Central Judging Great British Menu

It's judgment day on Great British Menu,

as returning chef Pip Lacey...

You have a sort of taste of it,

now I want to go through to the next stage.

..goes head-to-head with newcomer Ryan Simpson...

This is a masterclass in fine food.

..in a battle to represent the Central Region

in the National Finals.

Got it. Head down and keep going.

I won't be happy if I go home, and you go through.

The prize - to cook at a glorious Taste Of Summer banquet,

held in honour of 140 years of the iconic Wimbledon Championships.

Today, they're cooking their menus again,

in the hope of impressing the formidable panel of judges -

Matthew Fort, Oliver Peyton,

and, for the first time this year,

food broadcaster and restaurateur Andi Oliver.

It would be a shame if a dish like this is not at the banquet.

-Seconds?

-Yeah, I'd go again.

Having narrowly missed out at the hands of the judges before,

Pip is determined to get to the National Finals.

I really don't want to go home today.

But Ryan has impressed all week with his technically accomplished dishes,

finishing on the same points as Pip.

I'm looking for a ten today. I want a ten off these judges today.

Only one will make it through.

Are you joking?!

Argh!

Welcome to Great British Menu kitchen.

And so the chef who will be going through to the final is...

Returning chef Pip Lacey scored highly in the week,

receiving two nines from veteran judge Richard Bainbridge,

but her fish dish wasn't quite so impressive,

getting her only a seven.

My menu's much better than last time for those higher scores.

I have to go through to the next stage.

That's what I came here to do.

-Good luck.

-Cheers, man. Good luck.

Yeah, push on.

Newcomer Ryan also has the finals in his sights.

Having performed well all week and equalling Pip's overall score,

he's hoping that taking some of veteran judge Richard's advice

will give him the edge.

Yeah, I mean, as tough as the week has been,

I really do need to step it up a notch.

I need to be the sharpest knife in the drawer.

This year, judges Oliver Peyton and Matthew Fort

are joined by a new member of the judging panel,

food broadcaster and restaurateur Andi Oliver.

Pip Lacey, returning for a second time.

Rich Bainbridge only pipped her at the post the last time.

I also remember really liking her cooking.

She's got one Michelin star.

She cooks for Angela Hartnett at Murano,

I'm quite excited to try her food.

Pip is established whereas Ryan, I think, you know,

he's a bit more an unknown quantity,

and has a great deal more to gain from this.

I think he's one of those guys that's worked very hard,

he's now starting to get recognised.

Two chefs at the top of their game,

and I think both of them are desperate to win.

You know they finished on completely equal scores,

so I reckon the competition's going to be pretty nail-biting.

It's going to be gladiatorial.

-Yes.

-Maybe we'll have another draw today.

How are you feeling the second time around?

It's a different kind of pressure, I think.

You have sort of a taste of it,

now I want to go through to the next stage.

I won't be happy if I go home, and you go through.

-Hello, chefs!

-Hello.

Pip, you've been here before.

Yep. Hopefully I'm going to impress you a little bit more

than the last time.

Ryan, this is your first time in the kitchen.

It feels like it's the first time in a kitchen, ever!

It's just so different. Yeah, it's been fantastic.

Been a good week, though?

There's been a few scary moments.

No room for scary moments today.

We're looking for the very finest cooking

for the very finest event to celebrate summer.

You've had lots of nines, but tens are going to tip the balance.

-ANDI:

-Good luck, chefs.

-BOTH:

-Thank you.

The first time cooking for the judges.

It's going to be hard. It's a lot of nerves going now

because it's the judges, completely different palates,

four different ideas, four different styles.

Ryan is first to plate up his Summer Fruit & Veg starter,

a tomato and goat's cheese dish,

inspired by the sights and smells of the season.

The dish scored an eight in the week,

but despite veteran judge Richard

questioning whether the tomato gel

on his pastry cannelloni was necessary,

it's an element Ryan has chosen to keep today.

I might represent the tomato water gel in a different aspect,

rather than wrapping it round the cannelloni.

-Where have you put it?

-I've just cut it into small pieces...

-Yep.

-..and just dotted it around on elements

that I want a kick of tomato.

I tell you what, I'm only cooking for four judges,

but it feels like I'm cooking for a banquet of 200.

The chefs will also be marked by a guest judge

who has first-hand experience

of the dedication required to become a champion, Jordanne Whiley,

one of Britain's most successful tennis players,

who's triumphed at all four Wheelchair Grand Slams

and is the current Wimbledon Wheelchair Doubles winner.

Hello, Jordanne, welcome to the judges' chamber.

Thank you very much.

-Hi there, I'm Andi.

-I'm Matthew.

