North West Judging Great British Menu

It's judgment day, as award-winning executive chef Eve Townson...

I've got better and better, so hopefully today will be my best yet.

..goes head-to-head with ambitious Michelin-trained chef

Matt Worswick...

They're formidable judges, so there's a lot of pressure to get it right today.

..to represent the North West in the national finals.

Their expectations are high, so if something goes wrong today,

-they're just not going to accept it.

-Their goal...

to cook at a banquet celebrating the

centenary of the Women's Institute, at London's Drapers' Hall.

Ensuring their dishes meet the impeccable standards

of the WI is Sabrina Ghayour,

a self-taught cook, award-winning food writer and chef.

Get your heads down, put your nerves aside and just push on, you can do it.

Eve narrowly scraped through to cook for the judges today,

and is determined a woman should come out on top.

As much as I'm absolutely gunning for the North West,

a woman needs to do it.

She faces fellow newcomer Matt,

the only chef to get top marks from veteran Sat Bains.

-Are you admiring my ten?

-I'm going to give you a good run for your money.

But only one chef will go through to the national finals.

The winner is...

Matt topped the leaderboard all week,

finishing four points ahead of Eve.

I got a ten this week, but I need to make sure all my other scores

are just as high and really be on my A game today.

Do you think you're going to get better than a seven today?

I am going to give you a good run for your money.

Despite holding on to second place all week,

Eve was plagued with timing issues, something she has to avoid today.

My food must have been really good

because the timing thing actually hasn't stopped me going forward.

As they start cooking, both Eve and Matt have their sights set

on the national finals, but first they have to impress the judges.

I don't really know what to expect

because I've never been in this position before,

to cook for those particular judges.

Their expectations are high, so if something goes wrong today,

you know, they are just not going to accept it.

Judges Prue Leith, Oliver Peyton

and Matthew Fort are dissecting the chefs' menus.

We've got two newcomers to the competition.

A man and a woman.

So maybe we'll get a woman through for the WI.

I'd like that, but she really has to cook well.

Matt has got a clutch of awards under his belt,

and I'm sure he's a very competitive person.

The thing I expect most from this region is veneration of the produce.

Well, the North West has always had a tradition of producing

some of the best tasting food, so I think, either way,

we are in for a treat today.

There's lot of pressure to get it right today.

They're formidable judges, so no silly mistakes.

Well, hello, chefs, you are both smiling. What's it been like?

-Hard work.

-The pressure has been absolutely unbelievable.

-It has been a tough week.

-Matt, you got a ten, so very well done.

-Thank you very much.

-But you blew it on the pudding, five.

The dessert let me down, so I've put a bit of work into it today,

try and rectify that mistake.

So, Eve, you've got to do a little bit better this time.

Yes, definitely. I need to up my game today.

You think it's been tough so far? It's getting a lot tougher today.

-So good luck.

-Thank you.

Eve's first with her starter of chicken croquette,

beetroot ketchup and Lancashire hard.

Inspired by Lancashire poultry farmer

and WI member Winnie Swarbrick.

The rustic dish scored just five points in the week.

So, Eve, are you going to change anything for your starter?

I think Sat mentioned about your beetroot ketchup not being smooth enough.

I'm not going to be changing too much. I think when he was talking about refining the dish,

I haven't had time to just sort of get my ketchup smooth,

and today I need to really make sure it is absolutely perfect.

The chefs will also be marked by a guest judge,

someone with a passion for exceptional home cooking.

Sabrina Ghayour is a self-taught cook and award-winning food writer.

-Sabrina, welcome to the judges' chamber.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

-This is Oliver, this is Matthew.

-Hello.

So how did you learn how to cook?

I grew up watching TV, Delia, Ken Hom, Madhur Jaffrey, in the '80s

and just fell in love. I wanted to teach myself.

-And so you became the home cook?

-Yes.

