Finals Week - Starter Great British Menu

It's the national finals of Great British Menu.

Eight of the country's finest chefs...

..have faced triumph...

Almost speechless.

..and tears... HE CRIES

I've got to do it. I've got to pull it off.

..in a battle to get a dish on the menu of a glorious banquet

marking the centenary of the Women's Institute.

-Just when you thought you've seen everything...

-Yeah.

The chefs have been challenged

to honour the custodians of first-class home cooking...

-It's kind of do or die.

-We need to be hitting those tens now.

..with exemplary 21st-century dishes.

I'm literally stunned.

This week, the eight regional champions are going head-to-head...

I'm up for a battle anyway.

..cooking their complete menus again.

Stressful. Very, very stressful.

..to impress the judges...

It's a fantastic piece of cooking.

This is what we've been looking for.

It is a ten and it is perfection.

..but also their fellow competitors...

I think you nailed it, Jaki. Up there.

-Yes!

-MATT:

-Amazing.

-MICHAEL LAUGHS

For a lot of people I know, they wouldn't eat this.

..and seasoned guest judges...

I think the ladies of the WI would really enjoy this.

..who understand the WI's impeccable standards.

I just hope that your dishes really meet that perfection.

Today is the starter...

I'm putting all my faith in an onion.

I love my dish. I'm very proud of it.

I'd rather do ten services a night than that.

..and nothing short of perfection will do.

I can't fault it. A ten from me.

Yeah, I think this one's a serious contender.

I think the WI will love it. I'm giving it a ten.

In with a chance to cook at the WI centenary banquet are

newcomers Adam Bannister from Wales...

..Ben Arnold, representing Northern Ireland...

..and Scotland's Jak O'Donnell,

the only regional champion

to previously win through to finals week.

I've been here before and I know how tough it is.

It'd be foolish of those boys to underestimate me.

Well, guys, this is your first time. How are you feeling?

I just can't wait to get cooking.

I'm getting nervous, but, yeah, raring to go.

They're joined by newcomers

Matt Worswick, representing the North West,

and Michael O'Hare from the North East.

I don't think finals week has seen anything like me before.

I hope I do my food justice.

-How are we doing?

-Morning.

-Morning.

-Good morning.

-How are you feeling?

-A bit nervous, excited.

Yeah, I'm excited to get going and see what everyone's doing.

Also determined to impress are three Michelin-starred chefs,

Josh Eggleton from the South West,

Matt Gillan from London and the South East

and Richard Bainbridge representing the Central region.

Fourth time in the competition, first time in finals.

I'm ready to win it this time.

So the big guns are here then?

-THEY LAUGH

-Ey? Three Michelin stars.

Right, let's get our glad rags off, get our whites on, get cooking.

-JOSH:

-Let's do it.

-JAK:

-Let's go.

Judging the chefs, as ever,

are Matthew Fort, Prue Leith and Oliver Peyton

who'll decide which dishes will make it to the WI banquet.

Look at this crop of fine young British talent.

I think we're in for a treat this week.

Sadly, Jak O'Donnell is the only woman among them.

I know, but she's a hell of a woman. Jak can cook.

I know she cracked a bit in finals week last time,

but the WI is a women's organisation -

it would be fantastic if we could have a woman there.

But let's not underestimate the pressure cooker atmosphere

that's going to be in that kitchen today.

Eight chefs just eyeing each other up

thinking, "I've got to cook better than the person before me."

I love finals weeks.

-The pressure's on now.

-Yeah, definitely.

One year, only three chefs got through to the banquet.

This year, possibly four.

Means half of us are going home.

The WI is the epitome of high standards.

How are we going to be able to reproduce that in a banquet?

Let's go for perfection, absolute perfection.

Some of us aren't going to be happy.

I haven't put that much work in to go home. That would be awful.

It is really awful. It happened to me last year.

There are no tougher judges in food than ladies of the WI,

and I think we should take a leaf out of their book.

Let's make sure that every dish is absolutely perfect.

Basically, we're saying that it's got to be a nine or a ten.

I like that, Prue. Perfection. Winners only.

For each course, the judges will be joined by a guest judge.

Angela Baker judged the Scottish heat,

putting Jak O'Donnell through to the finals.

-Angela, welcome back to the judges' chamber.

-Thank you.

Angela's returned to help select the starter for the banquet.

Angela, you have been in the WI for how long?

-40 years!

-40 years.

-I can't believe it.

We did the alternative WI calendar,

so I'm one of the original Calendar Girls.

-With no kit on?

-With no clothes on, yes.

But we did it for a good cause.

We did it in memory of my husband, John, who died

and we raised all our money - and still raising our money -

-for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research.

-Wonderful.

Well, you'll be, I think, very relieved to hear that

we keep our kit on for judging the...

Very good. That's how it should be.

I think we'd need big props.

-Bigger props, anyway.

-THEY LAUGH

We're judging starters today,

and you know what? We're looking for perfection.

I think that's the right word, Oliver, to use for the WI.

Normally in finals week, we create a shortlist of three.

We have judged, let's say, the first course, like today,

and we've tasted eight dishes and we've chosen the three best.

-To go on the judges' shortlist.

-Mm-hm.

My big focus this week is to be in the top shortlist all week -

that's my main goal,

and then the banquet will come after that, hopefully.

I'd love to try and get in that top three,

only if it's just for one course.

Well, we've decided that

we'll only put the perfect dishes on the shortlist,

so if we only get two perfect dishes,

that's all that'll go through. We might only get one.

-Do the chefs know?

-No, they don't know yet.

I think it'll be really scary for them

and really put the pressure on.

It's down to Oliver to reveal that, with the WI's exacting standards,

getting a course onto the banquet shortlist

will be much tougher this year.

Congratulations on making it through to finals week.

