Finals Starter Great British Menu

It's the national finals of Great British Menu.

If it's going to be easy, what's the point?

A hard-fought competition...

Come on, then. Come on, baby, come on, baby.

..has been testing the emotions.

It's another ten.

What?

It means a lot to me.

This week, eight of the country's best chefs compete...

The standard's massive. It's quite easy to lose.

We like challenges, don't we?

That's what cooking is.

..to become ambassadors for contemporary British cooking.

-There's a lot of people taking a lot of risks this year.

-Today's the game day mate, yeah.

Doing them for a banquet - suicide.

In the year the nation marked the Queen's 90th birthday,

the chefs are celebrating the everyday Great Britons she's honoured for

their extraordinary achievements.

And showcasing the transformation of British food

during the Queen's historic reign.

Oh, wow.

To produce a lasting legacy...

-That's great. Loved it.

-Brilliant.

..to this new Elizabethan age.

Now, the eight regional champions face each other in the kitchen.

Hopefully I can pull this off.

You're either zero or hero, aren't you?

Cooking their complete menus again...

-Ah,

-BLEEP.

It's fashionable to burn things these days.

..to impress the formidable judges...

This is the final of the Great British Menu. The standards cannot be too high.

There's just the right amount of lusciousness.

It's unquestionably a ten.

..their fellow competitors...

Every element tastes amazing.

I love it. 10, 11, 12, 50.

..and renowned guest judges who understand

the level of contemporary British cuisine required.

I've never seen anything like this.

Gosh, this guy can really cook.

Yeah. It is divine.

Today is the starter course.

-Curry mayonnaise, or..?

-I've just nicked it out of your fridge!

-Did you?

-I'll never forget that dish.

-Every element tastes amazing.

I'll give it a ten. Straight away.

And only the finest dishes will do.

It's a tumble dryer of ideas.

It's the first day of the finals but before cooking starts,

the eight finalists have been summoned to London's South Bank

to meet Oliver Peyton.

Well, welcome, chefs.

I thought I'd bring you here today to show you exactly what you're all

fighting for.

The grand prize.

This is probably one of the most famous locations in the world -

the Palace of Westminster.

This is where you're going to be cooking.

This is where the Great Britons are going to be

that you're going to be cooking for.

-How does it make you feel?

-It's unbelievable!

-Wow!

-It's pretty impressive.

This makes the stake a bit higher, doesn't it?

It's got to be the best venue for the banquet, I think, so far.

The competition this year is insane.

I mean, Mark, you have scored the highest score ever

in any Great British Menu competition.

Four of you have scored four tens - Michael,

Tommy, Adam and Mark.

They're really, really big scores.

So you are tantalisingly close to the finish line.

Good luck.

-And I will see you all in the judging chamber.

-OK, thank you.

Wow! That's unbelievable.

-Gobsmacked.

-I can't believe that the banquet's going to be held over there.

The chefs want to soak up the Westminster atmosphere

for maximum inspiration.

Personally, I feel quite patriotic about it, to be honest.

It'd be amazing to cook there.

I want to come in, cook the food which I know I can,

and get on that banquet.

I want to be able to go home and tell my kids that Daddy's cooked

at the Palace of Westminster so, yeah, bring it on. I'm ready.

The finalists include three returning chefs.

Phil Carmichael, champion of Wales.

Mark Froydenlund from London and the South East.

And the only chef to have cooked in the finals before,

Josh Eggleton from the South West.

Third time in the competition. If I'm to get to the banquet, it's now or never.

This is going to be a tough week, guys.

Yeah, I mean, there's been some amazing scores across the board,

hasn't there? So, pressure's on.

They're joined by three newcomers,

who each scored four perfect tens from the judges.

Adam Reed from the North West.

North-east champion Tommy Banks.

And Michael Bremner from Scotland.

I'm over the moon to represent Scotland.

It was probably the best thing about winning in the regionals, you know,

winning for Scotland. It was amazing.

Are you going to show us what to do today, guys?

You've been back here before.

You're the guys with the straight tens.

It's all right doing good on one dish but hopefully all my others

-aren't really bad!

-Yeah, exactly.

Finally, veteran chef Daniel Clifford's proteges - Danny Gill,

Central champion, and Mark Abbott from Northern Ireland.

-Morning, boys. How are you doing?

-Hi, guys. All right?

-How's it going?

-Daniel not with you?

No, no, he's just left!

You know, I got the highest score ever in Great British Menu.

There is that pressure but I'm still coming in as hungry as what

I was in regions.

Maybe even more so because it's so close now.

It's so close.

-Looking forward to it?

-Yeah.

-Bit nervous now.

-Being back in here brings it back, doesn't it?

-Painful memories!

-Gets the butterflies going again, doesn't it?

-Yeah, definitely.

The chefs' determination to win is matched by the commitment of judges

Matthew Fort, Oliver Peyton and Prue Leith,

to choose the finest contemporary British dishes for the banquet.

Finals week. I am super excited.

I think this is probably the most competitive group of chefs we've ever had.

Michelin stars of the present, Michelin stars of the future.

I mean, there is just such an abundance of talent.

So, you guys know each other?

Yeah, me and Mark worked with each other.

Mark was sous chef while I was a head chef.

-Gloves are off now, then.

-That's it.

We want beautiful food and we want to celebrate those Great Britons who

are going to eat it. It's got to be great.

Getting eights and nines aren't going to cut it this week.

It's got to be four tens to get a dish at the banquet.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

You're going to be able to tell people that you cooked at Westminster.

I mean, that's got to be one of the crowning glories of your career.

Before they get there, they've got to get past us.

That's true!

The first three chefs cooking their starters are Adam Reed,

Phil Carmichael and Michelin-starred Josh Eggleton.

-Good luck, guys.

-Good luck, guys.

-Best of luck.

-Cheers.