-Hiya.

-So, Jordanne,

I got tired and dizzy looking at how many things you've won in tennis.

Can you give me a small snapshot?

I won Wimbledon three times.

Three times! That's greedy.

I know. Double bronze medallist from two Paralympic Games.

Have you got any medals with you?

-I do.

-Come on.

-Oh, amazing.

So this one is my 2016 Wimbledon plate for the doubles.

What do you think it takes to be a Wimbledon champion?

Sacrifice.

-Dedication.

-Worth it?

Definitely, yeah.

Definitely.

Back in the kitchen,

Ryan is preparing the Polytunnel platter for his starter,

summer fruit and veg.

He begins with a spiced tomato concentrate,

and tomato-infused squid ink shortbread.

This is a masterclass in fine food

and how not to shake so much.

He adds chopped onions, the tomato water gel,

avocado rolled in tomato powder, courgette slices,

and edible flowers.

Next, his goat's cheese and courgette cannelloni.

How's the filling? Happy with it with the courgettes?

Yeah, I've got the texture there.

Finally, confit tomatoes and deep-fried courgette flowers.

Nice and steady.

-Happy?

-Yeah. Fingers crossed they'll get the whole idea.

-Oh, look.

-It's a Polytunnel!

Did you expect to come on the Great British Menu

and get a Polytunnel?

I didn't, but I actually really like it.

I'm not really sure what the edible earth is,

because it does taste like chocolate cookies,

which is a little bit strange.

I really appreciate the amount of work

that's gone into creating this,

but then, when you start eating it,

it becomes kind of really boring quite quickly.

I think that's completely correct.

And that's a problem when you have quite a lot of work done

on the prop, and then you don't deliver on the food.

Yeah.

He's got this, what he calls a cannelloni,

which isn't a cannelloni which is made from pasta,

and this is made from pastry,

and it's filled with slightly undistinguished goat's cheese.

I think we can only go up from here.

Oh, it's not that bad.

Do you think a dish like this is good enough

for a banquet at Wimbledon?

For a banquet, it looks the part, but if I'm honest,

I think it needs something in there to give it that oomph!

That's why you're a champion.

Pip is next to the pass with her ravioli soup dish...

..inspired by the crowd's resilience when rain stops play.

Veteran judge Richard scored it a near-perfect nine,

suggesting she lose the tomato water gel that covered the dish.

Are you doing anything different with that starter of yours, Pip?

I'm going to take off the jelly, I think,

it doesn't change the flavour.

Pip makes her purple beetroot and green basil pasta doughs,

a nod to the Wimbledon colours.

Is that pasta as tricky as the other day, Pip?

No, it's not as tricky.

I blamed the pasta machine the other day,

but I think it might have been me.

Are you joking?

It's just decided to break just now.

BLEEP.

I just need to get it through once.

Yes. Yes. Yes!

With her pasta finally rolled,

Pip plates her deep-fried honey-soused tomatoes,

followed by softened courgette,

green beans, radish and tomato hearts.

With time running out,

Pip asks Ryan to pour her tomato water into watering cans.

She drains her goat's cheese ravioli and places on top of the dish.

-Thank you very much.

-Well done.

Yeah.

-That's the first course out of the way.

-Yeah.

Oh!

Quite neon, isn't it?

It looks like a Wimbledon rave!

Oh! I quite enjoy the little pour from the watering can, actually.

And it is like rain.

That reminds me of all the times at Wimbledon

where we've had rain delays.

So you left it off this time around, the rain cover?

Yep. I don't know if it looks a bit messy now.

I thought it looked really nice before.

The pour from the watering can, actually,

I find that quite pleasing.

You've got the tomato rain, possibly slightly over-salty.

It's not too salty, I just think it's really intense.

I love the tiny little shredded beans in there, the vegetables.

It's beautiful.

Well, this is the ravioli.

Purple, I'm not quite sure why, but it's filled with goat's cheese.

The purple and the green are the colours of Wimbledon.

-ALL:

-Ah!

Thank you for the illumination,

I think the goat's cheese actually works extremely well.

It works really well.

There is a sort of lovely little warmth

that comes through from those raviolis when you bite into it.

It's really sweet.

This is a very sophisticated piece of thinking.

And do you know what else it is? Really, really summery.

This is a high scorer.

It would be a shame if a dish like this is not at the banquet.

So there you are, at Wimbledon,

settled down to a little dish of this just to keep the spirits up?

Definitely, it's summer in a tennis ball.

THEY LAUGH

Next, it's the fish course.

Ryan is first to plate up his lobster dish...

..inspired by the nation's love of a summer barbecue.

