Sarastro Chefs: Put Your Menu Where Your Mouth Is

-Britain's top chefs...

-Yeeha!

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

This is going to 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 Meeeeee!

..as they are each 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, queen of cookery, Lesley Waters...

-Yes!

..takes on king of the kitchen, Richard Phillips...

You and I should be on Strictly next, shouldn't we?

..in an all-out battle for gastronomic supremacy.

Coming up: Perfectionist Richard struggles to stay in control.

They're not big enough, are they? I've told you three times. Is that going to fit in there?

Lesley faces potential portion disaster.

Three more lamb left and that's it. One, two, three.

It's going to be a fierce battle between fish and feta,

beef and lamb, creme brulee and baklava!

Great Britain, Great Britain, stand by for action!

Anything can happen in the next 45 minutes

because two of the country's best loved chefs

are about to go head to head in an all-out battle

for culinary supremacy that will require nerves of steel!

Our challengers couldn't be more different.

In one corner, it's London-born Lesley Waters.

Lesley has run kitchens in top hotels both at home and abroad,

before opening her own cooking school in rural West Dorset

and becoming one of Britain's best-loved cookery teachers.

Very much now, my food is very sort of rustic style

but quite stylish too.

But has lovely Lesley got what it takes to vanquish all opposition?

I've got as much of a chance as any of them.

I'm going to work hard, really hard.

Lesley's rival today is the hardest man in cooking, Richard Phillips.

A chef with scrupulously high standards

who won his first Michelin star at the age of 29,

and today runs four restaurants throughout Kent.

This man takes his cooking very, very seriously.

My style of cooking is modern British cooking,

with my French foundations of all of my training.

Seasonal ingredients, cooked well with great flavours.

I'm very emotional. I'm very passionate.

I want the best at all times and I do whatever I have to to get that.

The battleground today for our duelling chefs

is going to be deep in the heart of London's Theatreland, Drury Lane,

in one of its most dazzling restaurants - Sarastro.

This restaurant is renowned for its sumptuous theatrical decor

and for its Turkish cuisine.

So both chefs are going to be tested to the absolute limit,

cooking authentic dishes in an unfamiliar style.

They're going to have to pick it up pretty quickly, however,

as tonight over 60 paying customers are booked in

and they're expecting an unrivalled three course Turkish delight.

The menu looks quite interesting, so just looking forward to seeing what the night holds.

But the challenge doesn't stop there.

Our chefs will also have to source and buy all their own ingredients.

They've each got a budget of £500

and they'll have to seek out the very best deals

because it's the chef who makes the biggest overall profit

who will be crowned today's winner

and all profits will go to their chosen charities.

Richard Phillips and Lesley Waters, this is the ultimate chef test.

It's time to Put Your Menu Where Your Mouth Is.

-Turkish.

-Turkish. 60 covers.

-Is it your bag?

I love eating it. I don't know a huge amount.

I know a bit about it. What about the budget?

Well, 500 quid. I mean, 60 people, that's pretty tight.

That's not an awful lot per head so we're going have to be very wise at buying.

-It's got to be really authentic as well.

-Well, I'm not going give too much away.

-No. Are we not going to help one another then?

-No.

-Good luck, mate.

-See you later.

Well, right now, our chefs might be all chirpy and chummy, but don't be fooled.

This is a huge challenge, even for two such seasoned professionals.

so what's their strategy for success?

With regards to my ingredients, I really need to buy quality Mediterranean fish.

Good quality ingredients but not necessarily fillet steak.

I'm going to be using cheaper cuts of meat but good quality.

So both our chefs are going for quality.

But this competition will be judged solely on profit,

so they need to balance, keeping their costs low,

whilst serving up some corking dishes.

So what will they offer for the crucial first round - the starters?

Lesley is going for a traditional Turkish flavour.

What I'm looking for in the starter is some really good quality feta.

Creamy but sort of crumbly, and that's going to be really important.

Lesley's vegetarian starter will pair feta cheese

with roasted pepper jam, and a fig and black pepper flatbread.

Richard is looking to the sea for inspiration to beat his competition.

I want to create some really, really lovely fresh flavours, especially for my starter.

Think of the Med, think of really fresh fish, grilled fish, lemon dressing.

That's where I want to go.