-CHEFS:

-Thank you.

The WI have shaped Britain's food culture for a century.

Their standards are impeccable and you have to measure up to that.

In finals week, we normally choose the best three dishes

to go on the judges' shortlist each day.

But for the WI, nothing short of perfection will do.

So this year, our shortlist might be shorter.

Maybe just two of you will make the grade.

And if only one dish is perfect...

..we won't have a shortlist, we will just choose a winner.

That changes everything. It's kind of do or die.

Good luck. Cook your socks off.

-Thank you very much.

-CHEFS:

-Thank you.

One of us might know today whether we're going to the banquet.

It's got to be amazing to go through.

I think it makes you want it even more.

We need to be hitting those tens now on all of our dishes, so...

-Well, not all of you - just me.

-THEY LAUGH

The chefs will compete in three groups.

First into the kitchen are newcomers

Adam Bannister, Ben Arnold and Matt Worswick...

-Good luck.

-Good luck, Chef.

-Good luck.

-Good luck.

..who are coming to terms with the need for absolute perfection.

So, gents, how are we feeling about what Oliver said?

It's going to be even harder, I suppose,

but it doesn't make me any less determined to push on

and cook the best I can, you know?

I want to get a dish up there.

It's going to be difficult to try and get a top spot.

There's a lot riding on it, I think, isn't it?

North West champion Matt Worswick is first up.

His entire menu is inspired by his grandmother

who was a member of the WI

and he's drawing on her recipes.

It would be a great honour to cook for the women of the WI.

If my grandmother was here now to see me representing the North,

well, she'd be as proud as punch.

Wherever she is, she's looking down on us and she's smiling, definitely.

-OLIVER:

-Well, Angela, first we've got Matthew Worswick,

who's actually the youngest chef in the competition

and is obviously going to be keen to do very well.

His original dish was a partridge and it was undercooked.

The judges were disappointed with both the cooking and presentation

in the regionals,

so Matt's completely rethought his starter

making a game pie in memory of his grandmother's father

who was a gamekeeper.

They didn't really like the take on it,

so I took their advice, did a fresh dish.

So it's a bit risky coming into the finals doing this,

but hopefully, it'll pay off today.

Well, it is now rabbit pie, rabbit loin and piccalilli.

I think WI ladies are known for making piccalilli.

Rabbit isn't an easy thing to cook.

It's the execution we're going to have to look out for here.

He will have to get the pastry just right.

WI ladies are very good with their pastry.

Scottish champion Jak is the only regional winner

who's cooked in a full finals week before.

She's keen to see how the newcomers are coping.

I know how tough it can be in finals.

I think they are in for a shock.

It's a battle of whose dish is best on the day.

With the WI having such high standards,

everything has got to be so precise.

-Are you looking all right for time?

-Will be, yeah. Hopefully.

-Good.

Adam, you've got your head down. This all looks a bit serious.

You've been here yourself, so I'm sure you know how it feels.

-Stressful.

-Very.

-Very, very stressful.

I suppose it's good to be first up.

Get in, get used to the kitchen again, get it done.

Good.

First onto Matt's plates is his piccalilli,

then sliced rabbit loin wrapped in Parma ham...

..red watercress...

..and piccalilli sauce.

But the tougher standards set by the judges are playing on his mind.

It changes the competition and the dynamic

so you might know on the first day

whether you've got a dish on the banquet.

He adds the warm rabbit pie next...

..and rabbit gravy is served in a hip flask.

Coming out. One minute.

Matt's presentation box

tells the story of his gamekeeper great-grandfather

and the recipes passed down to Matt

accompanied by his great-grandfather's shooting notes.

All right, go.

-Well done, Matt. Looked good.

-That was tough.

Nothing I can do now, is there? So we'll see.

Ooh...

My great-grandfather was a gamekeeper

and his wife cooked a mean game pie.

She gave the recipe to her daughter and my beloved gran gave it to me.

That was the hardest thing I've ever done. Easily.

I think the pie could've been more refined,

but the pressure is absolutely unreal.

I think the pie looks a little bit amateurish.

-ANGELA:

-Mm...

The WI, you know, they're top notch on their pastries.

Do you think the pastry's good enough?

Yeah, you know, it's short, it's flaky, it's cooked-through.

What do you think of the pastry?

Hm... It's all right.

Maybe a little bit hard.

I think the pastry is sensational.

I love the pastry.

It's probably the best part of the dish for me.

-He's nailed the flavour of the rabbit.

-It's succulent.

-PRUE:

-I love that little rabbit loin wrapped up in Parma ham.

The rabbit in the pie is nice and tender as well.

-It's tasty.

-Yeah.

-MATTHEW:

-I worry about the piccalilli.

It is definitely stretching the concept of piccalilli.

I'm not too sure on the piccalilli myself.

I think it could be a little bit more...pickle-y.

It's a take on piccalilli, and it's delicious.

For me, the cauliflower is quite undercooked.

I think the veg is just lacking a little bit of love.

It's just simply not polished enough. It's not exciting enough.

I can't actually fault the dish itself,

but I'm just not sure if a pie is a starter for the banquet.

Is it a nine or a ten?

To me, it's not perfection.

The chefs are also scoring each other's dishes.

Their scores will be averaged and added to the judges'

to determine the final leaderboard.

And as the chefs are seeking perfection too,

their scores could affect the judges' final shortlist

and perhaps help select an outright winner.

The score, I'm looking about an eight.

I think I'd say an eight.

I would give it an eight.

I'm going to give it a six.

I'd have to agree.

I just think, basically, it's not right.

Next up is Northern Ireland's Ben Arnold.

He had a mixed week in his regional heat

and fought hard to get to the finals

beating reigning Northern Ireland champion Chris McGowan.