As cooking begins,

attention turns to the only chef who's competed at this level before.

Josh, you got through to the finals last time. Any tips for us?

No. All I can say is, just work as hard as you can because I tried that

last year and I didn't win, but try again.

Try and try again!

Joining the judges for each course is a returning guest judge.

Lady Claire McDonald is an acclaimed food writer

with 18 books to her name written over a 40-year career.

-Welcome back, Claire. So lovely to see you again.

-Thank you.

In the heats, Lady Claire helped choose the North West champion.

Queen of Scottish gastronomy.

-Thank you.

-Claire, welcome back.

The objective of this year's competition is to show just how great

Great British food has become

and how brilliant and how creative our chefs are.

I don't think we need to worry about Claire. She was extremely tough last time. Much more than we were.

I think I was just honest.

I think you're a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Traditionally, the judges select a banquet short list for each course

before deciding on the final banquet menu.

However, if a chef serves up a perfect dish,

the judges could declare an outright winner.

That possibility is the talk of the kitchen.

Last year there was one dish that managed to get past the shortlist and go straight through.

I think that's the best option, really.

-Do either of you two think you've got a dish that could do that this year?

-I don't know.

We're all good at what we do so it's going to be tough.

You don't really know how it's going to be perceived.

Today, we're judging only starters.

-Yes.

-And we have to choose the best.

And the starter course really sets the tone for the banquet.

Yes, I do see it's got to sort of ignite the whole banquet.

So, there's a huge responsibility lying upon your shoulders.

Oh!

Phil Carmichael is first to plate up.

After a hard-fought week in the Welsh heats,

he triumphed in the judging chamber.

Now, he's determined to go one step further.

My fiance and, you know, all my family are so proud

that I've sort of got through to the finals and just say, you know,

just keep doing what you did in regions.

So, you know, fingers crossed that'll be enough.

Phil Carmichael, our Welsh champion. He's been in the competition before,

sadly he didn't make it to the finals,

but he will really want to make it happen this time.

Veteran chef Michael Smith advised Phil to swap his main course and starter.

A gamble that paid off.

That was a stroke of genius.

Glad I listened to him, that I took it on board, because, you know,

my starter now is one of my strongest dishes.

The judges were impressed with Phil's use of innovative techniques

to transform simple ingredients into an elegant, flavoursome dish.

What is your starter, then, which was your main course?

My starter is called the OBE and for me it stands for onion,

bacon and eggs. So I've literally put three things on a plate with

-this dish.

-Sounds good.

-You know, great flavours,

three different types of egg preparation,

three different types of onion and two different types of pork/bacon.

My highest scoring dish,

so I think if I can execute it as well as I did in regions,

I think it's got a good chance of getting through.

You know, it honours the honours system.

Honouring the honour that honours the honorary!

I loved this dish, I gave it a nine. I would love to give it a ten.

I'd need a little bit more onion.

I gave it a ten anyway because it was so delicious.

Oh, good.

Marcus Wareing's head chef Mark Froydenlund is cooking later,

but knows Phil's dish is strong competition.

I hear you've got a good dish here.

Well, I got, you know, Prue gave me a ten,

so hopefully I can recreate that and get another ten.

I think she gave me a ten for mine as well, so...

Oh, yeah? I've got to watch out for this one.

Yeah, yeah. Should be good, though.

Phil is ready to plate up.

First in his white bowls is onion puree.

Then, smoked bacon.

Next, braised pork cheek,

deep-fried quail's eggs wrapped in bacon, quail scotch eggs

and quail eggs dipped in maple syrup,

rolled in a crispy bacon crumb.

-You want me to do anything?

-Stay there and look pretty.

He's doing that already!

He adds charred onion and a crispy onion tuile.

Pork cheek cooking liquor completes the dish.

OK, coming up.

There you go. Thank you.

Just put that down and then just put that down next to the plate, please.

Well done, mate.

You're sweating there!

-It looks nice, doesn't it?

-That looks sharp.

Oh, it smells wonderful.

Beautiful-looking plate of food. The smell is just stunning.

The scotch egg is just delicious.

Well, his eggs are, his eggs are lovely, aren't they?

Yeah, perfect.

I love the contrast between the crisp onion tuile and the

puree and I love the onion shell.

The scotch egg is very heavy on the thyme.

But I love that.

I think that lightens it.

You're very silent, Oliver.

I don't think it's as good as before.

-Oh!

-I think the pork itself,

I actually think is a little bit tough and a bit dry.

-Slightly overcooked, I'm afraid to say.

-It was.

The pork belly's amazing.

I could eat that all day.

I don't like the taste of the bacon and I can't

put my finger on what it is.

The best part about that dish was the Alsace bacon.

Yeah, the Alsace bacon was delicious.

To eat it, I could eat it all day, flavour-wise.

I just don't know if it's got that show stopper, wow factor to begin this banquet.

Yeah, I completely agree with you.

I don't see this as a fitting starter for this tremendous banquet.

I'm getting quite cross here.

I think this is an absolutely delicious dish.

I'd eat three of them.

Yeah. Definitely making me a bit nervous.

I'm going to give it a seven and that's out of the generosity of my heart because it's finals week.

I feel so disappointed but I can only give it a seven.

I think you're all crazy.

I think it's definitely a nine.

The chefs...

All the flavours are there, it's absolutely delicious.

..will also mark each other's dishes.

I think that is a really, really strong eight.

I'm going to have to go along with you here.

The average score from the chefs' total will be added to the judges'

scores to create the final leaderboard.

I think I'm going to go in high. Eight.

It means the chefs' vote could potentially affect the banquet shortlist,

or even determine an outright winner.

It's absolutely delicious.

Is it banquet worthy? I'm not that sure it is,

so I'm going to give it a nine.

Next, representing the South West, is Michelin-starred Josh Eggleton,

whose starter was shortlisted for the banquet last time.

