bye-bye. Well, that guy drives a hard bargain.

If they're a bit small, that's about right. If they're large, I've done a good deal.

Good work, John!

Back to Paul. Can he knock Tony down on his onions from 35 pence a pound?

-28.

-28?

Come on, I need to beat John. I need to beat him, come on.

-All right, just so you can beat John, 28.

-Top man, done.

He tried every tactic and he got the result!

Now, how will the money our chefs have spent influence the menu price

they give their starters?

With all ingredients included,

John has spent a total of £37.80 on his starter,

but he's put his scallop dish on the menu at £7.25.

Paul spent over £25 pounds more than John on his ingredients, at £63.72!

But crucially, he's priced his soup at £5.75,

over £1.50 cheaper than his rival's dish.

So Paul really needs to sell more than John

if he wants to win the starter round!

Starter preparation is in full swing -

but hold up, where's he off to?

Has he got something to tell us?

So to make things better for myself...

I'm going to have to start winding Paul up a bit more,

see if I can break his concentration so that he makes mistakes and loses.

Well, that's all hopes of a fair fight out the window!

Back in the kitchen, scheming John sticks to his word.

-Can I have that pot?

-Dave...

-Can you put that, then, in there?

Don't listen to a word he says. Don't put a pot anywhere he asks you to, put it...

Excuse me, excuse me, I'm giving you a stainless steel pan.

You're going to free up a pan for me at last(?)

-I saved a stainless steel pan for you.

-Ah, well, that's kindness(!)

-I was thinking of you.

I've offered him a stainless steel pan for his onion soup

and what do I get? Abuse.

-He deserves abuse.

-I'll forgive you this time.

He deserves lots and lots of abuse.

John trying to help his rival? There must be more to this.

I needed the space on the stove.

Thought so!

He's a tricky one, our John - watch your back, Paul!

With time counting down to the start of service,

our battling boys hit the final stages of their preparation.

John's making a base for his scallop dish -

a luxurious cauliflower cream.

All I've got in here is a couple of large onions and a handful of garlic, a little bit of parsley,

thyme and a little bit of bay leaf.

I'm cooking it in milk and cream.

So it has to be rich, velvety and really, really creamy.

It sounds mouth-watering, JBR,

but Paul is putting the finishing touches to his soup.

A nice big dollop of the blue cheese and Gruyere mix underneath.

Two nice dry croutons on top to cover the whole surface of the soup

and then generously more cheese on top.

Nice hot oven for about four or five minutes.

Looking good, Paul. John MUST be worried now?

I have never in my life,

in all of my career, seen such a big fuss about soup.

Come on, it's not even a nice soup!

Say what you like, Mr Smarty, it's tonight's diners

who will decide who wins the day.

And there they are now, ravenous and ready for action,

and they've got big expectations!

I'm looking forward to the flare that the chefs are going to bring to the table

that we don't normally see.

So from the chefs tonight, I guess we expect just for them to step it up one more level

rather than just good quality pub food.

Tonight's diners have no idea which chef is cooking which dish

and they've got two very different starters to choose from.

Will John's sophisticated scallops win them over,

or will Paul's rustic onion soup seize the day?

Before the onslaught of service,

our chefs get the chance to see what they're up against.

First up, its John's scallops.

-It's got good flavour, hasn't it?

-Mmmm, really.

-It's quite...

-Good strong flavours.

-I have to say that I love it.

-Yeah, but you would, you would.

Well, he's full of admiration - for his OWN dish!

What's he got to say about his rival's?

It's really flavoursome, it really is.

It's tasty, isn't it? But might be a wee bit too rich for some people.

A big bowl of that like that... and I'm done.

I'm not being rude, but I saw it all coming together and then I thought,

"Oh, no," but it has got a really good flavour.

Ooh, you've changed your tune, John!

It's one thing being nice to each other's faces

but what do our boys really think?

Really, really liked John's scallop dish.

Don't know where he got those scallops from

but they are terrific actually, I'm afraid of that one.

Properly afraid of that one.

So Paul is clearly unnerved,

but was John being genuine with his compliments of Paul's cheesy onion soup?

I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised.

I absolutely loved the flavour of the soup. Delicious, but very heavy.