You know, for me, home cooking is very much about making memories,

and that's really what's important, and maybe what we don't do so much,

so thank God for the WI, that still instil that into us

and keep those traditions alive, it is so important.

Prue mentioned that you didn't really have a good start to the week.

I've got better and better as the days have gone,

so hopefully today will be my best yet.

Eve is confident her tribute to the celebrated poultry farmer

Winnie Swarbrick has the refinement it lacked in the week.

First onto the plate is the reworked beetroot ketchup.

Next, a selection of pickled vegetables, micro herbs, followed

by her crispy croquette, made from spiced shredded chicken thighs.

Veteran Sat suggested losing the Lancashire oatcakes, known as hard.

When I did it for Sat, it wasn't quite cooked through enough.

-Is it cooked the way you want it to?

-Yes, it's cooked round the edges,

just so I can get the middle right.

Eve completes the dish on time with the Lancashire hard.

Thank you.

-How was that, then, Eve? Happy?

-I'm happy, I'm happy.

Yeah? Well done.

It is rather large. THEY LAUGH

I'm so hungry, I'm feeling that large is good.

Oh, look. Winnie Swarbrick.

She was the most extraordinary baker I think I've ever come across.

-You knew her?

-Yes, yes.

-SABRINA:

-I want to try this Lancashire hard first.

Sat said the hard didn't really have a place on a dish,

but you've gone against his advice.

-Do you think the judges will like it?

-Sat didn't taste it at its best.

It is a good part of the dish, and it is Lancashire,

so stick with my guns.

It is delicious, isn't it?

Yes, although the biscuit is nice on its own,

one doesn't need something dry on the plate like that.

-Beetroot ketchup is rather nice.

-Oh, isn't it?

Nice acidity but it is still sweet. Really lovely.

I was slightly worried when I saw the beetroot. You know what,

-that beetroot ketchup is an absolute winner.

-I think this is delicious.

So do you think it is better than a five this time?

Yes, I think the dish is better, I just hope they get the brief.

I think, if anything, that is what they will knock me down on.

This is ticking all the boxes here, because you've got the back story of one of the finest chicken producers

in the country. I think the quality of the cook is really good on here.

I think this dish is on the road to being perfect.

For me, it is right on the money.

Matt is up next with his partridge starter, Game Old Birds -

a homage to the famous WI Calendar Girls.

Basic errors in the week saw Sat score it a seven.

So, Sat mentioned that he thought your partridge was overcooked.

I'm going to cook the bird a bit less this time, to try

and make it nice and sort of moist.

First onto the plate is Matt's refined bread sauce.

The ballotine of braised partridge legs, bacon and cabbage.

Next it's the pan-fried partridge breast.

-Oh, that looks very pink. Do you think they'll be happy with that?

-Hope so.

Then it is Matt's blackberry caviar,

the sea salted blackberries, and partridge gravy.

Are you shaking to give a sauce an effect,

-or is that just natural nerves?

-I'm nervous.

It means a lot to me, so I want to do it right.

Lastly, a garnish of micro herbs.

Thank you.

First one out the way,

but you never know what they're going to say, do you?

-Game Old Birds.

-Mmm.

-Oh, dear.

SABRINA LAUGHS

And here we have a picture of the Calendar Girls,

who... I would not call them game old birds at all.

I took Sat's comments on board, I tried to make it smaller

so it's not too much of a main course.

I think that's the right size portion for a starter.

And it looks delicious.

The partridge is a lot pinker than it was the other day, because Sat said it was overcooked.

I think this is a little bit underdone.

I wouldn't worry, because it actually just looks raw.

There are cooking issues with it, but it slightly drives me mad

that chefs think they can get a box and package up

what is essentially their restaurant food.

Lots of grey sludge.

Mmm. Actually, it is bread sauce.

And yet I prefer my bread sauce a little bit lumpy.

Yes, it is quite clingy to the palate. Like, I found my mouth...

It really means a lot to me, this course.