Missing out last year was a disappointment

but you've got to take it on the chin. I'm back to try and win again.

It's our old friend Josh Eggleton, who's practically a fixture on the Great British Menu.

This is his third appearance.

Great chef though, Josh. I mean, I think, for me,

he's just been a bit unlucky in this competition and he really does want

to do well this time around.

Josh is serving a contemporary take on Coronation Chicken.

It's a dish that impressed the veteran chef and the judges in the heats.

I kind of decided to do Co-Coronation-Coronation Chicken

um, as a starter...

HE MIMICS STAMMERING

Struggling a little bit there, mate,

I hope you're better at cooking it than you are saying it!

A Coronation is a start of something so it, for me,

was signifying the start of my menu.

It's always been a cold dish, hasn't it?

Yeah, mine's cold, it's a terrine.

I thought it was an excellent dish.

I have noticed, though, that none of us gave it more than eight.

To have a chance of getting through to the final banquet,

every single element has got to be absolutely spot on.

Changes or tweaks?

Yeah, one slight tweak, I think. Trying to make it a bit more

luxurious by putting some lobster through it, and dressing it with

-that and seasoning the lobster with curry.

-Luxurious.

-Yeah.

Well, I think in order for Josh to succeed with this dish he's going to

have to change something about it, because essentially it was a

-good British dish, not a great British dish.

-Right.

Josh starts by plating a slice of chilled Coronation Chicken

and lobster terrine.

The idea of the plate is it's to look like a letter.

The stamp is a stamp that was created for the Queen's Coronation.

Cool. What, so you're going to post the terrine?

Next, pickled baby gem hearts,

poached apricot slices,

apricot membrillo and curry oil garnishes the terrine.

What's that you've got going on top?

It's just a bit of chopped lobster meat salad.

Then devilled quail's eggs, curry mayonnaise.

Apricot gel.

A wafer-thin sourdough crouton adds texture and, to finish,

a lobster dressing.

Right, let's go.

OK, so obviously the stamp in front of them top right

and this in front of them as well.

Don't drop it!

-Well done, mate. It looks lovely.

-Yeah, tasty.

-That looks like a plate of food, boys.

-Yeah, it does, doesn't it?

Thank you.

Well, doesn't that look pretty?

I think it's beautiful.

-Really like the terrine.

-Terrine's delicious, yeah.

This is a much improved terrine.

The quality, the chicken is really moist, the lobster's perfectly cooked.

It is everything that the last terrine wasn't.

I must say, the lobster goes really well with it.

The level of spice is just about right for me.

-Yeah.

-Not too overpowering.

I think one of the key ingredients is the gem, funnily enough,

because it's a beautifully fruity,

crunchy, fresh flavour.

I'm not sure how the lettuce works into it.

-It's just almost like they're two separate things.

-Yeah.

Everything eats together so deliciously.

This demonstrates what a great chef Josh is.

This is a real, true demonstration of his skill.

I'm not sure if I like the jelly.

-I just found the jelly was a little bit too set for my liking.

-Yeah.

It is very, very classic. This is not the future of British cooking.

This is a tremendously knowledgeable and assured nod to the past.

I can't imagine anything more delicious, so it's a ten.

A few too many flavours for me. So I think I'm going to give it a seven.

I would definitely, just on the quality of it, give it an eight.

-I'd give it an eight as well.

-Yeah.

I will not go less than a nine

and I certainly won't go higher than a ten!

In the prep kitchen,

talk has turned to Danny and Mark's history at Michelin-starred restaurant

Midsummer House.

So you guys used to work together before?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Have you lads got any sort of added pressure, competition?

No, I think me and Mark have both been through the mill with each other at Midsummer.

It's a hard kitchen to work in.

If we can put up with each other in that kitchen,

we can certainly put up with each other in this kitchen!

-This time it's, you know...

-It's higher stakes!

-Yeah!

Last to cook in the first group is newcomer and North West champion,

Adam Reed.

Feels really good to be stood here with everybody else from the

country saying, you know, I'm the guy from the North West,

so I really want to go all the way now.

I think there's a chance I'm going to be pushing for it.

Adam's starter is a trio of Indian and East African inspired canapes

with accompanying condiments

dedicated to his family friend, Leila Ramentulla MBE.

Adam, do you normally make pakoras and samosas at the restaurant?

No.

No, this is a dish for the, you know, for the banquet.

You can't just cook what you'd cook in the restaurant.

-No, no, no.

-It's a challenge, isn't it?

Yeah, takes you out of your comfort zone.

-But, you know, we like challenges, don't we?

-Yeah.

-It's what we're here for.

Claire, the next dish is from Adam Reed.

I remember him vividly.

He was thrilling, inspiring.

Do you remember his starter?

I do. I loved it.

I gave it a nine.

I'd love to be able to give it a ten.

Back in the kitchen,

Adam is toasting mustard seeds in oil for his samosa filling.

-Big man.

-Ah

-BLEEP!

What's going on there, big man?

Burnt my seeds, mate.

-You got any more?

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

-It smells!

-It smells nice.

-What, burnt seeds?

-Yeah.

-It's fashionable to burn things these days.

-I suppose it is, isn't it?

I think the problem Adam has with a dish like this is it looks so amazing,

you're expecting little explosions of flavour in your mouth and that's

where the dish fell down for me.

Adam deep-fries lamb bateta champ,

balls of spiced minced lamb in a mashed potato coating.

Adam, do you need a hand with anything?

If you could just grab my Tiffins out and put them on the side there,

-please, Phil?

-Yeah, sure.

Wow, these look beautiful.

Adam has decorated his traditional Indian Tiffin boxes with flowers.

He adds Tamarind poached dates then fills his condiment pots

with saffron-infused cultured cream and tomato dressing.

-How does this fit the brief?