Hmmm, bit of a backhanded compliment there, John!

And now, enter Mark - the manager of the pub -

who will oversee tonight's proceedings,

make sure his customers aren't short-served,

and generally try to keep these boys in line.

The moment of truth is almost upon us

and as our chefs take their marks in the kitchen,

the diners are giving their orders in the restaurant!

Pan-fried scallop, please.

-I'll have the onion soup, please.

-I'll have the soup, please.

As the orders come through...

..the kitchen explodes into action.

All right, chefs, orders in. Two soup, three scallop, please.

Table one - five scallops, one soup.

Table eight - two scallops, three soups, please.

What a start for John - Ten scallops to six soups

and already Paul's worried.

Going well behind on this, going well behind on it.

Get me a tray cos it looks like we're going to murder him.

Steady, boys - this is only just beginning!

-Scallops, please.

-Scallops for me, please.

-Yeah, Scallops.

-Scallops?

Another three scallops and then one soup.

With the rush of orders for his scallops,

John's having trouble keeping up.

-Anything ready?

-Nothing at all.

And those orders keep on coming.

OK, Chef - six scallops, two soups.

Come on, John!

I'm just bringing the pans to temperature. I know it sounds like there's a delay,

-but you'll get everything at once.

-And we have another two scallops.

Oh, Paul does not look happy!

It seems the diners have gone for his rival's dish in a big way!

And it looks like John is finally getting on top of his service.

Right, listen carefully to what I'm about to say.

I am now going to give you a load.

So it looks like we're winning this one, Mark.

And out they go - a mighty legion of John's scallop dishes!

It looks like Paul's strategy of putting

all his focus on the main course has backfired spectacularly!

I wasn't really that bothered about the starter,

but this is a bit more serious a hiding than I thought I would take.

Paul looks shell-shocked,

but could success be a double-edged sword for John?

We are selling a lot of scallops, but unfortunately I'm going to...

I'm going to run out, which is a bit annoying

because that means Paul's going to sell at least one soup.

As John worries about meeting his orders,

Paul can only watch and lament his failure.

It's a bit soul destroying watching this...

I can only keep my fingers crossed for the main course.

I need, please, six scallops to go up, or do you want to do less than that?

Six scallops, Jenny, don't go.

Oh, another six scallops. How to kick a man when he's down!

My beautiful soup.

There, there, Paul. There are still two more courses to go.

The war is not over, but this battle is coming to an end.

OK, nine scallops to go. Four soup and then we're done.

All orders have now been taken,

but has John got enough scallops to see him through?

Right, so we've got nine scallops left and I'm out,

but luckily there aren't any more customers.

Oh, by the skin of his teeth, John has made it through the round.

Before we find out exactly how many dishes our chefs have sold,

what did the diners think of their starters?

I had the scallops and the only thing wrong with it

is it had to come to an end.

I had the scallops to start and they were beautiful.

The cauliflower cream was really beautifully light

and the perfect amount for a starter.

I had the soup, it was fantastic.

I chose the onion soup tonight, it was absolutely amazing,

really delicious.

Ah, happy diners!

Our chefs will be delighted, but the question they'll care about a lot more

is WHO has sold the highest number of portions?

BOTH: One, two, three...

Oh, twice as many, more than twice as many.

Yeah, more than twice as many.

Oh, that smug face!

So Paul and John know how many starters they've sold,

but this competition is judged on profit -

how much of it have they made?

Paul's 16 soup sales have netted him a total of £92

and when his costs are deducted,

he's earned a profit of less than £30.

John spent less on his starter and charged more for it.

His scallops have netted him a healthy sum of £268.25

and when he takes off his costs,

he's left with a tidy profit of just over £230.

So Paul enters round two lagging behind,

but this is the round where the really big profits can be made,

and the round that our Paul said he was focussing all his attention on!

So, will Paul dazzle us with his offering?

For my main course, I'm going to do steak with a horseradish cream.

Baked beetroot with a lovely red wine glaze

and smoked garlic crushed potatoes.

Ooh, that does look good, Paul!

But will it be the right choice

to catch you up with your rival?

Speaking of which, what's he got up his sleeve?