Richard will be creating a starter of grilled fillet of sea bream,

deep fried calamari, chickpea and radish salad

and tomato and olive dressing.

But will it be his dish or Lesley's that will win the diners over?

Our chefs know that deciding what to serve is one thing,

but cooking it for over 60 diners

in a kitchen you've never even seen before

is a whole new level of challenge!

Thankfully our chefs will have some support.

Each of them will have two helpers from the restaurant's regular kitchen staff

and they're determined to get them fired up.

-I need you to help me to beat Lesley. You ready?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Let's do it!

-Are you up for this?

-Yes.

-Are we going beat these guys.

-Yeah.

Rock on!

Rock on indeed, Lesley!

This lively lady is full of beans

and no sooner has the starting bell rung

than she's cracking on with her starter.

So this is the start of my pepper jam.

It's got sugar, salt, olive oil,

bay leaf, the big chillies without seeds, all the peppers and garlic.

We've also got some lemons in there as well, OK.

And that's basically a jam.

It's a flying start for gung ho Lesley,

but her rival is under no illusions about the battle ahead.

It's going to get very frantic in here later.

I can feel it already starting to bubble.

There's lots to do and we haven't got a lot of time.

While Lesley is taking the rustic 'throw it all in the pot' approach,

Richard's preparation is forensic.

We've got our wonderful Turkish radish here.

So we just need to slice these really thinly with a nice sharp knife.

Go through them then plunge them into iced water

and leave them in ice water.

While Richard is taking complete control of the kitchen...

You need a sieve. Get a sieve.

..Lesley is working hard to make her team feel at ease.

You have to remind me that I'm putting these chillies in whole into the jam.

Before we serve, we must make sure we remove them.

While Lesley is used to the more relaxed environment of her cookery school,

Richard was forged in the fires of restaurant kitchens

and he's not about to let his rival forget it.

All right, Lesley? How are we doing?

-It's a bit alien this, being in a restaurant kitchen.

-Why? Does it look like it's been a while?!

-Look, here we go. Here we go, my love.

-Thank you, darling. Where's my gin and tonic?

That's tonight. If you win, I'll buy you one.

Do you know what? It's been a long time since I've been in a restaurant kitchen.

-But you're enjoying it.

-I am enjoying it but you have to think on your feet.

Work with people that don't know us.

It's like being in the cookery school, working with people that you've never met before.

-Yeah, you're good with that I suppose.

-Except that these guys know a lot more.

You might have more patience than me. Anyway, I've got to get on. I can't talk.

Are you sure? You can stay and chat!

Well, our chefs are coming at this challenge from two very different angles.

Lesley is a first class team builder.

We're using plain flour, not a strong bread flour for these.

You'd normally use a strong bread flour which would take a lot more kneading.

Richard, on the other hand,

has come straight from the tough love school of team motivation.

This is mine, this is yours. You could hold a door open with that, couldn't you?

I tell you what, I'll do it. Leave it. Leave it.

I think Richard might be getting a bit stressed.

-What are you standing there doing nothing for? You want a job?

-Yeah.

OK, let's give you a job to do. You can't stand there.

We won't get this food cooked if you're standing there doing nothing.

My boys need to speed up a little bit. I'm having to repeat myself.

I feel a bit like a parrot today!

While Richard is terse, tough and demanding,

Lesley seems to be having a whale of a time!

But she hasn't forgotten that she's in a competition.

She's seen that her rival is tense

and she's not about to miss a chance to have a little dig.

You need to wear this. How do you feel about that?

-I know what you really want to say.

-I'd like to put it where the sun doesn't shine.

-Do you think it will suit me?

-Look at me. Gorgeous!

I tell you what I'll do. If I lose, I'll wear it for a week.

-You're on.

-Is that a deal?

-Yeah, it's a deal.

Oh, Richard! That's a brave bet to make in a competition as unpredictable as this!

Remember this challenge is not just about the cooking.

The winner will be the chef that makes the most profit.

So earlier in the day the chefs set out to buy

all their ingredients as cheaply as possible.

-Morning.

-Morning, how are you doing?

-I'm all right, thank you.

Richard is quick to pin-point some Mediterranean Gilt Head Bream

and he goes in for the kill.

So what's the best price I can have on this?

I can go 8.50 a kilo on the whole fish there.

8.50 a kilo. Yeah, that's not too bad. Eight quid?