-The brief, you know,

as I read it, was about celebrating the Great Britons

-of Queen Elizabeth II.

-That's what it said, yeah.

And specifically...

-You can read, then?!

-Getting your own back now, are you?!

Into his Tiffin tins, he places lamb bateta champ, seafood pakora

and the spiced cabbage and goat's curd samosas.

Finally, in go the condiments.

-Yeah, it looks good.

-Well done, mate.

-Cheers, guys. Thank you.

-Fun.

This looks just as beautiful as I remember it from the first time.

-And it's so happy, isn't it?

-Yes, isn't it?

Just the colours and the freshness of the flowers.

Yes.

The colour inside the bateta champ is beautiful.

Crispy on the outside but within that is a sort of creamy mashed potato.

That is the most delicious thing in this whole ensemble, I think.

-Isn't it?

-Yeah, I mean it's the standout item for me.

The cultured cream is delicious. I love it.

The pakora, which has that sort of dark outside, you think, oh,

it's going to be meaty, in fact has a lovely chewy sweetness

of minced up seafood, which I think is delicious.

The samosa, on the other hand, actually I don't find very nice

because I think it's slightly bitter.

By itself I'd agree that it was a little bit bitter,

but with the sweetness of the poached date, it's just delicious.

-So you get sweetness and bitterness.

-Yeah, together.

So that cabbage samosa's absolutely delicious.

-You've gone red!

-It's strong. It's very strong.

I think the heat in the samosa's brilliant.

I don't know if that's the sort of thing you'd eat for a starter

and then by the time you got to your main course you'd still have that spice in your mouth.

Not only does it taste so good,

it represents so much that's such a vital part of Britain.

It just feels like bits and bobs to me.

It's quite snacky in terms of eating it.

I can't fault it. I think it's a really exciting way to start a banquet.

It's just lacking something for me, really.

I think this is beatable.

I loved it.

And I gave it nine last time and I'm going to give it nine again.

It's fun but it ain't a first course. It's a seven.

Oof!

I find it a real shame that the samosa's packing that much heat.

It's kind of taking away from the dish rather than adding to it.

I'm going to have to be honest and give it a six.

For me, it's got to be a ten.

I agree. It's right up my street. I'm going to give it a ten as well.

Next into the kitchen are Danny Gill, Central champion,

and Mark Abbott from Northern Ireland.

-Dan.

-All the best.

-Let's go, chief.

Danny was Mark's boss for two years,

so they know each other well.

I've probably spent more time with that guy in the last three,

four years than I have anybody else,

so being in the kitchen with him is exciting.

Being back in the kitchen with Mark is brilliant.

He's one of the strongest chefs that I've ever worked with.

You've been labelled the leader of the pack. Is that an added pressure?

I need to cook this dish to the level of which

I did initially and that's what I intend to do.

Them two lads. Both Midsummer House.

Whacked up, been there.

I think it's going to be an exciting round, this one.

Danny is serving a reinvention of Coronation Chicken with unusual mango ravioli and scallop tartare.

He's simplifying the presentation for the finals,

but still serving on floral plates,

a nod to the chef and florist who created the original recipe.

Would you class this as one of your strongest dishes?

It's a personal favourite of mine.

-Yes.

-It's like a third child.

-That's pretty emotional.

-Yeah. That's what cooking is.

Emotion!

It will be if this goes wrong, anyway.

I think the competition has been super-tough

but I want to get a dish to the banquet. I want to be able to tell my kids that I've cooked

at the Palace of Westminster and I want them to see me on the telly at the finals.

-Chef.

-Yes, Dan?

-Can you taste this for me, please?

-Is this role reversal?

-Yeah! You're the one with the highest score.

-What is it, Dan?

-Coronation dressing.

-It's all right?

-Stunning.

Do you remember he's served Coronation Chicken? You certainly do, don't you, Oliver?

Sadly I do, I do.

I know, you were disgraceful. The food itself was delicious.

It wasn't the best but I thought it was very good.

I think the whole thing was just ill-conceived.

It was stretching the concept of Coronation Chicken to breaking point

and possibly beyond.

You know, we've seen already a Coronation Chicken...

-Yeah.

-..put up today.

You know, is it similar?

It couldn't be more opposite, if you want the honest truth.

Oh, right. I thought Josh's terrine was...

..absolutely lovely but it isn't a terrine, for a start.

Did Josh's dish worry you earlier?

All three dishes worried me.

-How are you doing?

-All right, Josh?

-Coronation Chicken?

-Yeah. Sort of.

-Can I try?

Yeah, yeah.

-That's my dressing.

-That's your dressing, is that a curry mayonnaise or...?

I just nicked it out of your fridge!

Did you? It's a different colour, are you sure?

Oh, it's lovely.

I gave yours a really good score, Josh, so...

Well, you had to, didn't you? Because it was the same idea!

-Let's see how we get on in the judges' chamber, then.

-That's it.

There was scallops and a chicken leg and mango.

I think it would be better if he called it something completely different.

I come to it with a very open mind and full of intrigue, too.

How are you going?

Yeah, starting to plate now.

Danny was scored a disappointing four by Oliver in the heats so is hoping

his reworked presentation and concentration on flavour

will impress this time.

With the pickled jasmine raisins on a floral presentation plate,

Danny adds seared scallops with chicken skin.

Is Daniel going to turn up in a minute to help?

Yeah, with a red cape on!

Next, mango ravioli stuffed with scallop,

scallop tartare with a Coronation Chicken centre...

..followed by confit chicken leg and puffed wild rice.

The garnishes are crispy shallot rings,

Coronation dressing and spiced mango puree.

And he finishes with edible flowers.

OK.

As if I'm the judge, so scroll facing that way, please.

-Stunning.

-Thanks, mate.

Lovely. Well done.

-Yeah, that looks amazing.

-That looks great.

Oh, that's so pretty.