I honestly didn't think I was going to get to this stage,

but sometimes I just think

a little bit of self belief goes a long way.

Like Matt, he's also using rabbit,

so the pressure's on to plate a dish

that reaches the judges new tougher bar on the banquet shortlist.

Oliver's revelation was, you know, a bit of a shock to us all.

We're going to have less chance to get onto the shortlist,

but I'm going to try and put out perfect dishes every time.

Ben's dish is inspired by the packed lunches

his grandmother would make for the workers on the family farm -

rabbit and green peppercorn rillettes,

liver parfait and quail Scotch egg.

It's kind of like a ploughman's, but my interpretation.

I got criticised for my wheaten bread.

It's the recipe that was handed down through my family

that my mum's been cooking ever since I can remember.

-PRUE:

-I remember there was a very heavy loaf -

Mum's wheaten loaf or something...

so I hope that's gone.

I've changed it to a little buttermilk scone

which is considerably lighter.

-OLIVER:

-Also, I think the cheese sauce was just too strong

for the dish.

If he has any wisdom, he'll take it off.

Have you kept anything the same that they asked you to change?

Yeah, I've kept my... Like, my blue cheese.

I think it brings something to the dish.

I applaud you for standing by what you believe in,

but at the end of the day, they give out the scores,

so could it be a bit risky?

I don't think you get anywhere in this competition

without taking risks.

The controversial blue cheese spread

is first into Ben's traditional lunchboxes.

The rabbit rillettes mixed with rabbit liver parfait

is spooned into jars...

and topped with apricot chutney

and watercress dressed with orange.

The new buttermilk scones are next in the boxes.

-Lose your brain a bit, don't you?

-BLEEP.

The pressure is incredible, isn't it?

-It's just

-BLEEP

-mad, man.

And finally, the deep-fried quail Scotch eggs.

There you go. Behind Every Working Man.

-Well done. Looked great.

-Thank you. Thank you.

-It's tough, isn't it?

-It is tough.

I took advice from the judges with regards to my bread.

I'm not overly happy about that, nor is my mum,

but what can you do?

She'll forgive me in the end.

Very nice.

Oh, a scone instead of that bread - how wonderful.

-Ah, but we still have the Ards cheese.

-Yes...

I changed my whole dish because of the comments from the judges.

-Yeah.

-Will it be a downfall?

Ben's obviously a very strong-willed chap,

because he didn't take our advice on the cheese.

It's just far too over-flavoured for the other ingredients on the plate.

-ANGELA:

-I love the blue cheese.

I'm a cheese fan, so...

The blue cheese is very strong. I love it. I think it's great.

But will everybody?

The scone's nice.

There's not a lot of scone to eat all that pate with.

I think Matt's rabbit was far more successful in terms of flavour.

It's really nice and moist.

And then this is his chutney.

Yeah, the flavour's really nice on that. It's a nice balance.

-I love the chutney on top.

-Mm, me too.

The thing that is an unequivocal success is the Scotch egg.

Very nice. Love the Scotch egg.

It's got that varied crunchiness on the outside

and a perfect liquid centre to the egg.

I think that's a lovely plate of food

and everything tastes individually delicious,

but I could be in front of a fire in a lovely pub

having a pint of beer.

This is a pub lunch.

It's a seven.

I agree, a seven too.

I think it fits the brief. I'll give it an eight.

I'd give it an eight too.

That Scotch egg would be nine,

but the other elements drag it down to a seven.

I would give it a six.

I hope we are going to get a really nice starter.

But as yet...

Don't worry, Angela, there's a long way to go.

Last up in this group is passionate Welsh champion Adam Bannister.

Over the moon to get to the finals you know, a great achievement.

Didn't expect to be here.

My inspiration is around my home life -

my mum, my gran, and also, you know, my partner now.

Hopefully I'll do them proud.

Like Ben, he's chosen a picnic theme.

For Adam, it represents the WI's celebration of community

and he's taking on three WI classics.

A pork pie, sausage roll, and a quail Scotch egg.

Battle of the Scotch eggs.

I'm up for a battle anyway.

So far, I think all the chefs think

that the WI's have picnics all the time

and have huge appetites, do you think?

It's a celebration, it's once every 100 years -

-you've got to go crazy.

-THEY LAUGH

It was quite frightening to get judged by, not just the judges,

but also the other chefs in the competition.

It'd be a major disappointment not to at least get one dish

into the shortlist.

The changes to the banquet shortlist

remain a talking point amongst all the chefs.

There's only, say, one or two that are on the starter,

one or two on the fish course.

It's all witling down

and your chances of being in that top group

is getting smaller and smaller and smaller.

You can't tell, can you?

The reality is, only one dish

is going to the banquet.

So, what would you say is the risk with your dish then, Adam?

The judges did say, you know, it was big.

Fingers crossed it's good enough

that it makes up for being slightly larger than most.

-OLIVER:

-This was one of my really favourite dishes

of the whole of the competition, you know? It was a nine.

And I'm really hoping that

he is going to make it to perfection this time.

I only gave it a seven,

and I think if it's going to improve on that,

every single element has got to be produced to a high standard.

And there has to be much less on the plate.

First onto Adam's miniature picnic tables

are bottles of salad cream

and pickled heritage carrots and shallots.

Followed by a pork pie...

sliced sausage roll made with pork loin...

-MATT:

-That's a good disc, that.

..and finally, his pork scratching-coated Scotch eggs.

These were a hit with the judges before

and Adam must ensure they're perfect again.

I'm a bit nervous.

I just want to get this dish done

and hopefully the nerves will settle a little bit.

I've got the shakes.

The judges said it was slightly large.

I didn't want to make it into a sharing dish

cos I think there's elements on it that you need to have yourself.

-Fingers crossed they like it.

-Looked good. Looked great.

-Takes it out of you, doesn't it?