It would be nice as an opening starter to a banquet,

-so hopefully I've done enough.

-It is quite a light dish.

-It is very pretty.

-There is nothing remotely surprisingly about it.

-This is a chef who's thought inside the box rather than outside it.

-Mmm.

Next, it's the fish course.

Eve is first with her Twinset And Pearls.

A classic combination of halibut,

potatoes and sea vegetables.

Veteran Sat scored it just six

due to a lack of precision in Eve's cooking times.

So Sat said the fish was slightly overcooked, and the potatoes too.

Is that going to be the case this time?

I were just totally under the pressure with the time, so I just need to try to really focus.

Eve starts her plate

with a medley of sea vegetables in a seafood reduction,

with cockles, mussels, razor clams and shrimp.

So are you plating up any different from what you was for Sat?

Just put my shrimps, just on the top, just to make them a little bit more obvious.

Next, it's the pan-fried halibut coated in potato scales.

Finally, spherified lemon pearls.

Sat thought they were lost on the dish, but Eve is sticking to her guns.

So, were you happy with the way the fish was, was it cooked right?

Well, I was rushing towards the end.

I would have preferred to have cooked my potatoes a little bit slower.

But they were cooked through, so...

the fish underneath should be fine.

-It is rather pretty.

-Yes. I think it looks really pretty.

Absolutely, and it smells delicious.

If I was being strictly critical,

I would say that the halibut is slightly overcooked.

I can't taste the lemon in the lemon pearls, though.

Well, you can if you get a big bunch of them.

-OK.

-And then they are rather pleasant.

-I didn't.

Do you think the judges are going to get the story?

Sat mentioned not to put the pearls on, they didn't really add anything.

But Twinset And Pearls, it is the title of the dish, so without it, it would be even less obvious.

I mean, I can see the pearls, but where is the twinset?

We are having to work quite hard.

I think the name is silly, and I think it is a pity

if we call a dish Twinset And Pearls without a better reason.

It is not purpose-built for this particular brief.

Matthew, I feel me and you are going to sail away into the sunset on this one,

because I don't think this is good enough for the competition.

Matt's fish dish,

which he has renamed Grandma's Pick Of The Day, pays homage

to his grandmother, a WI member herself, who grew her own veg.

A dish of poached lobster with garden vegetables, Sat scored it

a modest seven for lack of seasoning and bland nasturtium oil.

Sat said that he couldn't really taste the nasturtium oil,

so I'm just making a mint oil.

Matt starts with poached lobster tail and lobster claw,

before adding baby turnips cooked in a butter emulsion,

and roasted baby beets.

He adds fresh garden peas and nasturtium leaves

and flowers, in place of the oil.

It is the first time I've seen

any debris on your section, you are usually so cool, calm and organised.

Still calm, still organised. Just want to get it right.

Finally, it's on with the fresh mint oil.

Thank you.

-Happy?

-A bit of pressure there.

Trying to get it out on time and right, it is tough.

MATTHEW: Blimey.

Well, crikey, it looks as if an entire allotment has arrived.

Mmm. "Home-grown veg from her garden. A member of the Ballagh WI."

Hopefully they will be able to see the theme within the dish,

about Grandma's garden and pick of the day.

This ties in with the brief.

The WI have always been keen on growing your own vegetables,

and the fact that Matt's grandma was keen on doing the same,

I think, is a really good touch.

I made a conscious effort to make sure the fish is seasoned,

that was a problem last time.

It is not overly complicated, but then the lobster gives it

-wow factor.

-The peas, the oil, the sauce work extremely well together.

It is such a simple idea, but if you get it wrong, it is a disaster.

Under these conditions, I wouldn't be able to do it any better, I don't think.

So, it is really brave to do it, and he's done it perfectly.

-It is perfectly thought through, it is perfectly delivered...

-Yeah.

-..with perfect ingredients.

-Yes.

Pretty perfect.