Must be about the biggest scallop I've ever seen in my life!

Scallop's delicious. It's lovely.

And that scallop's perfect for me, you know, nice caramelisation.

But pretty much raw in the middle.

The scallop tartare doesn't really work with the sauce

because, you know, scallop tartare is so delicate and the sauce here

kills any flavour that there is with the raw scallop.

The chicken leg's so tasty. Really tasty.

The flavour of the dish was brilliant. It all tasted really good.

Yeah, I agree. It's delicious.

I think the mango overpowers the flavour of the scallop that's raw.

Yeah, I'm really struggling to find fault with it.

That's a dish that you'd happily eat in a two-star restaurant

and it hits the brief.

I just marvel at the...

lack of taste.

Last time, the spicing was very delicate, very light,

but it was there.

Now, you have to really concentrate to find any spice at all.

I love the idea. Based on that, I'm going to give it a nine.

Nine all day long. Easy.

I don't really see how I can give anything other than a ten for that.

No, I think it is formality, it's a ten.

I think I was a bit too generous giving this dish four the last time.

I mean, it's just a tragedy. It's a tumble dryer of ideas, you know.

Mark Abbott is next.

He began Finals Week as

the highest-scoring regional champion of all time.

Now, he must achieve perfection all over again.

His style is about applying modern techniques

to the most ordinary ingredients.

I want to be hitting them tens again.

And I want to make sure that I'm at the banquet.

All right, chief, how you doing?

-How was it?

-Yeah, I really enjoyed it.

-What did you give it?

-I gave it a nine.

Why wasn't it a ten?

-A little bit sweet.

-OK.

With the mango. With the scallop, and that.

-Yeah.

-But it's like...

-minute.

-We think we have a handle on what's going on in here,

and we think we know where people are at with scores,

but we could be totally wrong when we walk into the chamber tonight.

You're right - they might have a completely different idea

-of what they're looking for.

-They usually do!

Mark's complex starter is inspired

by the ordinary people honoured by the Queen

for extraordinary achievements.

He's preparing potatoes in six highly original and innovative ways.

I went to the most humble ingredient I could think of,

being from Northern Ireland, brought up with spuds,

there was only one thing came to mind, and was potato.

-So...

-And you got a ten for it from your veteran judge?

Yeah, Michael gave me a ten,

and the judges gave me four nines for it.

Four nines.

Claire, you're in for a treat,

because Mark Abbott is the highest-scoring chef

we've ever had in any competition since the start.

So, he must be quite extraordinary.

He takes a potato and transmutes it into infinite different varieties

through his own technical skill and imagination.

It was an outstandingly good dish.

So what are you going to do to get to four tens?

Well, first of all I need to cook it as well as I did initially.

I made a couple of minor, minor tweaks -

a little bit on the acidity balance

and a few less crispy elements on there.

So we'll just have to see how it goes.

I think there was a tiny bit of finesse needed for the dish,

I think he slightly over-intellectualised it for me.

Oliver, I can't wait to see an over-intellectualised potato!

THEY LAUGH

Mark starts with his pomme souffle topped with bacon jelly

and crispy bacon.

Next, puffed potato goes into the potato skin,

followed by the souffle.

Then, buttermilk mash goes into moulds,

followed by more puffed potato.

-So you're helping each other, then?

-We're helping each other.

So I didn't realise we were up against

two chefs and not the one!

THEY LAUGH

Next, champ croquette with droplets of pickled onion puree

and spheres of creamed garlic potato in a crispy potato skin crumb.

Then, mini bacon baskets filled with

purple heritage potato salad, topped with truffle.

Mark garnishes with baby onion shells

and nasturtium leaves

and a jug of baked potato infusion.

If I'm the customer, this is the way I need it to be, please.

-That looks class, Mark.

-Cheers, boss.

-That looks amazing.

Thank you. One down.

-Was that hard?

-Yeah!

THEY LAUGH

Good!

-PRUE:

-Oh, it looks beautiful!

So, is that as good as you got it before?

I feel so.

Yeah, I'm happy with it, I'm happy with it.

I think that is the prettiest potato I have ever seen.

One of the many very clever things about this is that it appears

very simple, but within that,

there's a lot of quite busy things going on.

Extremely, extremely technical dish.

Extremely tasty as well.

This is a rhapsody of potato.

It is delicious!

Pomme souffle is one of the trickiest things to get right.

You know, you managed to get that right, and then put bacon on top.

-Winner.

-Yeah.

Great texture of the pomme souffle, real crisp.

It almost gives it a seasoning, that crumb, doesn't it?

This little croquette champ is delicious.

-The bacon and potato salad is delicious as well.

-Yeah.

Imagination and technique and discipline and skill -

this, to me, is a model of what modern British cooking

actually can set out to achieve.

It's all something different as well, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It's a fascinating dish.

It's really a brilliant piece of cooking.

It's ten, and I've eaten it all.

I really would love to lick my plate!

Ten for me, too!

Of course, the only fly in the ointment here in our little love-in

is the fact that the chefs are voting, too.

And I think they would be bonkers if they didn't score this ten.

Oh, they'll love it.

The only thing I would say, I don't really like that.

-No?

-No.

You're just missing a link there

between the extraordinary/ordinary thing.

For me, it's a nine.

I would stick it a nine - it's the balance of the two things,

hitting the brief and cooking a good dish.

I'll give it a ten, straightaway!

I'll never forget that dish.

Yeah, I'm going to give it a ten as well.

So, Mark, you're up next - after seeing that dish,

-bit of pressure on you now?

-Oh, massive, yeah!

With five dishes down,

the remaining three chefs to cook their starters are

London and the South East's Mark Froydenlund,

from the North East, Tommy Banks,

and representing Scotland, Michael Bremner.

-Good luck, buddy.

-Good luck, Michael.

Good luck, mate.