-It does.

-I don't know how they...

I'd rather do ten services a night than that.

Thank you very much.

-Hmm...

-Has it shrunk?

-I think it's just as big.

Last time, the judges said it was too big.

I think they might have a point.

I think all three is maybe a bit too much.

That is a really delicious pork pie,

and the pastry is top drawer.

My dad had a butcher's shop and was renowned for his pork pies

-and that's nearly as good as his.

-MATTHEW LAUGHS

-The jelly is good.

-Yeah.

I think it's well-seasoned. I think it's lovely.

The Scotch egg, on the other hand, is not in the same class at all,

and I certainly don't think

it's in the same class as Ben Arnold's remotely.

Mine was a bit more...classic, if you will.

I think Ben's egg was a lot better.

Pork is minced more finely, and lacks, sort of, impact.

I love the sausage roll of pork loin.

For me, the standout is the sausage roll.

-Its texture...

-Just perfect, yeah.

-..it's really, really nice.

-But it's just so big.

-Yeah.

If it was just the sausage roll and the pickles,

that would be delicious.

You can't lose the pork pie - that is a WI on a picnic table.

Well, it is if it was one course,

but you've got other things to follow.

-MATTHEW:

-It's not all about you, Oliver!

The sausage roll, if it was that alone, it would be an eight.

I think, as an overall dish, it's probably a six.

There's just too much.

I think I would have to give him a seven.

I'm going to give it a seven.

I give it an eight.

If it was smaller, I would give it a ten.

I'm going to give it a nine.

A little dislike takes off two points for me,

so it's an eight.

We need to continue the quest for perfection.

We're no closer to our shortlist - long or short.

Next into the kitchen, our newcomer Michael O'Hare,

who won the North East heats,

and Scotland's Jak O'Donnell,

the only regional champion to survive a full finals week before.

-All right? Good luck.

-THEY LAUGH

I've been here before, but I don't see an advantage,

because they're all gunning for it just as much.

But I'm the only woman, it's about the WI -

I'm trying my absolute best.

Your apron definitely needs a wee mention.

I love it. I think it's great.

We're both in the apron game together, aren't we?

Is that your family tartan?

-What, pink? No.

-THEY LAUGH

Actually, Jak, I made this apron myself.

This is my application to the WI.

That's just hedging for more points.

The competing chefs may have similar taste in aprons,

but their cooking styles are very different.

I'm sure your take, Michael,

will be a lot more modern and futuristic than mine.

I'm kind of sticking with tradition,

but your apron and...

..generally the way you are makes me think

this is going to be a blinder of a dish.

-HE LAUGHS

-Thank you.

Jak is serving lamb broth and potted mutton sandwiches

inspired by the cooking of her grandmother

who was a member of the Scottish WI -

the Scottish Women's Rural Institute

which Jak joined herself.

Everything's about the WI and what my granny stood for.

Every time you went in, you wouldn't get your jacket off,

but she would be saying,

"Sit down. You need a bowl of soup and you need a sandwich,"

and it didn't matter if you'd just eaten.

Jak's feeling the heat not to repeat the same mistakes as last year

when she reached the finals, but crumbled under the pressure

and came last or near the bottom for three of the four courses.

I'd rather not be this upset.

For me, finals week is like multiplying regionals by ten.

I find it really tough.

The worst thing that could happen for me

is to come as far down the list as what I did last year -

that was really, really tough.

I'm really nervous for Jak,

because last time, in the finals, she really fell apart.

And she didn't get onto a single shortlist.

The pressure actually got to her.

She's had that experience now, and she needs to deliver today, really.

How are we doing?

How you getting on?

Yeah, man. Going through. All right.

-How's it going then, Jak?

-Yep, last couple of bits.

I really liked this dish.

We've all actually judged it together, haven't we?

Last time it was very tasty.

We had a problem with the sandwich, if you remember.

We weren't quite sure whether it honoured the word sandwich,

so if she can cook as well as we know she can,

then I think, you know, we've got a very good chance

of having a dish for the shortlist.

Having scored Jak in the regional heats,

guest judge Angela is keen to see how she's getting on.

-Hi, chefs.

-Hi, Angela.

-Hi.

Jak, it's really good to see you again.

How are you doing?

I'm finding it hard now that we're back in the kitchen.

I'm the only woman in here, so I'm trying my bestest for the WI.

-That's good. Keep the flag flying.

-I will do.

I'm one of the original Calendar Girls - Miss February.

I've seen the calendar.

-Didn't recognise you with your clothes on, but...

-Oh...

I've not heard that one before.

And have you joined yet?

I've started doing a bit of handiwork -

make my own aprons and things like that.

And what do you know about the WI?

Well, my granny was in it for ten years,

so she was a great inspiration for the menu.

Perfection, perfection, perfection -

that's what we're looking for today,

so I hope you're not going to let me down.

-No. I'm going to try my hardest.

-Good.

Nice to meet you all. Bye.

Just got to get everything up now.

It's always a mad dash at the last minute.

Jak knows she needs scores of nines or tens

to have a chance at making the banquet shortlist,

so her homely food has to be perfect on taste and presentation.

Pushing on through her nerves,

she lays rings of jellied lamb in vintage-style bowls

topped with parsnip and carrot flakes and pearl barley.

So, have we changed this dish from the regionals, Jak?

I was told to make it a wee bit finer

and then I went too fine with the sandwich, so yes.

Jak fries new versions of her potted mutton sandwiches

at the last minute.

The lamb broth is served in a percolator with herbs

to be served at the table.

OK. Thanks very much.

-That was amazing.

-Hey!

-THEY LAUGH

That looks pretty cool.

It wasn't served like that in my gran's bowls - that's for sure.

Oh, my God.

I'm hoping that the judges actually like

the fact that I've put in a sandwich.