At the halfway stage, the chefs start prepping their mains,

while the judges deliberate their scores so far.

I think either Sat Bains was in a very bad mood,

or else the two chefs have really picked up the cooking,

because, generally, the food has been great.

I am comforted from what I have seen so far.

Do you think we have any dishes that could go through to the final banquet?

Yes. I think two of the dishes have absolutely nailed it.

They've fulfilled the brief, both in the spirit and in terms of flavour.

And I think it is pretty even now.

But, you know, you never know.

I mean, this afternoon, anything could happen.

Now it is on to the main. And Matt is first up with Shall I Be Mother?

A sharing platter of rolled, stuffed best end of lamb,

and a hotpot cooked to his grandmother's recipe.

Veteran Sat was blown away by the cooking and presentation,

awarding Matt a ten.

There's four judges now,

so there's a possibility of getting a ten from each one.

So I'm really going to try and recreate the hotpot that I did the other day.

Matt's under pressure to replicate his faultless main

and Eve needs to up her game if she's to take victory.

They both hope guest judge Sabrina will be impressed.

Hi, chefs.

Hi, I'm Sabrina. I can resonate a little bit with you.

I'm a chef as well. My core is starting from being a home cook.

I've been cooking since I was a little girl. Here's a picture of me.

-And that's where my passion developed.

-How old were you there?

-You look very young.

-I was four there.

-Four.

-It was boil-in-the-bag cod, so early CV, maybe?

-Early CV, yeah.

-Who knew, eh?

-Inspirational!

-Yeah.

So how's it going in there? Is it tense? Are you enjoying it?

Definitely enjoying it.

There's been some good stuff and then some sort of less good stuff

as well, so just get your heads down, put your nerves aside, just push on.

-Two more courses. You can do it. Good luck, chefs.

-Thanks.

-Thank you.

First onto a sharing platter for Matt's main

is a rolled best end of lamb stuffed with minced lamb's liver,

kidney and shoulder, dried apricots and spinach.

How's your lamb looking, Matt?

Exactly the same as last time, really.

Next, he adds root vegetables, which have been steamed in gravy,

then roasted baby red onions and garlic.

Finally, Matt serves his gravy in Grandma Worswick's teapot

and presents his lamb dish and his Lancashire hotpot

on a countryside scene made from vegetables.

Wow! All the blood, sweat and tears went into that one.

It's broccoli.

Shall I be Mother?

Are you happy with that? Think it's another ten?

It's a different palate, different judges,

so hopefully, they've got the same mind-set as Sat.

That hotpot is spectacular.

The quality of the lamb is just sensational.

And that stuffing in the middle of the lamb is the best I've ever had.

-It's just delicious.

-It's just all stunning. It really is.

I think the look of the dish is fantastic.

I think there's a little bit of tweaking on the vegetables.

Well, Grandma Worswick, she's still there, looking down on you.

Do you think you've done her proud again today?

I really, certainly hope so.

I think you've got a potential banquet dish

because I cannot remember when I've tasted lamb that good.

I think the ingredients are absolutely the hero.

They have been beautifully treated.

But in the final analysis, it's Sunday lunch.

It ain't a banquet dish.

I think it's an absolute triumph

and I think that the WI audience would think so, too.

Eve is up next with her Quintessential English Countryside -

shepherd's pie and lamb chump

inspired by the women in her family and Lancashire produce.

Sat wanted to give Eve an eight

but she needed Matt and Mark's help to get it to the pass

so was marked down to a seven.

You're looking a lot more organised and in control.

I've just tried working on my timings.

I think Sat said it enough to me, so hopefully, I've finally got it.

First on the plate is a Jerusalem artichoke puree

followed by Eve's shepherd's pie in a shortcrust pastry case.

Sat said that he loved my shepherd's pie, so you never know.

If I've just refined everything to his standards,

then I might be on for a ten.

Next are the purple heritage carrots

and scorched baby leeks dressed in grated truffle.