We'd had one very good dish, we've had one great dish -

if we have another great dish,

we're going to have some serious problems ahead of us!

Yeah, but isn't it a nice problem to have?

-Yes.

-The quality of some of the dishes coming out

are absolutely outstanding.

That potato dish is just a world-class dish.

And that terrine is how terrines should be.

We've got three dishes coming up

that each sound so individually exciting

and potentially excellent.

How do you feel after you've seen the dishes? Obviously we're last up.

Yeah, there's been some great dishes so far today, I think.

There's been some incredible food,

it's pretty scary going last, isn't it?

There's obviously a standard dish.

Mark's potato dish was unbelievable.

I think there's some dishes there that could rival it.

Both Mark and Danny have put a strong dish up this afternoon.

-I think it's up to us guys to get tens as well, you know?

-Exactly.

Prove them wrong.

Mark Froydenlund is first.

After failing to cook for the judges last year,

this two Michelin-starred chef has impressed this time,

particularly with his starter and main course.

The fact that London and the South East have been

at the banquet for the last six years is terrifying, I think,

because it just adds another load of pressure.

I can't let them down, I've got nowhere to hide.

Mark is serving a reimagined take on bubble and squeak,

a traditional dish of leftovers

popular in the '50s when the Queen came to the throne.

So, what was that you were putting in there, Mark,

-looked like a caramel or something?

-Yeah, it's basically, eh...

a crackling, but I'm using maltose instead of pork fat.

So is that sweet, then, or...?

There's a certain sweetness to it, I think it tastes really like

-honey roast pork.

-Oh, nice. So that's it here?

Well, that one's not very good, actually.

-Oh.

-So I'm making another one now. Just a bit too caramelised.

You loved this dish, Matthew, didn't you?

Bubble and squeak - how do you not love bubble and squeak?!

It's just a dish which speaks to my heart.

Although I have to say that Mark's version of it

was not quite the bubble and squeak of my youth.

I gave it a ten, because it was SO delicious,

but it didn't look spectacular.

I think the dish was rather like Mark himself - quiet and unassuming,

but really powerful when it came to actually

-the point of it all.

-Exactly.

So have you taken the judges' feedback onboard,

-made any changes?

-Yeah, I've added to the presentation

a little bit just to really just kind of

hit that story home a little bit further,

just so the dish makes sense, really.

I don't want that to get lost in the eating.

To his presentation plates marking the date of the Queen's Coronation,

he adds cabbage puree, pickled cabbage...

and piccalilli gel,

followed by his sliced bubble and squeak croquette,

and pork gel, with a deep-fried cabbage garnish.

Next, pickled cucumber,

chunks of pickled cauliflower and shredded spring onion.

Then set powder and maltose pork crackling.

-The crackling looks good there. Worth the stress!

-Yeah!

Finally, a drizzle of jowl cooking liquor

and a booklet with the original recipe for bubble and squeak.

2016 at the top, please.

And one booklet for each judge.

-Well done.

-Thank you.

That looks great. You had to move a bit there, it was good!

THEY LAUGH

Oh, yes!

He's hitting the brief already.

-He's done his homework.

-Yeah.

This is delicious!

That bubble and squeak is delicious.

-PRUE:

-That ham hock is so good.

The way it just folds over the tongue,

breaks into those sweet little shreds of ham.

That jowl was absolutely delicious, it melted in your mouth.

Probably one of the best pieces of

pork cheek I've ever eaten in all my life.

-Mmm.

-That is sensational.

Everything about this is so seductive.

It is perfect!

It's a perfect example of a very British dish

being given a thoroughly modern slant.

And the sort of addition of the crackly cracknel stuff...

..is just wonderful.

I'm not sure about the crackling.

It's quite sweet.

-I think I would have preferred just a piece of pork crackling.

-Yeah.

When something is this good, you don't have any choice with numbers.

It's unquestionably a ten.

It's unimprovable.

Definitely a ten - I wish I could give it more.

Every element tastes amazing.

I think it's fantastic.

Yeah, it's a delicious plate of food.

I'd give it a nine.

Very well-balanced, isn't it?

-I really enjoyed eating it.

-Yeah, me, too.

Next, representing Scotland, is Michael Bremner.

He won his place in the finals after impressing the judges

with modern cooking and attention to the brief,

with each dish telling a strong story.

You know, I'm obviously nervous going into this competition.

There's some serious chefs down there.

And I'm just really excited to get into the kitchen.

Guys in there, cooking their last starters now, but we're all done.

Are you happy it's done?

Standing out here waiting to go in,

it's up there with one of the most nerve-racking things!

The anticipation is rubbish, isn't it?

-It's just unbelievable.

-Absolutely rubbish.

Michael's vegetarian starter uses modern cooking techniques

to elevate a beetroot and goat's cheese salad.

And it's a tribute to one of Scotland's most famous gardeners.

When I was growing up,

I remember this TV show called The Beechgrove Garden.

And on it, there was a guy called Jim McColl, and basically,

he went through gardening processes, and all these sorts of things,

and my mum used to absolutely love it.

Your mum must have been incredibly proud

when you got through to Finals Week?

It's the biggest competition for cheffing.

-Yeah, absolutely.

-And to win it for Scotland...

Um, yeah, she was over the moon.

I really thought that his food showed

a tremendous amount of imagination and engagement with modern process.

So I think he's really interesting.

Not only would I like to support a Scotsman,

and most fervently hope to do so,

but I like the name of his dish -

the Beet Grove Garden.

I think it's an incredibly brave dish, actually -

I mean, a vegetarian dish from Scotland?!

This goes against nature!

THEY CHUCKLE

I think a lot of people say it's risky doing a vegetarian starter,

but you give the same sort of respect to anything,

it doesn't matter if it's broccoli or a fillet of beef,

you still treat it with the same respect.

It's going to show incredible skill from you as a chef,

as long as you're not just putting a carrot on the plate!