I'm absolutely determined to make the shortlist.

They want perfection -

this is for the WI, it has to be flawless.

-Oh, it's a sarnie.

-Oh, there's a sarnie.

Gosh, this all smells so good.

Well, I think we need some broth, don't we?

It looks really fun with that whole percolator thing.

Real talking point straightway, I thought.

-Here we go then.

-MICHAEL:

-Get it poured in.

Mm... There's a bit of depth to that.

Isn't there?

I think the broth is far more intense than it was before.

Jelly melts nicely, the flavour's right up there.

It's super strong, but I like that.

I think it's really, really great.

I really love that depth of flavour.

The flavours are quite strong, but the taste is very good.

And this is the mutton sandwich, isn't it?

Yeah.

-That's nice.

-That's tasty.

-Very, very dainty.

-It doesn't half taste good.

-Mm.

I think it takes something which is very, very homely

and elevates it through flavour.

I think this is the dish to beat.

That is the one that's put me on edge.

I was expecting her to turn it into a ten,

-and it's not a ten for me.

-Yes...

I'd give it an eight cos it's still a good dish.

For me, that's a ten.

I can't fault it. Ten from me.

I would have absolutely no hesitation about giving this a nine.

I'd say a nine for me. I think it's delicious.

It's got to be a ten.

This is not perfection.

But it's the nearest we've got so far.

It's certainly a contender for the shortlist.

-How are we doing?

-I think you nailed it, Jaki, all day.

-Yes!

-Amazing!

-Yay!

-How good is that?!

-Three high-five.

-Three high-fives!

It hit the brief all day long.

-I gave you a ten.

-Did you?!

-So did I.

Seriously?

Michael O'Hare is up next. His cooking style is radical -

modern techniques with an emphasis on presentation.

In the regional heats, his dishes received a mixed reaction.

His starter was given the lowest score from a veteran chef

across all regions.

I got a less than impressive four.

-All right.

-So I have changed a few things here and there.

My food is a little different to the other chefs'.

I'm not sure if the WI are ready for that yet.

But I certainly hope they are.

The inspiration for his starter - homely dinners with his family -

is nostalgic and traditional but taken to a modern

and innovative level.

We'd have, like, you know, prawn cocktail and melon as starters.

But it wasn't very good at home.

You certainly didn't want to put it in a competition.

So I changed it around quite a bit.

Michael's avant-guard take on prawn cocktail of raw langoustine,

lavender puree and salted cucumber is served

in an egg with photos of everyone Michael has ever eaten with,

representing the WI's sense of family and community.

Michael O'Hare, now there is a change of style and pace.

Do you remember that egg? Absolutely enormous, covered in pictures.

You had to put your head inside and eat all these things.

I thought, "That's ridiculous."

By the time we had finished with Michael's menu, I thought

he was one of the most innovative,

brilliant chefs I've ever had anything to do with.

It was not a dish without criticism. I mean, there were various issues.

One was the pink plate itself.

-Did not suit me.

-And I wanted the langoustine cooked.

The judges told me maybe to cook the langoustines.

But I am going to keep them raw.

Probably to my detriment! But we'll see.

The idea slightly overshadowed the quality of the food.

I can't wait to see it and I can't wait to have a taste.

I can't wait to see your face when you see it.

Michael starts by dressing new white plates with lavender puree

in flamboyant style.

He is keeping the raw langoustine whole this time,

wrapped in lardo, a cured pork fat.

I've never seen anything like it.

-BLEEP,

-that's great.

Next, is salted cucumber rolled in burnt cucumber powder.

He gently heats the lardo so it partly melts over the langoustine.

Then adds beetroot leaves.

To finish plating up, Michael needs the other chefs' help with his props.

Just when you thought you had seen everything.

Can you imagine 100 of them going out in a banquet?

If this is the starter, what have we got to come?

So the egg, being a symbol of life, inside it is my life -

every single person I've ever eaten with.

Family, friends, work colleagues...

Michael adds his new elements - the crunchy sea vegetable salty fingers,

after the judges marked him down before for lack of texture -

and grated frozen apple.

Adds a little bit of freshness and works like a sorbet.

-I think we are good to go.

-To the pass?

-Yeah.

Eggs facing the judges. And they eat with the cutlery from above.

Thank you.

THEY LAUGH

I've never seen anything like that, that's amazing.

Oh, my goodness! Wow!

I was not expecting this at all.

Hallelujah, no pink plate!

-This is creativity at its most wacky.

-Where is the WI, though?

Well, I don't know, cos you wouldn't be able to see them, would you?

I suggest we remove our plates and take away the eggs.

Ah.

Hurrah.

-I think the presentation was like... What?!

-It is a showstopper.

But I am interested to see whether it's style over substance.

It still has to be an amazing plate of food.

These little things deep-fried. Sea vegetables, probably.

Mm. I quite like that.

I like that too.

-And what is this...?

-It's cucumber, I think.

-It is a cucumber ball.

-Mm-hm.

-That's quite nice.

I don't like the cucumber ball.

I thought it was bland.

I must say, the actual langoustine,

I think, is disgusting.

It's slimy. I think it is tasteless.

-If it was cooked, it might be better.

-Exactly.

He clearly thought better.

The langoustine texture is not for me.

I actually rather quite like this little bit of grated apple,

which brings a sort of fruity sharpness to it.

I think what upsets the balance of absolutely everything is

-the lavender.

-It is far too sweet.

One of the things you have got to do with raw fish is to bring out

the delicacy of it, and the lavender does not do that.

I have to say, that plate of food is world-class.

It is tasty. It's delicious.

I have never really eaten food like this before.

I didn't really enjoy it.

It has got to be a ten.

I seldom liked a dish less.

I'd give it five because of the innovation of the egg.