No, I can't do eight quid. 8.50.

I don't do the haggle. I go straight in at my best price.

-All right. 1.50 a portion is a pretty good price.

-And that's fair as well.

So Richard tested the water, but fishmonger Jonathan wouldn't budge

on his offer of trade price for the fish.

Did Lesley do any better shopping for her starter?

She headed to a Turkish supermarket in search of feta.

Hiya. I'm buying quite a lot of this feta cheese.

Can you do me a deal on that?

For whole shopping, I will give you a 5% discount.

-You wouldn't do 10, would you?

-I give you 10% discount.

-10%.

-Yeah. It will be around £29. Will it be all right? Instead of £32.

£28?

OK, no problem.

You don't ask you don't get. Thank you very, very much.

Well, in a competition where every pound counts,

Lesley's played a blinder by knocking the manager down

even further than the 10% discount he first offered!

So how will their expenditure influence how our chefs

price up their starters on tonight's menu?

Well, with all the ingredients included,

Richard spent a total of £101.03

and has put his first course on the menu at £8.95.

Lesley's total spend on her starter

was substantially less than her opponent's at just £65.25.

But she has priced her dish over two pounds cheaper than his at £6.25.

So she's going to need to sell a higher number of starters

to win the round.

Back in the restaurant kitchen, our chefs have each prepared

a sample starter for their opponent to taste.

What will they make of what they're up against?

This is lovely. I could almost be in Turkey. Lovely. Really nice,

Lucky guests that are coming up for service.

Oh. Wow!

I cooked it very simple, very straight forward. Do you like it?

-Do you think I'll sell many?

-Yeah, I do. I think that's stunning.

Well, face to face it's all very complimentary

but come on Richard, what do you really think

about your rival's starter?

I would imagine it's very, very cheap.

There wasn't a lot spent on it. There was no meat, there was no fish.

I would probably feel a little bit hard done by if I'd spent £7 on that.

Ah, interesting!

Richard clearly thinks his dish will hold greater appeal for the diners.

But what did Lesley make of it?

The fish was beautiful, beautifully served.

The squid, well, it was just so tender. It was lovely.

But mine was just as good. Just different style of food, that's all.

While Lesley has gone for a cheaper starter,

Richard has gone for appeal.

But will our diners favour fish or feta!

As service draws closer, Richard is fully focussed on tactics.

I'd really like to cook it to order but I've had a problem this afternoon with communication,

so I want to take the pressure off myself.

I'm just going to sear and caramelise off that skin now,

put it into a tray and cut down the pressure during service.

Well, Richard had better hope that his plan will work

because the hour of reckoning is almost upon our chefs.

The diners have started to arrive.

They look hungry and soon over 60 of them will be seated

and baying for food.

In charge of proceedings at the pass tonight will be Ali,

the restaurant's own resident head chef.

He'll be making sure that our chefs don't short-serve his diners.

But he doesn't speak the best English,

which should make for an interesting relationship with Richard,

who's been having issues with communication all day.

Don't touch the heat. Don't touch the heat. I might as well talk to the wall.

Outside in the restaurant, the guests are getting seated.

They have no idea which chef has cooked which dishes, but their expectations couldn't be higher.

I'm looking forward to obviously being served by these great chefs.

I really expect the food to be really, really good.

I'm expecting something different. I've never tried Turkish food before so hopefully it will be good.

The first enviable choice our diners get to make tonight is between the starters.

Lesley's marinated feta versus Richard's fillet of sea bream.

But whose dish will it be?

I did go for the feta cheese because I really like the idea of the red pepper jelly,

but also the flatbread that had fig and black pepper in it.

The flamed sea bream and deep fried calamari, chickpea and radish salad sounds divine. I can't wait!

Hidden away in the kitchen,

our chefs are racing to make their final preparations.

They're on absolute tenterhooks

and then the first orders come through.

One sea bream, One feta.

With one order for each chef, the flood gates open

and more orders start pouring in, Ali calling them out rapid-fire.

One sea bream, one feta, two sea bream, one feta, four sea bream.

-How many was that?

-Two feta.

No, how many sea bream?

-Three sea bream, four sea bream.

-Four sea bream all day.

-And five sea bream.

-Five sea bream all day.

-Yes.

Oh! Already, Richard's finding Ali hard to follow.