Lastly, the braised lamb chump and a garnish of micro herbs

and edible flowers with a lamb and port wine jus on the side.

Thank you. I'm happy with my shepherd's pie.

I just hope they enjoy it as much as Sat.

Look at the woolly sheep!

"My Shepherd's Pie. A recipe refined by three generations."

That's lovely. Family dish.

I've never seen a cube of shepherd's pie sliced like that before.

The pastry is really short. It's almost biscuity.

Oh, and the middle is wonderful.

I do wonder if it's a little bit heavy.

-The meat and veg, have you got the ratio right today?

-I think so.

I didn't want to put too much on.

I don't really like charred leeks.

I love charred onions.

Charred leeks! Come on! I love charred leeks!

This chump is very well cooked, very tender.

It's not exciting.

I think, in a way,

just having the pie there would have been a much bolder decision.

It's actually the chump which knocks the whole thing off balance.

I think it's good cooking. I think she's done a good job on it.

It's her personality there.

It's a nice dish but nice is not good enough.

Matt is plating up his dessert, Grandma's Humble Apple Crumble -

a modern twist on his gran's recipe.

It disappointed veteran Sat who gave Matt just five points -

his lowest score. He needs to improve on that today.

So I'm going to use my grandmother's original apple crumble recipe, so

it's just going to be a really true, good, classic apple crumble, really.

I certainly hope going back to basics

is going to get me more than a five.

Matt starts his dessert with a traditional crumble topping

in place of the dehydrated spiced bread.

Next it's the pickled apples

which Matt has tweaked by leaving out the cider.

Then it's on with the apple compote -

another component he's adjusted by omitting the spices.

Next, cider brandy ice cream -

the only element unchanged from yesterday.

Matt tops the dessert with more crumble,

dresses with apple blossom and serves in ceramic apples.

Ice cream on the left.

OK?

There's nothing better than a traditional apple crumble,

so hopefully, that was right.

Them is some big apples!

-Where's the crumble?

-He's made a crumble and scattered it on top.

I think this looks a little bit more like the healthy option

at breakfast than it does apple crumble.

Yeah, sort of granola-ish.

I actually think the crumble's very nice. I like the balance of flavours.

You say traditional apple crumble.

Did your grandma have an ice cream machine or did

she used to serve it with custard?

She actually used to make her own sorbets at home.

I think custard would have worked better, actually.

I don't think the cider and the alcohol content of the ice cream

works particularly well for me against the pickling.

It needs a lot more love.

I think Matt took a brave route, changing his dessert completely,

but he was so upset with the five that I think, you know,

it was all he could do.

It's not a pudding at which you throw up your hands in horror.

It's more that you furrow your brow in puzzlement.

Eve's dessert, Lancashire Bobbin, is inspired by the Lancashire

cotton trade and crafts associated with the WI.

It features a bobbin made from white chocolate mousse

with two different textured bases,

dark chocolate scissors,

blackberry sorbet and blackberry cotton.

A technical dish, it earned Eve seven points

and one she must perfect today.

Eve starts by refining her dark chocolate scissors.

The chocolate was nice.

It was just too much, so instead of doing it solid,

I'm just going to tip it out so it's, like, just the outer shell.

Will that make it a lot more fragile? Is that a risk?

It will be a lot more fragile.

While the shells of her scissors set,

Eve assembles her complex Lancashire bobbins.

She layers white chocolate mousse with caramel cereal pieces

and praline feuilletine discs.

What have you got to do next?

I just need to airbrush them so that they look wood.

-How long have you got? What time are you serving?

-Five minutes, I think.

Time is running out and the pressure is getting to Eve.

I think it's time you were on a pass, Eve.

I'm not serving up rubbish, so I'd rather be a couple of minutes over.

The first element Eve needs to plate up is her scissors

but there's a problem.

Where are they? Where's her scissors?

They've not come out. They split.

Already behind on time and one element down,

Eve goes to plate up her bobbins.