I think I've got to give it a ten

cos I think it is a perfect dish.

For me, it is a great plate of food, but it doesn't hit the brief.

I'm going to have to give it a six.

I'm going to give it a five.

-The WI deserve better.

-They do.

-The boy has worked hard.

But not to good effect.

Perfection has not been attained.

With five dishes down, last into the kitchen,

it's the battle of the Michelin-starred chefs -

Josh Eggleton from the South West, Richard Bainbridge representing

the Central region and Matt Gillan from London and the South East.

-Good luck, mate.

-Good luck, mate.

Good luck, mate. Let's do it!

-I came here wanting to give tens.

-We've eaten five dishes.

We told them we needed absolute perfection.

Of course, there have been some absolutely fantastic

-elements in there.

-I mean, the one contender so far is Jak.

I think she could well qualify for the shortlist.

I really, really do believe that we will get our perfection.

Are you guys thinking all the pressure is getting to us now

-cos we've seen all the other dishes?

-I don't know.

I think it's quite nice seeing some of the other dishes first.

I hope that don't put me on edge so I go and make a silly mistake.

Well, it has kept me focused. We know the dishes to beat.

So for me, I want to nail this.

I will be very interested to see how the chefs have scored each other.

Never put it past a chef to have a completely different

idea from the judges.

Josh Eggleton is first.

He failed to get past the regional heats last year

and only just scraped through this year,

after drawing on points with Dom Chapman in the judges' chamber.

It's a draw.

However, we have to choose a winner.

-Josh.

-Really?

Congratulations.

-Thank you.

-Well done.

I thought Dom had won it, so still a bit surprised I am here.

I'm going to give it my all.

I've not come this far to not get a course on the menu.

In the regional heats, Josh's mackerel starter scored poorly.

Today, he is serving a completely new

dish. But again, it is fish-based.

Gooseberry jam with a crab bisque, crab tart

and crab mayonnaise on toast.

But I did like a mackerel slider,

which kind of represented a Victoria sandwich.

They didn't really like the practicality of it, you know.

A bit difficult to eat, a bit messy.

The only element I kept is the gooseberry jam,

being it is from a fruit-picking farm

-like my great-grandmother used to run in Norfolk.

-OK.

But everything else's changed.

-Crab soup, crab tart and gooseberries.

-I love that idea.

It sounds delicious.

You don't think there's a bit of a problem with having fish and fish?

Do you think fish as a starter is a good idea?

I did get criticised for that in the heat.

So, you won't listen to the judges?

This is shellfish, this is different.

It is a different dynamic, I think.

We've had a slightly variable display on the pastry front today,

let's face it.

It has got the ultra refined. It has got to be really crisp.

It has got to be firm.

Let's hope it is, you now, the perfection we are looking for.

We want a ten.

Six minutes.

Josh is sticking with the same presentation, serving on fruit

picking ladders, a reference to his WI great-grandmother's fruit farm.

He slices toasted sourdough bread

and tops with quenelles of crap mayonnaise.

It looks lovely, man.

These are served on vintage-style plates with his crab tarts.

Gooseberry jam, the only element of his starter the judges have

tried before, is served in miniature fruit buckets.

With his crab bisque in small cups.

Yeah. All right.

Lovely. Well done, buddy. It looks lovely.

Well done.

-Well done.

-Cheers, mate.

-It looks good.

I am not worried that the dish is not tried

and tested on the judges because the last one they didn't like,

so hopefully it can't get any worse.

"Eggleton family fruit arm. Hand-picked today."

I must say, I do like the presentation of this. This is fun.

It looks absolutely delicious. And the thought that has gone into it...

The crab on toast, that is delicious.

It is just so clean and it is tasty. It is moreish.

-That's lovely.

-Beautiful.

I love crab on toast.

You know, it's springy in the middle and really crisp on the outside.

Have you tasted your crab tartlet?

I mean, the pastry is as light as anything.

It is absolutely delicious.

I think the ladies of the WI would really enjoy this.

There is the most delicious bit of

-gooseberry jam underneath it.

-Mm-hm.

I think the pastry in the tart is just really crisp,

exactly what you want.

That tartlet is beautiful.

I think that is one of the finest crab soups

I have ever eaten in my life.

I really like the chilli on it.

The bisque is way too hot.

To start a meal with that amount of heat, I don't think it is right.

Well done, Josh Eggleton.

He has actually come up with a completely different concept

and actually pulled it off.

Much better.

I mean, I can't see it as a banquet dish. I'm going to give it...a six.

-It is a beautiful, conceived, brilliant thing to eat.

-It is a ten.

-And it is perfection.

-Yes!

I am going to give it an eight.

The bisque and the gooseberry chutney are really strong.

That is what lets the whole dish down for me.

I'm going to score it a seven.

The truth is that it's a nine.

So do you think you've seen

any banquet with your dishes so far, Jak?

Until the eighth plate has been tasted,

then we can't give it a fair judge.

What the chefs think

and what the judges think can be two entirely different takes.

-And I've saw that happen before.

-Yeah?

London and the South East winner Matt Gillan is next.

His was a closely fought heat,

and Matt made it to the finals by just one point.

Regionals was really tough and it felt like I just scraped through.

So to be here for the finals, you know, I am really chuffed.

Matt's menu is inspired by the history of the WI,

from its beginnings to present day.

He won praise for attention to the brief,

but his cooking sometimes let him down.

Since regionals, I have worked really hard on my dishes.

There have been quite a few banquet winners from London South East,

so there is pressure to carry on that winning streak.

Matt's starter is inspired by the WI's beginnings, growing food

on the home front during the First World War,

illustrated by different elements of onion in an allotment presentation.

We have seen some pretty good dishes today.

But I am putting all my faith in an onion.

Matt Gillan, another Michelin-starred chef.