Veteran Richard scored it a nine,

saying he was unsure about Ryan's specially created rolled chips.

However, the dish did capture a barbecue taste,

despite Ryan not using one to cook it.

Oh, it nearly took half your face off.

Melted your glasses!

First on Ryan's barbecue display goes lobster mayo.

He coats sweetcorn and lobster meat in a Bourbon-based sauce

to give a barbecue flavour, and places in seared shells.

He adds a lettuce and kohlrabi salad,

before checking on the deep fat fryer

for his reinvented chips...

The chips are going to be another 30 seconds. The pressure's on.

..which he's made from a rolled strip of buttered potato

for a crispy texture throughout.

-Tense, tense, tense.

-The judges are going to be waiting.

I want to get it right. It's the golden rule if you mess it up,

keep going till you get it right and don't send out rubbish.

With his chips finally ready, he adds to the dish.

I don't want no-one to say they're like a spring roll.

I want it to be like a chip.

At the last minute, he activates dry ice

with lobster bisque for added theatre.

OK, guys, just pop it in front like a barbecue.

-Let's go.

-Did it.

It looked great.

A lot better than the first one.

-A bit late.

-A bit late, but...

Oh.

Whoa, look at this!

Oh, wow!

What do you think the judges will make of you not barbecuing it?

Richard was quite a tough judge and he gave me a nine on this one,

so this is the ten that I'm looking for.

The lobster has been superbly cooked.

I've never had lobster before, but I really love it.

I think this is really beautiful.

I really like the taste of the barbecue

because that is real summer for me.

My problem is that it's just not a barbecue...

..but I'm willing to forgive that because it tastes really delicious.

-RYAN:

-Honest opinion.

-Is it a chip?

-It's still not a chip.

These chips are outstanding.

-They are, aren't they?

-I could eat these forever.

It's more like a potato roll than it is like a chip.

Oh, are you going to start?

The inside should be light and floury.

I really like them. I think it does resemble a chip.

That's three of us, Matthew.

That lobster mayo, I think, is yummy!

It works really lovely with the big fat chip!

Next up is Pip's Lobster Cream and Strawberry Salad by the Courtside,

a twist on the Wimbledon classic, strawberries and cream.

Despite the combination of fish and fruit

failing to impress veteran judge Richard,

who scored it a seven,

today, Pip's sticking with her original dish.

So, Pip, you got a seven for this dish.

-Yep.

-Sure you don't want to make no changes, try and get a ten?

I just really believe in this dish.

Maybe Rich just doesn't get out much, I don't know.

First on to Pip's specially made tennis-themed presentation boards

goes lobster meat and roasted strawberries,

blackened to add bitterness.

Confident about the strawberries still?

Yeah, yeah, you only live once.

Next, she adds lettuce coated in a classic vinaigrette

and lovage puree,

an element Richard felt could overwhelm the dish

with its intense celery flavour.

You said you made it a bit lighter, the lovage?

Yeah, it's just a nicer flavour, really.

It's not as bitter.

To finish, she spoons on her lobster bisque cream,

made using brandy and vermouth, and serves with a glass of champagne.

-Thank you, guys.

-That looks fantastic.

-Good?

-Yep.

-Yeah.

-Two down.

-Two down.

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah.

Well, there's a lot of tennis.

It's a canape.

It really is a canape.

It's just not big enough. I'm sorry.

So we've got some lobster.

I assume this is the roasted strawberry.

The little blobs of lovage.

I was a bit dubious about the roasted strawberries,

and they seem to serve no purpose.

-I'm sorry.

-Oh, Jordanne!

What is that green stuff?!

Not loving the lovage?

-What's lovage?

-It's a herb.

Oh, no.

You don't look terribly happy?

The lobster is lovely but that stuff is horrendous!

All the ingredients are well cooked, the lobster's nicely cooked.

But they don't go together, Oliver.

No, I don't think they do go together.

No, there's no sort of harmony here.

To quote another great Wimbledon champion, "You cannot be serious!"

And I think our little stick men say it all,

because they don't look very happy.

As the chefs prepare their main courses,

the judges are weighing up the dishes so far.

They've both had one really good dish,

and one really not very good dish to a really poor dish.

All I can say is, there's one dish

I would like to see there at the banquet.

Yeah, I agree.

I've enjoyed some more than others.

I feel like it could be close.

So I'm really intrigued to see what comes out this afternoon.

For the main course, Pip is first to the pass

with her barbecued pigeon and pie dish...

..a tribute to the hawk that patrols Wimbledon's courts,

scaring away the birds.

It scored Pip her second nine of the week,

with veteran Richard's only complaint

that there should have been more.