For my main course, I'd like to do a saddle of lamb,

roasted in a herb crust with a lovely thyme and tomato juice.

It's going to be amazing.

John's sumptuous saddle of lamb

will be served with potato gratin

dauphinoise and glazed fennel.

Which of these two marvellously meaty dishes will reign

victorious in tonight's service?

We'll see, but first, our chefs need to get prepping!

So we need to get the beetroot washed, wrapped in foil,

so that will be one of our first jobs.

I'm going to get on with all the stocks and after we've cleared that

and things are cooking,

we'll sit down for ten minutes and work out exactly how we're going to plan this, all right?

So they're off - and it looks like they've

moved on from the schoolboy ribbing of the first round.

Steaks can go in the fridge.

You've got to hope that that steak's been hung properly.

It has, I know it has, I've seen it.

And what's that going to be served with, chips?

Oh, here we go again...

I was thinking about doing prawn cocktail,

fish and chips with mushy peas and black forest gateau,

but there's something came over me and said,

"Hang on, is this 1970, bell-bottom trousers and platform shoes,

"or is this 2012 and cooking's moved on?"

Cor, he just doesn't give up, does he?

But is it having the desired effect

and putting his opponent on the back foot?

You know what? I think John is really rattled.

I think we've got him.

He thinks we've got the better gastro pub menu

and he's just all bravado and fluff

but he's really worried actually. He's worried.

-How are you going to do your lamb, John?

-Properly.

Oh, it really is like being back at school!

Enough squabbling, boys. Time is ticking!

Paul's cooking smoked garlic in butter which he'll mix with

the crushed potatoes he's serving with his steak.

This is going to be on gastro pub menus all over England.

With so much to do, our boys now need to stop the ribbing

and concentrate.

Ah, smoked garlic.

Yeah, nice, eh?

I don't like it.

It's too sort of modern, too avant-garde for an old guy like you.

Less of the old, mate.

There isn't much of your hair that's not grey, mate.

Good grief! Here we go again... Teacher!

I don't have any.

John's seared his saddles of lamb and brushed them with mustard.

Next he rolls them in a herb crust.

And in this crust I've got some bread, olive oil, garlic,

thyme and lots and lots and lots of parsley and, when I've done

this, I've then got to get it in the oven, quite a hot oven, about

200 degrees, and cook it for about 10 minutes and it'll just be pink.

With a temporary cease-fire in the bickering, let's remind ourselves

that this contest is judged purely on how much profit our chefs make.

Earlier in the day when they went shopping,

they were both out to spend as little as possible.

In the quest for the meat for their main courses,

they both paid a visit to local butcher Anton.

But which of our chefs would get the better deal?

First up - the bruiser from Belfast!

I want a really nice bit of steak.

But you know what? It looks pretty dear at £19 a kilo

and I'm going to want 35 portions.

Will Paul grind the price down?

Hot on his heels, his determined rival.

I've noticed this saddle of lamb. It looks absolutely lovely.

The price, I don't like.

I'm looking to buy enough meat for about 40 people.

You're going to have to give me your best price, mate.

I'm going to do you a price of round about the 7.50 a kilo mark.

-Yeah, that'll do.

-OK.

-That's a deal. Thank you very much indeed.

Oh, Anton nearly got his hand bitten off there!

Can Paul match his rival's success?

I will do it at £10 a kilo. How does that sound?

-Yes, that's a deal.

-OK. Excellent.

-That's a deal.

Oh, Paul jumps at his deal too!

Both our chefs have done well there

but how much have they each spent in total and how will that

influence the menu prices they give their main course dishes?

Well, with the other ingredients included, John's spent

a total of £114.75

and he's put his lamb on the menu at £16.75.

Paul's total spend on his main course was just under £30 more

than his rival's, at £144.17

but he put his steak on the menu at £18.75 -

£2 more than John's lamb!

Back in the restaurant kitchen,

the clock is ticking down to service.

Paul is in the thick of steak preparation

but his mind's been working over-time.

The only thing I'm slightly worried about here is

if I have enough steaks. If I overcook a couple,

then I'll definitely not have enough

and I'm still relying on the steak course.