But one thing is clear. His sea bream is off to a great start!

I'd like the sea bream please.

Richard's having to finish grilling each fish portion to order,

so this early success isn't helping his stress levels.

OK, calamari. Calamari, chef. Calamari, let's go.

These first few orders have not been good for Lesley.

This competition is all about profit and her dish is priced at less than Richard's,

so she really needs to keep up or this round is lost!

It's gone a little bit quiet now. Let's hope we get some more.

Out in the restaurant, both dishes seem to be going down well.

And then, for Lesley, a breakthrough!

-Can I have the feta please?

-Marinated feta please.

There's suddenly a flurry of interest in her feta

and the laughing lady is back in the game!

-Six feta.

-Yes!

-Six sea bream.

Oh, but not for long!

Ah, beast! Beast!

Six sea bream. I'd love to chat!

Six sea bream. Another mighty order for Richard.

Could it be that our Lesley

is heading for a bit of a fishy whitewash?

The first round has been a baptism of fire for our chefs,

but before we find out how many dishes each of them have sold,

what did the diners think of the food?

I ordered the sea bream with calamari,

which was really, really yummy.

I ordered the feta cheese with the jam.

Very nicely presented. It was a good amount of food.

No complaints, but the bottom line is, will it be Richard's sea bream

or Lesley's feta that has sold the highest number of portions?

One, two, three.

-Oooh! Wow!

-I'll take it. I'll take that.

Oh, yeah. Well done, you.

Right, well, I guess we better get on with the mains.

-Come on.

-Good luck.

-Let's see how that goes.

Oh, that's a convincing win for Richard on number of dishes sold.

But the all-important question is, how much profit have they made?

Lesley's 25 starters bagged her a total £156.25.

So when she takes off the cost of ingredients,

that leaves her with a tidy profit of £91.

It's good, but not good enough.

Richard sold 41 dishes and brought in a total of £366.95.

After costs that gives him a cracking profit of £265.92

and shoots him into the lead.

But that was just round one

and the big profits are still out there to be won!

It's time for round two - the main course.

In terms of potential profit,

this is the stage of the contest with the highest stakes,

so what are our two gastronomic giants planning to serve up?

Main course wise, I'm thinking beef. I'm going go down the route of maybe cooking beef two different ways.

A slower cooked beef but I'm then going to do a rubbed rump of beef.

Richard has chosen to cook a roast rump of beef

on a slow-cooked beef shoulder bed, with Turkish mint butter,

spiced roasted couscous and a red wine sauce.

But what of his opponent?

For my main course, I'm going to do a slow roasted shoulder of lamb.

It's a rustic dish.

It's not going to look incredibly refined but it's full of flavour.

Lesley has decided to offer the customers

a slow roasted lamb shoulder with lemon and oregano

and a pomegranate, pine nut and green bean salad.

Which dish will grab the diners' attention

and then grab the biggest profits?

And who will be crowned the winner of today's challenge?

Bring on Round Two!

Right, come on, guys, we really need to move it.

Both our chefs know that they've got to use every second

of their limited prep time to make their dishes as tasty as they can be.

Lesley wants to create a rich stock for her lamb

by using the bones trimmed from the shoulder meat.

Meat stock generally takes a lot longer to cook,

sometimes eight, nine hours simmering

but we will still get some flavour from it if we roast the bones first.

I'm going to cover with cold water, some onions and hope for the best!

That's the spirit Lesley!

Richard is aiming to inject flavour into his dish

via a much quicker method.

A nice little find in the Turkish supermarket, some nice seasoning,

some kebshi spices. This is like a mixed spice but from Turkey.

We're going to roll this in our spices

then I'm going to roll this up in cling film now

and let that marinade like that for three hours.

All this attention to detail is commendable

but it won't mean a thing if our chefs don't make serious profits.

Earlier today, when they went shopping,

they knew they had to keep their costs to an absolute minimum.

Lesley was after the best price for her shoulders of British lamb.

-What is it a pound?

-They are £2.75 a pound.

-If I buy eight can you do me a deal?

-I can do you £2.50.

£2.50 a deal? Could we do it for £2.25?

Oh, Lesley's determined to push it

but will she get the result she's after?

For his beef, Richard decided to get straight on the phone

to a meat supplier.