I liked the idea of vegetarian. I like the idea of Sowing And Growing.

-WI.

-Obviously resonates well with the WI.

But it just didn't have a focus, that dish.

It was a great idea, but it just didn't come off.

-The feedback I had was...it all became a bit same-y and boring.

-Right.

I've kept the inspiration of the dish the same

but tweaked everything.

It is a very brave

and imaginative chef who puts on a vegetarian first course.

The people in the WI still grow vegetables, still make jam,

still bottle things, so that is good.

He started, you know, at the root of the WI and he has carried on.

The dish was Matt's lowest scoring of the week.

But determined to get perfect scores today, his new

additions are onion and cheese crust for texture and roasted apple puree.

Up against some really nice dishes.

Whether it is strong enough to go against, you know,

the protein dishes, I don't know.

But all I can do is just absolutely nail this dish.

Matt begins building his dish with a new onion and Gruyere cheese crust.

Next on the dish is onion puree.

Grelot onions. And malt onions.

This is a vegetable that somebody would think,

"I don't know if I can handle a whole plate of onion."

With the techniques he is doing, I think

it could be a really good dish.

Next, Matt adds the contrasting apple elements -

pickled apple balls

and the new roasted apple puree,

topped with malt soil...

..onion leaves,

raw salted turnip slices,

pearls of onion vinegar

and onion rings.

That looks good.

To finish, Matt garnishes with cress and edible flowers.

And serves on grassy mats.

OK, if you want to put them down

so the little gnome is facing the judges, please.

-Well done.

-Thank you very much.

Well done, buddy, that looks great.

-Very, very pretty.

-That looks good.

-Very pretty.

-Pretty.

I've listened to the judges

and I've delivered on what they were asking of me, so...

And I hope they are happy with the changes I have made as well.

-Thank you very much.

-This looks really pretty.

And I love the gnome.

I can detect onion rings.

Very nice onion rings, actually.

-Lovely apple in it.

-Yeah.

The apple works with the onion. It is a safe combination.

It is a solid dish.

-Have you tried these little pearls? It's like pickled onion.

-Yeah.

I think there's loads going on.

You've got the onion puree, the pickled onion juice,

the crispy onions. Every bite is something different.

And a lovely little sort of flower of turnip.

-It is raw and crunchy, very nice.

-Yeah.

-Did you see this thing underneath?

-Yeah.

It is some sort of onion crushed into a kind of mat.

-And it is delicious.

-Very curious.

If you gave that to somebody who didn't like onions, I think

-they'd be pleasantly surprised.

-Yeah, exactly.

This is a much improved dish.

I think it is a delicious garnish,

-like on the side of some venison or something like that.

-Yeah.

-I don't know if just straight onion throughout...

-Hm.

The first half dozen mouthfuls, you think,

"This is really nice."

And the next half dozen times,

you think, "I wish there was a bit more variety there."

I don't agree with you. I actually find myself more and more liking it.

-You don't think that the WI members will be mystified?

-No.

I think it would really make them smile.

You know, it is home-grown food.

I'm going to give it a nine.

I agree, I'm going to give it a nine as well.

I really think this is a very, very, very beautiful dish.

It is at least a nine.

I don't think the theme is as strong as what it needs to be,

-to be a banquet dish.

-Yeah.

I would say it is and eight.

It is a very brave piece of cooking.

I would give it a nine.

Ka-ching!

Richard Bainbridge is the final chef of the day.

Although this is his fourth time in the competition,

this is his first time in finals week as regional champion.

To be representing the Central region is something that

I've kind of dreamt about. It is a great honour.

When I heard about this brief, that for me hit home.

My life has been surrounded by powerful women, from my mum,

to my nanny, to my sister, to my daughter.

So to get on the banquet for them would be amazing.

One of the greatest moments in my life.

Richard's lamb loin dish is inspired by the hymn Jerusalem,

traditionally sung at the start

of WI meetings.

The ingredients reflect the lyrics - Jerusalem artichoke

cooked four ways, and parsley sponge and poached egg yolk representing

colours of the landscape.

With what we have seen today,

so far, are you still confident with your dish?

It is suitable for the banquet. I love my dish.

I want to get it all the way.

If I let the boys start to get me flustered,

that is when I could rock.

-We all loved his last dish.

-It was a fine, fine bit of cooking.

Oliver told me he gave me a ten, so I haven't made any changes.

Wow. Yeah, you got a ten, brilliant.

There is a lot of passion gone into this dish.

It is extremely well-balanced. It's traditional yet modern.

If it delivers as it did last time, you are in for a broad smile.

I can't wait to taste it.

The pressure seems to build

as you watch everybody else's dishes go out.

You start to doubt your dish.

Oh, brilliant. Come and have a look.

First into Richard's specially designed bowls

is artichoke puree,

followed by slow poached egg yolk.

Crispy lamb fat.

And parsley sponge.

-Are you feeling the pressure now?

-I wasn't until you guys all came in.

Next is lamb loin.

Pearl barley.

Thinly sliced raw artichoke.

And crispy barbecued artichokes.

He finishes with parsley oil.

And shaved truffle.

Lovely. And then if you can also give them one of these each.

-The words to Jerusalem.

-Cool.

-Thank you very much.

That looks amazing. Well done.

I'd really like to hope that I am in that top bracket today,

-but you never know.

-MUSIC: Jerusalem

I think there were some other really strong dishes today,

so we'll just have to see.

Do you know all the words to Jerusalem?

Well, I do now.

Well, in fact, as you know, it is the WI's song,

but I was actually playing Jerusalem on the calendar picture with

no clothes on, so it is my song too.

THEY LAUGH

I think it is bang on brief

and you can just see all the ladies having a wee sing.

-"England's mountains green."

-That is this.

That is that. Jerusalem, the artichokes.