The other thing I'm a little bit worried about -

have I chosen the wrong garnish?

Beetroot's one of my favourites, especially with horseradish,

but might have been one step too far.

Oh, the pre-service doubts are setting in for our Paul!

The last thing he'll need is John chipping away at him!

I saw Paul's rump steak and it looked really good.

Really nice beef. I think it's nicely hung.

Oh! Well, that wasn't so bad!

But those garnishes - (forget it). No chance.

Did I hear you say you didn't like my garnishes?

I do. I love it. Beetroot - delicious.

The man's a terror!

Come on then, Trouble, what about YOUR dish?

So I've got lovely lamb. It's really, really first-class lamb

but I'm not sure if I've got enough and that will be a real shame

cos if it does sell well, I could get in serious trouble

and that means that Paul will get some sales

on the back of the fact that I haven't bought enough.

Ah, so Paul's not the only chef here with worries!

As service creeps ever closer,

both of our boys are working on the finishing touches to their dishes.

Paul's adding a fiery touch to his steak in the form

of horseradish creme fraiche.

Double cream, lightly whipped, a little bit of English mustard,

salt and white pepper the zest of one lemon,

in goes a good handful of horseradish.

Look at this, look how much is going in and I might even add more.

So you don't want it too thick before you add your lemon juice.

In goes the lemon juice and watch this thicken.

The lemon juice thickens the cream.

It doesn't curdle it. It thickens it.

John's working on the dauphinoise potatoes

that will accompany his lamb.

That's the gratin dauphinoise but it needs to cook for at least 20

more minutes because it needs to set up and for the remaining

starch to explode - what we've got to do is cut it out and lay it

down as a centrepiece to our lamb dish, but it's coming along nicely.

Which of these dishes will emerge victorious?

That will be up to our diners.

Will they be supporters of steak or lovers of lamb?

Before we find out, our enemy chefs come face to face for a taste-off!

First up for scrutiny - Paul's steak.

It's very simple, really.

It's a lovely flavour but it's a bit tough.

The bit I got there was just grand.

That's it, Paul - stand up for yourself!

What are Paul's thoughts on John's lamb?

Right, OK, bit of lamb here.

Looks beautiful. Looks very proper restauranty to me.

This lamb is beautifully tender and that beef is quite chewy.

The bit of lamb I just had wasn't beautifully tender.

-It wasn't?

-No.

-Right, so where did you get that from?

From that piece of lamb.

Really?

It's about the same, if not tougher, than my beef.

I like the combination of that. It really works for me.

I just think that beef's a bit, you know...

I think the lambs a bit fatty and tough, too.

Listen, you don't even need teeth for this.

Cor, it's like watching two schoolboys in a playground!

Maybe they're just trying to disguise the nerves, bless them!

Once again the diners have no idea which chef has cooked which dish.

They've only got the menu descriptions to go on

as they place those all-important orders.

-And if I then go with our main courses?

-One lamb.

May I have the beef, please?

-The steak medium rare, please.

-Medium rare.

Initially it looks like both options are popular.

In the kitchen, John and Paul

are on tenterhooks as they await the first orders.

And then the kitchen explodes into action.

We've got three rump steak medium rare, two lamb.

Three to two, not bad.

Another two lamb, another rump medium rare.

We're coming back. Everybody loves lamb.

Easy, tiger! With four orders each, our chefs are even Stevens.

Two lamb and two rump medium rare.

Still even! As the diners start tucking in to their food,

the battle in the kitchen is intensifying.

John's got a line of lamb dishes plated up and ready to go,

but they don't seem to be going anywhere.

What? Why are we waiting?

Because you made me wait on the scallops

so I'll make you wait on the main course.

Oh, no more Mr Nice Guy!

But that's not going to frighten John off the barbed insults.

Remember, absolute maximum care on the plate, Mark,

none of this granny cooking.

Assume that was aimed at Paul, eh, John?

Tell all the customers lamb is in, lamb is the best.

In the restaurant, they're still ordering.

The lamb, please.

And the steak, please.

The lamb, please.

But in the kitchen, the orders are coming in so fast

that things are starting to get muddled.

I want another lamb and rump, please.

-And we're going to have another three lamb.