I reckon for something like beef cheeks, ox cheeks, blade,

something like that.

This will be Richard's biggest expenditure of the day

so it's vital he gets the lowest price he possibly can.

Can you knock a little bit off that kilo for us?

You've got to be tough in this game. I've got money to make tonight.

£11.50. Brilliant. All right, you knocked a quid off, brilliant.

Richard does his best to get the price down

and he's rewarded with £1 per kilo off the original asking price.

But can Lesley match his success?

£2.25. It's a bit of a push.

-Yeah, I suppose I can because they're quite big.

-Yeah?

-£2.25 yeah.

-You've got a deal.

I'm really pleased with that. I think I got a really good deal

and best of all, it looks like fantastic lamb.

Oh, hasn't she done well!

But how will the amounts they've spent affect the menu prices

our chefs give their main courses?

Richard's total spend on his main course ingredients came to £144.35

and he's decided to put his beef on the menu at a weighty £19.95.

But will a price that high put the diners off?

Lesley's total spend on mains came to £164.92

and her lamb will go on tonight's menu at £16.25.

So she spent more than Richard, but she's charging less

so she's going to have to sell a lot more dishes.

Will Lesley pull it off or will Richard extend his lead?

Right come on, guys, we really need to move it.

I need to get this lamb in the oven as soon as possible.

In the restaurant kitchen, Lesley is preparing her main course.

Potatoes and shallots go in to the tray first

followed by fresh herbs.

Just rip it, sprinkle that over your potatoes,

and then your lamb and here it is.

What we've done is lemon juice, black pepper and salt

and we're just going to place that,

we're not going to sear it,

we're not going to do anything like that.

Nothing gets thrown away.

The rinds of the lemons get scattered on top

together with the hot stock fresh from the roasted bones.

Pour on the stock, then that gets covered

with a really tight fitting lid or tin foil

and it goes in the oven for three and a half to four hours

and that's it.

Lesley's dish now requires a long time in the oven.

But with only three hours until the start of service,

is she going to have enough time to actually cook it?

Richard's side of the kitchen is a little more frenetic.

We need to get those pans, frying pans, frying pans to cook my beef.

Richard is a chef who knows exactly what he wants but once again,

communication is proving a bit of an issue.

They're not big enough are they? Look, I've told you three times.

Is that going to fit in there?

Richard's main dish is made up of two pieces of beef cooked separately.

The first, the rump, Richard's already marinating in his Turkish spices,

but the second, the beef blade, needs to be seared

before a long, slow cook.

That's what I want to be hearing, sizzling straight away.

Remembering your starting point,

that's the first area where we are going to turn it over.

OK, so there's my beef, now caramelised.

That's what we're looking for, look at that beautiful caramelisation

and that's what I'm looking for.

Four hours in the oven, that's going to be just beautiful.

Four hours Richard?

That's going to be tight. It's nearly four o'clock now!

Both our chefs are under real time pressure here

and even laid-back Lesley's now getting into a bit of tizz.

Salt. Salt. Where's it gone?

Salt. Salt. Where's it gone?

Lesley may be cooking a lovely Turkish dinner, but look at the time

and she still hasn't managed to get it in the oven.

Oh! I forgot the garlic.

Just cut the garlic in half, wash it really well, cut it in half.

That's me just being very, very eager to get it in.

Less haste more speed as they say.

That's it Lesley, bung it in there!

Which dish will win the favour of tonight's diners?

Richard's Turkish take on a classic beef dinner

or Lesley's rustic bowl of zesty lamb?

Before we find out, let's see how our chefs rate

each other's greatest weapons!

-This is lovely.

-A bit of mint, a bit of freshness.

-Lovely textures.

It's cost me a lot though.

That's not cheap so I need to make sure I sell a lot.

-And you've got lamb.

-It's a meal in a pot. You've got garlic...

Turkish cuisine is quite a lot like that.

-It's quite a lot of cooking in one pot, isn't it?

-Yeah, absolutely.

Lovely and tender, packed full of flavour, fresh

-and I love that zestiness from the lemon.

-Yeah.

-Brilliant.

Oh, once again our chefs are being guarded!

Come on guys, are you feeling confident

or has your opponent's dish got you quaking in your boots?

Turkish food on a plate, that's pretty much what you get out of there.

Really good and I think she'll do well with that.