-And the bow of burning gold, I think, must be the egg yolk.

-Yeah.

That just coats your tongue with that sort of ineffable

creamy richness.

What surprised me was the egg.

I thought it would be a bit too much,

but it seems to bring everything together.

Works really nice with the lamb as well.

I love the way all the elements pull together.

That lamb, I thought, had quite a lot of flavour on it.

I love the parsley sponge. It has got that electric green.

It is delicious. Absolutely delicious.

I quite like the sponge element.

I thought it was a little bit different,

-but I think it was really nice.

-I think it is a great plate of food.

I like the way the Jerusalem

artichokes have been showcased as well.

You would never lose interest. I think this is a triumph.

Just feels completely correct.

-Great plate of food.

-Yeah, I think this one is a serious contender.

What I think is a great relief is to come across a dish which

you have happy memories of and have happy memories of it all over again.

-I'm giving it a ten.

-I am giving it a ten.

I think it fits the brief but it is modern.

I think it is a nine for me because I just like the crab dish better.

I think the WI will love it. I do. I'm giving it a ten.

-Big scores all around then.

-Yeah.

-We have definitely got a shortlist, haven't we?

-Phew!

Well, if I might quote from Jerusalem,

"I shall now cease from mental fight."

THEY LAUGH

This morning, we started out looking for perfection.

-That is what the WI is.

-We have marked some dishes very highly.

They've had sevens and eights.

But it ain't good enough for the finals, so...

What I think we need to discuss is whether we have a shortlist

of two contenders, three contenders or four contenders.

Cooking over, the chefs' shortlist is about to be revealed -

the list of top-scoring dishes from the chefs' scores alone.

Whether they'll agree with our shortlist, I rather doubt.

On the chefs' shortlist, there are four dishes.

There has been a tie.

In no particular order, they are...

Rich.

And it was, I thought, absolutely delicious.

Jak.

Lord, yes!

Adam.

Adam?!

And Michael.

Michael?!

I really didn't like that one at all.

Thanks, everyone.

I am really, really pleased that you thought it was good.

Yeah, thank you.

I am proud of that dish and I am glad that you guys

appreciated it as well, so thank you.

Don't forget, we could go in there

and we could come crashing back down very quickly.

Matt Gillan, they didn't even rate him at all.

Yes, I find that very odd.

And Josh, and we rated him very highly.

It is always going to be a little bit disappointing not getting

shortlisted by the chefs.

But the guys who got shortlisted, they were very good.

Obviously, from a pride point of view, I don't want to be

eighth, but if that is the case, then that is the case.

Obviously, it is disappointing,

but I know the judges view things a bit differently to the chefs,

so I think it is got the potential to change.

Come on, we need to do some addition here.

The chefs' scores are averaged

and added to the judges to determine the final leaderboard.

Their scores could help decide the dishes in contention

for the banquet shortlist.

Welcome, chefs.

How are you all feeling?

-Exhausted!

-THEY LAUGH

The menu for the WI centenary banquet demands absolutely

flawless cooking. Some of your dishes today came very close.

But not all of them.

So...

In eighth place, it is...

Michael.

All the chefs absolutely loved your langoustine dish.

However, we just didn't think it tasted correct.

I completely respect that. But thank you.

Thank you.

In seventh place...

Ben.

It was a delicious Scotch egg,

but overall, we felt the whole thing was a bit too rustic.

Thank you.

Thank you.

-Hey!

-THEY LAUGH

Next...

..two chefs that were tied.

Adam.

And Matt Worswick.

Adam, the pie was divine,

but it wasn't really suitable for a banquet starter.

I can see where you are coming from, and thank you very much.

Matt, that rabbit was really,

really tasty.

But we just didn't think that pastry was up to WI's standard.

Try harder next time.

Thank you.

Losers' club.

THEY LAUGH

In fourth place...

Matt.

We all thought

that dish was a massive improvement.

Unfortunately, your fellow chefs

didn't think the same.

And they pushed you down the leaderboard.

You have got to blame all of them afterwards, not us, OK?

Well, I have been sat here for longer than I expected to be,

so thank you very much for your comments.

-It was a great dish.

-Thank you.

-Said you lot

-BLEEP

-knocked me down.

That's all right.

-What and they were...?

-They marked me up.

But that's...

We have been seeking perfection all day,

and we have three great contenders.

But in the end, only two dishes made the grade.

So in third place...

Jak, it's you.

I'm very sorry.

I was delighted to get as far as I did with the chefs,

so I am OK with this.

I think your dish was delicious, but it just wasn't flawless.

Rich, I just want to say, that dish was a thing of beauty.

And it was absolutely spot on the brief. Congratulations.

Thank you. Thank you.

Josh, how do you feel?

Pretty surprised, actually.

I thought I was going to be right down at the bottom.

Your crab starter was absolutely magnificent.

It was flawless cooking, the pastry was melt in the mouth.

The jam was amazing.

Thank you.

Rich, I feel like I want to get up there

and give you a ginormous hug.

Come on.

Come here.

You know.

You are a testament to keep coming back. And, Josh, congratulations.

You are both really in with a chance now.

But please remember that we are looking for perfection.

In every course. Every day.

Thanks very much.

The judges will decide which starter will begin the banquet once

they have tasted all the dishes for all the courses,

to ensure they create a balanced menu to celebrate the WI's centenary.

Really shocked, but it is amazing.

I'm so glad that I changed my starter

and listened to the judges' advice.

What has happened here, then?

All three on the shortlist or...?

I didn't make it. It's these two.

Really?

Third on the list out of each chef, this is great for my confidence.

Well done, mate!

I am over the moon.

Thank you very much. I've still got three more courses to go

that I believe in just as much as my starter.

So I am hoping this is not going to be the only time

I am in that shortlist this week.