-Two lamb now?

I'm just saying orders that are coming up now.

Just new orders coming in.

John is battling on, but Paul seems to have lost his place.

What are you waiting for?

We're waiting for two ribeyes and we're waiting for two lamb.

The pressure is really getting to Paul and, sensing weakness,

JBR is loving it!

Could this be the best chef in the world?

As John sings his own praises - loudly - Paul is really struggling.

I need your ribeyes up, please, lads. You're holding us back.

If you call them out right!

I've been calling them, chef. One more rump ASAP.

Five ribeyes. I need two and three. That's five.

Two rumps to go, please, chef.

The waitress just asked me for one,

so what do we need? Do we need one or do we need two?

I need one more rump, please, chef.

Oh. Chaos.

I need one more rump to finish the table, please.

The tension is at boiling point in here,

and it's even getting to John now!

Why is there a cold lamb on the pass?

What's that lamb doing?

It's waiting, just one second, chef.

Oh, all right, I'll have a word with it.

Do you mind waiting until you're stone-cold

and then pop out to a customer?

Hm, not sure talking to your food will speed things up, John.

Even for our seasoned gastro greats,

this service is stretching their self-control to the limit.

I find it quite difficult to understand the maitre d' calling

the tickets away but in fairness to him, he doesn't do it all the time.

Because I'm concentrating so much on trying to figure that out,

I have no idea how the scores are going.

After this, guys, to clear the orders,

we need five lamb and six rump and

that should clear the orders, I think.

So as service starts to wind down, our boys have no idea who's

sold the most dishes.

But at least they have the consolation that neither of them

ran out of servings.

Our diners have been well fed and watered.

So what's the verdict on the food?

I had the lamb. Generally something I probably wouldn't have chosen

but it was really delicious, it was perfectly cooked.

I had the beef with the horseradish creme fraiche and the potatoes

and the beets, and it was absolutely excellent.

It's a big thumbs up for both dishes.

After a tough and intense round, it's time for the moment of truth.

Which one of our gourmet gladiators managed to sell the most dishes?

-One.

-Two.

-Three.

Oh, didn't see that coming.

-I did.

-That's me gone, I think.

Oh, yeah, man, yeah. I just need to put the final nail in the coffin.

Hate you.

Lots of people do.

So just one dish between them. Was John keeping scores all along?

The truth is, I really did think we just got it

but I thought we did about 30.

It turned out it was so close. 27 to 26. That was a close fight.

Now we've got to finish it off with the dessert.

That's really disappointing for me, although he probably

deserved it. I mean, that's a great dish but never say never.

I'll be back.

That's the spirit, Paul!

So after that closest of calls,

the crucial question is, which chef has made the most profit?

John's 27 lamb dishes have earned him a very healthy £452.25

and after deducting his costs,

he's banked a profit of £337.50.

Paul's 26 steaks have made him a larger sum of £487.50

and even though his costs were more than his rival's,

Paul's benefited from pricing his dish higher

and he's earned a profit of £343.33.

It might not be by much, but the Rankin strikes back!

There's everything to play for as the final battle begins - dessert.

He may have won the last round, but Paul has to make up for his big

loss in the starter round so he needs to surpass himself now.

For my dessert, I'm going to do

a pear, apple and blackberry crumble with a hazelnut crust.

I think people are going to

find it very hard to go by a crumble like that.

Paul will be serving his crumble with home-made hazelnut ice cream.

What's John planning for his final assault?

For my dessert I want to do something local and regional

and the second crop raspberries are just about happening,

so I want to do a raspberry plate, quintessentially British.

Three little different raspberry desserts on a plate

brought all together with a lovely pink rhubarb and lime syrup.

Should be amazing.

John's raspberry plate consists of shortcake biscuit,

lemon and raspberry posset and raspberry and vanilla conde,

which is a creamy rice pudding.

Once again, two very different dishes.

John's going high-end while Paul's going for a nostalgic favourite.

But which chef has made the right decision?

John's dessert has lots of different elements,

one of which is already proving rather tricky.

Mark's made some nice biscuits or tuile.

Unfortunately, they are far too thick.

That's not working, is it?

John's struggles have not gone unnoticed by his rival.