I think mine's more Turkish somehow, it's more sort of rustic

so I'm hoping mine's just going to beat him.

We'll see which of these two has judged their menu right

by what the customers think.

Which dish will they go for? Lesley's or Richard's?

I've ordered the beef because I'm not normally a fan of couscous,

but I want to see what the chefs do with it.

I've ordered the lamb and I'm quite looking forward to the oregano and pomegranate combination.

Going into this round, Lesley's the one under real pressure

after losing the first round to Richard.

The ingredients of her main course cost more than her rival's

but she's priced her dish cheaper than his

so she must sell substantially more dishes.

And then - they're off!

-Three beef, one lamb.

-Three beef, one lamb. OK, three couscous, go.

Oh, three beef, one lamb. Not a great start for Lesley.

But Richard gets straight into the rhythm.

You and I should be on Strictly next, shouldn't we.

-What's next?

-New order, four beef.

Yeah. I said cover, I said cover.

Oh, that's got to hurt!

Already, that's seven beef to just one lamb.

OK, guys, you know what we're doing, let's go, let's go, let's go!

Four couscous. Four.

Forgetting to put the lemon on, it's part of the dish.

Nice and hot, we've got to keep the food hot.

Richard has the upper hand here in that he's more used

to the intense pressure of restaurant service.

I knew this was going to be the stressful one.

I feel really out of my depth here.

Things like this, forgetting lemon.

In the restaurant,

our diners are having a whale of a time tucking into their grub.

But in the kitchen, it's like a pressure cooker.

Once again, Richard's restaurant experience is showing.

Can someone give me a count on how many covers are left to order?

Because while Lesley's just hoping for more lamb orders

he's planning ahead to make sure he's got enough beef

to last to the end of service.

Seven orders. How many people? How many people?

-21.

-21. Thank you.

Richard's keeping his portion sizes under the tightest control

which means our diners are getting very different dishes for their money.

The diners who order Richard's beef are getting a modest serving

which they're paying almost £20 for and it seems the feedback is mixed.

I ordered the rump of beef, good flavours coming out of it.

I had the beef and frankly I was a bit disappointed,

because it came up a bit cold which was disappointing.

My wife, who had the lamb, had made the better choice.

The diners who order Lesley's lamb are getting a big bowl

of rustic style grub for just £16

and it seems to be going down an absolute treat.

I had the lamb as a main course.

It was more like a Lancashire hotpot really.

I mean it was really, really tasty.

I had the lamb for my main course

and when it arrived it looked lovely.

I couldn't finish it

I was very happy with mine.

Oh, what a turn up!

Could this mark the beginnings of a comeback for our lady?

Well, we'll see, because while Lesley's generous portions

are going down a treat in the restaurant,

in the kitchen, she's just realised something

that could stop her hopes in their tracks.

These are going, yeah?

OK, I'm running out of lamb.

I just heard she's running out of lamb, that's good for me.

I think my portions are too big.

Oh, it looks like Lesley has made a major miscalculation

with her portion sizes.

Could this blow her chances of a comeback right out of the water?

If Lesley does run out of lamb, she knows the rules of the game.

Any diners whom she fails to provide for can be served by her rival.

How many more is left to come on?

-Eight more lamb left altogether.

-Are you all right on that?

No. I've got three more lamb left and that's it.

One, two, three.

With eight more lamb orders outstanding

and only three more servings left,

Lesley is staring into the face of disaster!

I've run out of lamb

which means that Richard is going to cover it,

which means I'm losing all those orders.

Damn!

Oh, Lesley, what a crusher!

Your remaining five diners will be offered Richard's beef

at the same price as your lamb!

That's five sets of profits that you loose

and they go straight to your rival.

-Can I help you?

-No, I'm all right.

-Are you sure?

If you want to turn that into about double the portion.

-Let's get a sharp knife.

-Slice thin, baby, slice thin.

As the last plates go out Lesley knows that her chances

of turning this competition around have taken a major battering.

Main course service is finished, thank you.

-Cheers, Ali.

-Thank you.

Finding out how many dishes she sold compared to her opponent could be painful.

-Let's lift it. Ready?

-One, two, three.

-Ooh!

Well done. You deserve it.

No, it's a little bit luck by default because you ran out

but it would've been very close it, I think, very close.

Well, thank God you had enough mate.