I love beetroot, so I'm fervently hoping

that he's listened to your constructive comments

after the first judging, and comes up with a winner!

Michael has refined his starter after the judges' feedback.

He's now serving on a hollowed-out wooden bowl

and adding russet and Discovery apples.

I've taken on board what they said and made the amendments.

Yeah. I mean, I'm happier with the dish.

Michael starts by layering the compressed apple slices,

then covering with pistachio and miso puree...

..followed by candy-stripe and golden beetroot

and pickled rosehip petals.

Then a new addition of beetroot dressing.

How are you getting on, Michael? Do you need a hand with anything?

I'm all right at the moment, thank you.

-Stick around, though!

-Will do!

Next, slices of russet and Discovery apples...

What are you putting on there, Mike?

-Finishing off, putting the oatcakes on.

-Very Scottish!

..salt-baked beetroot,

wild rice for texture

and Douglas fir oil.

Finally, whipped goat's milk and nasturtium leaves.

That's it. Thank you.

Thanks.

-Well done.

-Thanks.

-Well done, buddy - first one out of the way!

Yeah, I'm glad that one's done!

Finally!

-It looked amazing, mate.

-Good, thank you.

I think it's ballsy going with a vegetarian starter,

-and I applaud you for it.

-It's all about taking risks, isn't it?

-I think...

-I don't think it's that much of a risk, mate -

it looked lovely.

Thank you.

Oh, it looks so pretty!

Doesn't it?

I do think the actual ingredients look a bit of a mess.

I love the textures of this, actually.

I really love the textures of the beetroot.

I usually love beetroot, but I'm finding this beetroot really boring.

Beetroots have got a lovely earthiness to them and sweetness.

Just could do with lifting the acidity,

and maybe a little bit of seasoning slightly?

The apples just aren't...

They're slightly floury.

I think that's an aged russet.

Youth is not on its side.

The apple needs to have that sharpness and crunchiness

if that beetroot is going to sing.

Do you think that whey tastes nice?

I'm not a fan of whey.

-I'm not, I...

-It just tastes like nothing.

It's a little underwhelming for me, to be honest.

You've got to compare it to the dishes

we've had earlier in the day - it's not as good as some of those.

Come on, tell us, Prue, what score would you give this?

Five.

-Five?

-Well, I'm going to give it six.

I think I'll give that dish a six.

Yeah, I agree, I think a six is spot on,

the vegetables just don't match up

to the rest of the dishes we've seen.

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

Tommy Banks is the final chef.

A champion of local British produce, he had an impressive regional heat,

scoring just one point lower than all-time highest scorer Mark Abbott.

Representing the North East is massive.

I think the competition's incredibly strong this year.

I looked down the list of names,

and I knew who everybody was straight away -

I think that says everything.

Tommy's dish, Oeufs Drumkilbo,

is a modern reworking of a royal favourite,

named after Drumkilbo House,

a grand historic home in Scotland where the first recipe was created.

So, it's a dish that's been used a lot at royal banquets.

So I think it's quite a good way to start the banquet.

It's kind of like a prawn cocktaily type thing,

with soft boiled eggs, originally.

I'm doing quail's eggs and langoustines on it.

So it's something the Queen enjoys?

I hope so!

My research suggests so.

Tommy Banks, the youngest chef in this year's competition.

He comes from North Yorkshire.

Claire, the really extraordinary thing about Tommy,

he's completely self-taught, and he has a Michelin star.

Amazing.

The judges certainly felt that I'd maybe modernised my dish too much.

But I took that part of the brief and I got a classical dish

and did it totally in my own way. And from the feedback,

I think they'd like it maybe a little less modern,

or maybe a little bit closer to how it's supposed to be.

So that's how I'm doing my dish today.

Tweaking this dish could turn it into a ten.

He needs to get it a little less wet, though - it was a bit sloppy.

Tommy is ready to plate up.

He starts by pan-frying langoustine tails.

I'm just going to sear it one side, just to get a bit of caramelisation.

Oh, yeah?

To ceramic eggs,

Tommy adds the new langoustine emulsion

with smoked paprika and cayenne pepper...

-I love your bowls.

-Thanks, yeah.

..followed by baby gem lettuce leaves.

Next, sourdough croutons, and another new element -

deep-fried quail's eggs.

Then, the langoustine tails...

Right, boys?

Any pressure?

..pickled radish slices,

pickled mustard seeds

and salty fingers.

Finally, a plum sherry jelly.

So, Chef, how are you getting on here?

Yeah, pretty much done, mate.

Just need a lift with these eggs up to the pass.

-They look beautiful.

-Yeah, I like them.

One each, yeah?

So, yeah, just put the egg down in front of them,

just put the ring to the side.

There you go.

Very pretty.

Marvellous, thank you very much.

OK, I love this egg.

Let's see if the food is as good as the egg.

Not quite, is the answer.

Well, this is a massively-changed dish.

I don't think I like it as much as the original,

but I've done what they've asked me to do,

so hopefully that gets me the marks.

You think they'll prefer this one?

-Well, they should do!

-HE LAUGHS

We didn't have deep-fried quail's eggs before.

He's definitely beefed up the juices at the bottom -

they're much more concentrated and much more satisfactory.

The pickled radish is delicious!

I think this looks like a beautiful plate of food, actually.

-Even out of the egg, it looks great, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

He's obviously tried to give it some texture

by putting the deep-fried croutons

and the deep-fried quail's eggs in there.

But because it's got a lid on it...

So that by the time it gets to us,

the steam inside has taken the crispness off it.

With the quail's eggs and the croutons, works really well. Brings

the whole thing together, gives a really nice earthiness to it.

I really don't like the sauce at all.

I think it's...

powerful, without being pleasant.

-The sauce is...

-Standard.

-..really, really good.