How's that going, John?

Badly. Can I have this...? How about....?

That's a shame, that's a shame.

Shut up.

If we...

Oh, Paul getting his own back there!

So John's biscuits are going horribly wrong.

You know what?

I feel for him.

I'm really glad, but I feel for him.

Look at him chuckling away there!

It's not just the biscuits that are giving John a headache.

It's his rice pudding, too.

The problem is, the rice is taking about three days to cook

so that's putting me behind a bit.

-Paul.

-What?

-Did you do anything to my rice, mate?

-Yeah.

-What was it?

I threw in half a packet of new stuff about 20 minutes ago.

No, you didn't, Paul. Stop winding him up!

Besides, it looks like our Paul's got problems of his own.

His toasted hazelnuts are a bit to, well, toasted.

Have we got more hazelnuts?

How did that happen?

And no surprise - John's loving it!

Don't ask Paul about his nuts.

How are your nuts, Paul?

Yeah, they're good, I like them really dark.

It's called burnt, Paul.

He just doesn't stop, does he?

With both our chefs battling against disaster in the kitchen,

let's remind ourselves of the rules for dessert.

Our chefs must go out

into the restaurant to pitch their dishes to the diners face to face.

And the customers will only have to pay whatever

they think the dessert they choose is worth.

So earlier in the day, John and Paul were on a mission to

buy their ingredients for as little as possible.

They both went up against fruit and veg man Tony,

but which of them would get the better deal?

Tony, you have two of my favourite fruits in the world here.

Bramley apples and Comice pears.

And you have them both at the same price - £1.98 per kilo.

What is the best deal you can do me?

We could probably go, what, £1.75 a kilo.

-£1.60, come on.

-£1.60?

-Come on, I'm going to buy a whole lot.

£1.70 and I think we're there, aren't we?

-£1.65.

-£1.65?

-Come on.

-Go on, £1.65.

-£1.65.

-You've twisted my arm once again, we're there.

-Deal done.

-Done.

Oh, Paul's done well. Rival John was after his raspberries.

-These raspberries look fantastic. Are they English?

-They are, yes.

I thought they were. They smell beautiful. £1.50 a punnet.

It's a good price.

What I was thinking of is something around £1.20.

£1.20. I could perhaps stretch to £1.30.

-£1.25.

-£1.25. Well, it's in the middle, isn't it? OK.

-Deal done.

-Done.

Oh, and John gets a great deal too!

With all the other ingredients included,

John's total expenditure on his dessert was £56.80.

Paul has spent slightly less at £47.44.

In the restaurant kitchen, John's back on track. He's managed

to get his biscuits to work and there's good news with his rice.

Well, the rice is finally, finally ready. It's taken forever.

Now we've got to get this into moulds. When it's hot, normally

I would wait for it to cool slightly. That took forever to cook.

Paul has produced a perfectly roasted tray of nuts

and is working on the fruit filling for his crumble.

He's cooked his apples and pears and is now stirring in the blackberries.

This is going to be world-class. World-class.

World-class, he's calling it. Have a look for yourself

and you tell me. I'm not saying a word. Just go and have a look.

Well, John may be carping from the sidelines,

but Paul isn't having any of it.

-John, what do you think of that?

-Erm, seriously?

-Yes.

-Not much.

Fair enough.

Guy doesn't know very much.

That is a beautiful dessert, John.

I think you've just declared war, man.

War it is! But the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

So will John find fault when he tastes Paul's crumble?

It is a home-style dessert. It is a dessert your granny would make.

It is, yeah, but it's a good granny and a good dessert

and I love blackberries.

What a turn up! After being so rude about Paul's crumble,

John gives a respectful thumbs up.

Will Paul be as complimentary?

It is very elegant and very light.

It's a super dessert, John.

Really. Delicious.

Come on, boys! Whatever happened to that declaration of war?

And now the time has come for the final battle in today's contest.

For this round, our chefs must convince the diners that theirs

is the dessert to go for.

But which of our two charmers will be most persuasive?

Guys, give it up for John Burton-Race and Paul Rankin.

APPLAUSE

That's Paul Rankin.

LAUGHTER

Hi, everyone.