-Customers were fed, that's the main thing.

-Absolutely.

Well, you've got to hand it to the lady,

she can see the positive side in almost anything!

And it's just as well, because her profits are not looking so perky!

Richard's beef has brought in nearly £740.00.

After subtracting ingredients costs,

this round has secured him a profit of nearly £600.

Lesley sold much less of her lamb bringing in £383.75.

And as she spent more than Richard on her ingredients,

this round banks her a smaller profit of £218.83.

Never mind Lesley - the game is not over yet.

For a selection of recipes from the series,

log on to -

And so we enter the final round in this epic competition.

Our chefs still have a restaurant full of diners needing a sweet treat

to finish off their evening

and so there's everything still to play for.

Our indomitable lady has been planning

the perfect classic Turkish dessert.

For my pudding I'm going to do a pistachio baklava

served with a cardamom custard, with roasted vanilla nectarines.

Baklava is eaten all over Turkey.

Its rich honey and pistachio crunch,

combined with a smooth cardamom custard

is about as Turkish as you can get.

So Lesley gets top marks for authenticity

but what's her opponent planning?

So dessert wise, I'm thinking a Turkish delight creme brulee.

My take on the creme brulee,

but obviously in keeping with Turkish flavours.

Creme brulee is French, Richard, as we're sure you know,

but adding pistachio and figs will give it a nice little Turkish twist.

But which of these desserts will the diners go for?

Our chefs start work on putting together their final salvos

of this competition.

Have you turned it down? How long did it simmer for?

Richard has taken on a big challenge.

Quite understandably, his Turkish sous chefs have never previously

been called upon to knock up a classic French creme brulee.

Listen, listen, listen, listen, bring it to the boil,

stirring to the boil and then turn it down

and let it tick over - simmer, simmer, yeah.

But it looks like Lesley has played an absolute blinder.

By choosing to make baklava, a Turkish desert,

she's ensured that her team couldn't be on more familiar territory

and even Ali has been flattered into helping out.

-You shouldn't need so much sugar.

-Just a little here? So it sticks?

-No, no.

-I've only ever made one of these once before in my life

and it was a healthy version, so I'm going to try and make

the real thing. I've had lots of expert advice.

The filo pastry is layered with butter and pistachios

and then baked, to be doused with honey syrup as it cools.

All we've got to do now with the pudding is to make the custard.

Lesley's team is like one big happy family

but for Richard, it's a little different.

Looking a little lonely there Richard.

Oh, there we go. It's a knack, it's a kitchen knack.

Well, it seems even the mighty Richard needs a helping hand sometimes!

Always do two layers in a creme brulee.

That's what gives it the crunch.

Now, creme brulee is not expensive to make.

It's mostly eggs, cream and sugar.

The major cost in Richard's version is the figs

so when he went shopping earlier in the day

Richard knew he had to get them for the lowest possible price.

What sort of price can you do me on a box of figs, if I take the whole box?

Whole box, it normally comes for £3.29.

So what are we going to do on this then?

-I'll give you for £3.

-Three quid?

-Yeah.

-That's good.

-Yeah.

I'm not going to haggle anymore, I'm happy. Thank you very much.

Richard did well to get a small reduction

but he wasn't the only one out to get a great deal.

Lesley's major cost for her desert will be the filo pastry

and the pistachios.

They're in small packets and, as I expected, really expensive,

so I'm going to have to really barter.

Lesley is hoping that by combining the pistachios and the filo

-she will get a better deal.

-Hi, it's me again.

It comes to around £28 or something, so I give you for £26.

She's not about to give up without a fight.

Not for £25 even?

-I try my best but I think I can go to maximum of £26.

-OK.

-Yep.

It's a deal, cheers.

Lesley has to content herself with a £2 reduction.

With all the ingredients totted up, Richard has spent a total

of £29.01 on his dessert ingredients.

But Lesley didn't get a major bargaining breakthrough

so all her ingredients cost her over £50.

Which dessert will the diners be willing to shell out most on?

Before we find out, our chefs face off one last time

to get a good look at what they're up against.

First up - Lesley's baklava.

Yeah. Lovely vanilla roasted, you can tell that just coming through

and it actually lifts that custard really well.

Yeah, nice. I'm not going to say I'm going to be worried,

but I'm worried.

Well, coming from Richard that's a major admission!