BLEEPING

Amid the panic, Eve decides to abandon the blackberry cotton

so serves just the bobbins and sorbet.

OK, let's go. Cotton bobbin, blackberry sorbet, thanks.

You can't take that. Get back. You'll have to come back.

You'll have to come back. I'm not sending that.

Not happy with the sorbet, Eve has a change of heart.

-You got fresh plates?

-Yeah, please. Just put them back.

I'll just replate.

Are we ever going to get this pudding?

We've been waiting... I don't know how long.

You put the mace on. I'll do the sorbet. Come on.

Eve resprays her bobbins and begins plating up again

but is now seriously late.

She adds extra feuilletine discs to stop the sorbet melting.

It obviously begs the question,

if she can't prepare this dish for four people,

can she prepare it for a banquet?

I think we should wait and see what she puts on a plate first.

Just go cos that sorbet's melting. Go, go, go! Thank you.

What happened? What went wrong?

My dessert was really complicated

and I just couldn't get it up in the right time,

so then just completely lost it.

-It's a bobbin.

-I think, generally, it looks quite good.

I think there's been a little patchwork done on mine.

Not got the cotton, blackberry cotton. But where are the scissors?

Um... Well, presumably, they didn't make the cut.

Come on. It went out. It went out, yeah? Pull yourself together.

I would say she needs to make the bobbin much smaller...

Smaller, I agree.

..because, honestly, this white chocolate mousse in both ends

and right the way through the middle is very thick.

It's quite a dense mousse and I don't think I could handle this.

It'd just be so heavy.

I mean, the mousse was great and the judges have still got that.

It's a good job it's a great mousse! It's all they've got!

-I must say, I do like the crackly, chocolatey bit.

-Really?

And this sorbet is delicious. It's a bit melty but it's very good.

I feel a bit sorry for her, to be honest with you.

There's a lot of technical skill required here to do this and I think

she's been really overambitious in what she tried to achieve.

In the end, we can only judge what's put in front of us.

I can see how hard she worked to try and create that magic

but it didn't come off.

It is a dish, though, that would be perfect for the banquet

if it had succeeded.

-I'm feeling a little bit stressed.

-I am absolutely exhausted.

That is the hardest thing I have ever done.

There were a couple of dishes which were stand-out terrific.

I think they've really taken the spirit of the competition to heart.

I think, sometimes, they've missed, sometimes, it really hit the money very well.

They both turned to either their families and their region,

actually, for inspiration.

Bit of a rollercoaster of emotions today

but I wish I'd have finished a bit more on a high but, you know...

One dish has been stronger than the other

and it's almost like I would think it could be neck-and-neck.

In terms of menu design, there isn't much to choose between them.

-Good luck with the judges, yeah?

-I might need to hold your hand.

Well, welcome, chefs.

We've had some really heartfelt cooking from you today.

-I don't suppose it's been that easy for you.

-Absolutely exhausted.

-And Eve, how was it for you?

-Emotional, tense.

The winner for the North West is...

..Matt.

-Congratulations, Matt.

-Thank you very much.

Matt, tell us, how does that feel?

It was such an emotional week, put everything into it.

-Feels amazing.

-Eve, I'm so sorry.

-It's OK.

You know, we've really worked together this week

and I'm really proud of him. He's done a great job.

Matt, your lobster dish! It was just faultless. I gave it a ten.

I was really looking for some fantastic home cooking today

-and I got it. Thank you both.

-Thank you very much.

I can't believe it! I'm shocked. I'm over the moon, you know.

He's been totally consistent all week and, you know,

if I was going to lose to anybody,

then Matt and Granny Worswick, they were the ones.

-Are you there?

-'Yes.'

-I got through!

SCREAMING

'Oh, my God! Oh, my God!'

-Well done.

-Thank you very much.

You deserved it. Congratulations.

-You need to get the North West to the banquet now!

-Let's hope so.