Oh, John gets in there with the first put-down.

And there's more to come as he pitches his dessert.

It's tremendously light, unlike Paul's dish.

LAUGHTER

A really, really seasonal crumble of Comice pears...

JOHN YAWNS Sorry!

Please do forgive John.

He doesn't get out much.

These two can't let it go for a second.

You know, the best way of judging that crumble is,

is it as good as your mother's or your grandmother's?

The answer is no.

Time for our boys to tear themselves away from the slanging match

and sell, sell, sell.

Let's face it - less calorific than the crumble.

That's true.

I have managed to perfect a crumble that will actually take

inches off your waistline.

Both chefs are going all out to peddle their puddings,

but which one will the diners go for?

I've gone for the crumble

because he said nothing could beat your mother's crumble.

Mum wasn't a good cook, so

I've decided nothing can be worse than that. Sorry, Mum.

I've gone with the raspberry trio because it's much more

my cup of tea. The crumble looks a bit heavy and a bit stodgy for me.

Well, this looks set to be a close call.

And as service gets under way, the orders start pouring in.

All right, lads, we have three crumble and one trio.

Yes! It's not over yet.

First table and it's three crumble to one of mine, so not good.

Patience, John. That was only the first order.

OK, we have another two crumble and three trio.

And we have three crumble.

Yeah!

Oh, what a start for Paul! And the diners are still ordering.

I'm a sucker for raspberry so I have gone for the raspberry.

Crumble, please.

One trio, two crumble.

They're ahead now.

Paul's leading by ten sales to five and the orders are still coming!

Six crumble, I need now. Six trio.

Three crumble, two trio.

We have four crumble, four trio.

Look at this. It's almost neck and neck on every order.

Three crumble and three trio.

But Paul's starting to panic.

I cannot see me winning this now.

Come on, Paul, that's not the attitude!

Remember, this game is all about profit so all's not lost yet.

Right, lads, I need two crumble, three trio, please.

All right, lads, last one. We've got four crumble and four trio.

Last order. That means...

death. I mean, it's not enough.

Don't be so sure, Paul!

The last nail-biting round has come to an end,

but it was so close that it's almost impossible

to tell which chef will win the day.

Remember, this round will be decided on how much

the diners are willing to pay for their desserts.

I had the crumble and it was excellent and I liked it

so much that I paid £6 for it.

I had the raspberry tasting plate.

I paid £6.50 for it because I clearly liked it.

I got for my dessert the apple crumble. I paid £8.50 for it

and it was absolutely delicious. Worth every penny.

We'll find out shortly how much profit our chefs have made.

But first, let's see how many desserts they've each sold.

John managed to sell a total of 24 raspberry plates.

It's a good effort but Paul sold more -

an impressive 30 crumbles!

If the diners were feeling generous with the prices they paid

for Paul's crumble, could he still walk away as today's winning chef?

It's been a roller coaster of a day for John and Paul,

but now it's time to reveal who is today's champion chef.

Can John find it in his heart to say something, anything, nice?

Paul, joking apart, that crumble was your best course tonight

and not only was that your best course, it was

one of the nicest desserts I've had for yonks.

But it still wasn't enough to get me back in the game.

-No, that's true.

-Yeah.

You haven't got a hope in hell, actually. Get ready, watch this.

-One.

-Two, three.

Yeah, you got me.

Yeah, man. Stuffed.

We both did good, eh?

I did.

-We both did good.

-I did.

I don't know what happened here. Somebody must have

had a nostalgic moment to give you a lot of money for your crumble.

Come on, I'll buy you a drink.

You need to buy me two.

I think they paid what they were wanting to pay...

Oh, it's going to go on all night!

So, John is today's winner.

Yeah! The champion.

You know, at the start of the day I thought I had him on this

but he's a crafty so and so, is John,

and he's done really, really well today.

All the profits made by both our chefs will be going

to their chosen charities.

Today my charity is Futures Homescape,

a charity for homeless people.

My charity for today is Fields of Life.

They're making the dream of clean water in Africa a reality.

John may be the winner in today's competition

but both our chefs have shown that they've got what it takes

to put their menus where their mouths are.

For a selection of recipes from the series, log on to:

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