What does Lesley make of his creme brulee?

I'm going to go with the fig because I think they need to be paired up.

Lovely with that. Lovely and fresh because that's very, very rich

-and then that cuts it.

-You need that fruit.

-Have you got enough?

-I hope so!

Now for dessert. The rules are a little different to before.

The chefs for the evening - Lesley Waters, Richard Phillips.

Our chefs must go out to the restaurant to present their dishes

to the diners, face to face, in true Theatreland style.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

-My pudding is a pistachio baklava...

-Yes!

-..and it's served with

roasted vanilla pears and a cardamom custard on the side.

Sounds good, sounds good. Nearly as good as this.

I've got a lemon creme brulee.

Accompanying this we've got some amazing Turkish figs.

Just remember where you are, that's the influence.

Both chefs know they've got to persuade the diners

to choose their dessert.

Ah, so, I've come to tell you about my pudding.

And they're giving them the hard sell.

So what makes your creme brulee different to any other creme brulee?

It's been made by me, which means it's going to be fantastic.

Ultimately, however hard our chefs work the room, the dessert

choices the diners make now could turn the entire competition.

I am a definite fan of baklava.

She's a lovely lady, she came round, she has a great spiel,

so that's what I thought I'd go for.

I chose the creme brulee.

That was my choice but I think he sold it to me as well.

Can I get the creme brulee?

As service begins, can Lesley generate enough orders to

make up for her losses in the last round?

Can I have the baklava, please?

New order. Six creme brulee and one baklava.

Oh, Richard.

First orders in. Six creme brulee. Good start.

Oh, what a start for Richard!

As the kitchen kicks into life again, the orders start flying in.

Three baklava. Three creme brulee.

Three creme brulee. One baklava.

Next order. Two baklava. Three creme brulee.

The creme brulee is selling.

Right now, Lesley's got to hang on in there.

Yeah. There's your creme brulee, boss.

Yes. Two baklava. Two creme brulee.

No problem.

Oh, darling, you're doing good.

What's next, Ali?

Two baklava. Two creme brulee. New order.

It's not been the best start for Lesley

but then things start to pick up.

Three baklava. One creme brulee.

I tell you what, Lesley, you are doing well now.

You've picked a few up there, haven't you?

After the main course, I'm just trying to be really careful

not to run out again.

In this round, Lesley's costs were higher than Richard's,

so she's hoping that the quality of her desserts will persuade

the diners to pay more.

All gone.

Last one going out now.

I didn't run out.

Although that's not good, is it?

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, Ali. Well done.

As the final orders go out, there's little more our chefs can do

other than breathe a huge sigh of relief.

Well done, Les. Give us a hug, love.

Well done, you, mate.

The all important question now is

what will the diners be willing to pay for their desserts?

I had the creme brulee.

I think when he brought it out and I saw it, it looked exciting

but unfortunately the taste, for me, just didn't live up to it

so I think I'll probably pay £3.

I had the baklava. It was really delicious.

I'd never had it before.

I'd pay about £7 for it. I thought it was really good.

I ordered creme brulee and I liked it very much.

I like the lemon flavour and I intend to pay £4.61p.

How very precise!

Before we find out how much profit our chefs have made,

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

Lesley's Baklava sold to 26 of the diners.

But it's not looking good.

39 of the diners went for Richard's creme brulee.

It's been an exhausting day of plotting, planning and cooking

but now our chefs' work is done

and it's time to reveal the outcome of today's competition.

Ready?

One, two three.

Oh, wow!

Wow.

You have made serious profit!

That'll do, won't it?

That is fantastic.

It's victory for the iron man. And he's pretty chuffed about it!

Yeah, I'm pretty pleased with that.

I think you've done brilliantly.

Don't get clever.

-Very, very good.

-Thanks.

-Well done, mate.

-Cheers. Thank you.

Lesley Waters.

APPLAUSE Thank you.

Both our chefs have made an amazing amount of money

and all of their profits will be going to their chosen charities.

My charity today is the St Margaret's Hospice.

My chosen charity today is

Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital.

Disappointed. But glad that I've made some money.

That's a good profit and that's really, really good.

I'm very happy about that and I must have spent wiser than I thought.

And, well, I suppose I better go off and do the washing up now.

Good luck, Lesley!

Richard 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!

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