-Yeah, it's a lovely addition,

with a depth of flavour, without changing the dish.

To be honest, this is a slightly lazy response

to our previous criticisms.

It doesn't seem to be well thought-out.

No.

It just doesn't do it for me.

And I would give it six.

I'm going to give it...

a nine.

I would agree with you there - definitely a nine for me.

I think it's an eight for me. It's great, but it's not my favourite.

If only the contents had matched up to the packaging.

As it is, I'm only half-drunk with pleasure,

so I'm going to give it a seven.

It's been very good to taste everyone's dishes today.

Eight very different plates of food, and a high standard of food as well.

Definitely. I mean, judging the food here today would have been

-a serious challenge.

-Yeah.

-THEY LAUGH

We haven't had a dull dish all day,

but three were outstanding.

But the two top dishes - the two Marks - we've got a problem now,

because we gave them ten, all of us.

Those two dishes were

just superb.

So was Josh's, I thought.

Just beautiful.

There are dishes that we have eaten today that are not going to make it

-to the final banquet...

-I know.

-..and they are banquetable dishes.

The chefs' top-three dishes,

based on their scores alone...

Thank you very much.

..can now be revealed.

This is it, guys, this is our scores for ourselves.

In third place...

-Tommy.

-Really?

I'm surprised, to be on the list...

-but, thanks.

-Numbers don't lie.

What?!

-It gets weirder.

-Second?

Danny.

Thanks, lads.

-You're joking.

-I jest you not.

But this means they can only have one of our two top dishes.

Yes.

And...the third one...

In first place, they did agree with us.

The average of the chefs' scores has been added to the judges',

and a final leaderboard can be revealed.

Hello, chefs. How was it in the kitchen today?

-Competitive.

-It was good though.

-Yeah, it was good.

-Well, today,

we are looking for a starter that will set the tone for a banquet to

celebrate the Queen's Great Britons.

And today, we've had some dishes which were truly amazing.

And others which, I'm afraid, weren't.

And I'm sure you'd all like to know where you are on that leaderboard.

In eighth place...

..Danny.

I know all the other chefs loved your dish,

but, unfortunately, we didn't.

-OK, thank you.

-See you tomorrow.

In seventh place...

..it's...

..Michael.

It was very, very brave to cook a vegetarian dish,

and there was some very strong opposition today,

-including Prue Leith.

-THEY LAUGH

-Thank you very much.

-Good luck tomorrow.

-Cheers.

I can't believe you're out.

-I couldn't believe that.

-That's life.

-I'm shocked by that.

-Yeah.

Not as much as me.

In sixth place, it's...

..Tommy.

The chefs all really liked your dish, but unfortunately,

we just didn't think the textures and flavours worked.

Well, there's always tomorrow, isn't there?

-Exactly right.

-Best of luck, guys.

-Thank you, cheers.

-See you tomorrow.

Seriously?

In fifth place...

..it's Phil.

We loved your dish in the heats - we thought it was amazing.

We just didn't think you cooked it as well today.

I was first up, so maybe nerves got the better of me.

-Thank you.

-Good luck tomorrow.

In fourth place, it's...

..Adam.

It was great. But, unfortunately, we thought it was a canape.

Yeah. Thank you very much.

Cheers, guys, good luck.

So we have been looking for

perfect dishes all day.

And we now have three amazing contenders.

And I can tell you that, in third place...

..it's...

Josh.

We loved your coronation chicken and lobster.

You know, it was amazing.

We scored it very, very highly.

-Good luck tomorrow.

-All right.

-It was great.

-Cheers.

-Thanks.

-All right, guys?

-THEY LAUGH

Don't shake my hand then!

There's two left in there, so could be shortlisted,

or it could be straight through.

You never know.

I can tell you...

..we scored both of you four tens.

Wow.

-Well done.

-Well done, boss.

Thank you.

Let me start with Mark Abbott.

You have taken a very, very ordinary ingredient - the potato -

and done extraordinary things with it.

It was just a fabulous bit of cooking.

Thank you very much, it means a lot.

Potatoes are just something you're born and bred with

when you're from Ireland.

You know, I just really wanted to showcase them.

Well, t'other Mark.

I think your cooking showed the magic of

transformation of ingredients.

You took bubble and squeak

and turned it into a seductive,

brilliant dish that was an absolute joy to eat.

-Are you surprised?

-Massively, yeah.

It's an absolute honour. And I love the dish -

I think the flavours sort of speak for themselves.

All of the judges agreed that both those dishes

would be a suitable starter for the banquet.

So we have added in the chefs' scores.

There is an outright winner.

Mark, it is your potato extravaganza

that will be served as a starter

at the banquet. Congratulations.

Well done.

Congratulations.

You seem a bit lost for words.

Uh, just a little bit, yeah.

Yeah, the standard today has just been phenomenal.

And...

..yeah, that's caught the back of my throat, I must admit.

I didn't expect that.

Didn't expect that at all.

Thank you very much.

Bad luck, Mark. I mean, you were pipped to the post

by the narrowest of margins.

Couldn't have lost to a greater dish,

and I'm really pleased for Mark.

We are all super-excited to see what happens with the rest of the week.

So we'll see you tomorrow.

Thank you very much.

-Bye, guys.

-Thank you.

It's the first day of Finals Week,

and I've been told that I'm actually going to the banquet,

representing Northern Ireland, cooking the starter.

It's completely bananas.

Here they are.

We both got four tens,

so we were pretty blown away.

And...?

Well, I've been put straight through to the banquet,

so I'm cooking in Westminster.

Thank you very much. Thank you.

It's just phenomenal. It's...

Yeah, I'm properly made up.

Being so close kind of makes it bittersweet, I suppose.

Please don't do this tomorrow for your fish course.

Give us a chance!

I've come last for the starter, but I've got three more dishes to go.

So I've just got to give it my all for the next three dishes.