How are the parcels? They look a bit bigger than yesterday.

-Yeah, I've gone a bit bigger.

-So why have you gone bigger?

I think for a main course you want a substantial amount, so...

Pip begins plating on her picnic-style platter.

First, barbecued pigeon breast...

Are you happy with the cooking of the pigeon there, Pip?

-Yeah.

-It looks absolutely perfect.

..followed by fennel coleslaw...

..blackberries and a pigeon sauce.

She finishes with her bigger pigeon pie.

-Fantastic.

-Thank you.

It's intense, isn't it?

Yep!

This, apparently, is Game, Set and Match Rufus.

But who is Rufus?

It's the bird that flies over Centre Court

to keep the pigeons away.

-ALL:

-Oh!

There's a lot of garden.

Are blackberries summer?

Late summer, shall we say.

All right.

For me, it screams summer.

The pigeon, maybe not necessarily, but the link to Wimbledon.

-Are you still going with that story?

-Yeah, I think so.

I think enough people should know who he is.

-Have you met him yourself?

-Yeah, yeah.

Top hawk!

This little bit of pigeon that I just ate was really quite lovely.

The pie is fantastic.

-Is it?

-It's a beautiful piece of pastry.

A lot of jelly in there.

So that's the summer cup jelly inside this delicious little pie.

I think that pie is absolutely outstanding.

I think that's one of the nicest pies I've ever eaten.

Those raw blackberries are a bit of a problem for me.

-Yeah.

-I was thinking the same, actually,

it's quite sharp against the pigeon.

I think she's really missed a trick here,

she should have made the pie about three times the size,

put more of the pigeon into that,

and I could see that going through to the banquet easily.

I really like Pip's cooking,

she's setting down a benchmark here for Ryan to follow.

Next up is Ryan and his main course...

..renamed after veteran judge Richard

criticised its original title

for promising a pint and failing to deliver.

The main thing is that I called it A Ploughman's and a Pint,

and I ain't serving a pint, so I've taken that off.

Ryan begins with a piccalilli of raw cauliflower,

runner beans and shallots,

covered with a mustard and vinegar sauce.

I've changed the piccalilli. The sauce is a lot more lighter.

-Yeah.

-Better?

-Better.

-Got the crunch?

-Maybe a bit too much.

He adds coleslaw, pickled onion shells and beetroot discs,

followed by a sourdough crisp.

Next, potato salad,

a new addition after Richard complained about

a lack of carbohydrate.

You've added potato. Is it a ploughman's if it's got potato?

It's a ploughman's picnic and every picnic deserves potato salad.

Ryan plates his aerated cheese sauce,

tops with celery and apple for bite,

and finishes with his big glazed ham hock.

Excellent, guys, let's go.

-Better.

-Yeah.

Wow! Wow!

I do love a small helping!

Mmm, this is a dish especially for you, Matthew.

-There IS something missing from this set-up.

-Tell us.

-What's that?

A ploughman's is not complete without a pint of beer.

Do you think they'll get it?

Yes, picnic, it's kind of rustic.

-Main course?

-Yeah, I think so.

Yeah.

That is one fine-looking ham hock, I think.

It looks really summery.

Yeah, but there is a lot of it, isn't there?

It's delicious, though.

It's lovely.

I was a bit worried about this cheese sauce, but it really is good.

The piccalilli is a disaster.

-Why?

-Well, it is so vinegary, there is no balance there.

-It's pretty sharp.

-It is really sharp.

It reminds me of being outside at a pub in the summer.

It does have the look and feel of a pub dish.

It needs to become more delicate.

Not sophisticated, not high-end cooking, but very, very nice.

It's the dessert course, and the chefs' last opportunity to impress.

First to plate up is Pip with Why The Pineapple?

A reference to the pineapple on the top of the Men's Singles trophy.

It earned her an eight with veteran judge Richard,

saying it lacked the excitement of a banquet finale.

Pip starts with a rum and pineapple punch

which will be poured on to dry ice to give a pineapple aroma.

I can't see!

Next, she tops coriander semifreddo with charred and fresh pineapple

and quenelles of pineapple sorbet,

before adding to her presentation box.

To finish, pineapple and coriander crisps,

along with an explanatory note.

Stunning.

Well done. Last dish.

-Done.

-Done.

-When they get that pineapple...

..smell.

-Ohh.

-Bless my soul.

"Welcome to the Royal Box.

"You are cordially invited to pour your punch

"over the golden grille and the pineapple."

It's the old dry ice!

Really beautiful to look at, I think.

Fantastic, isn't it?

Did you change what Richard said

about the drink going on the pineapple?

No, I can't imagine them all

swigging from the bottle, to be honest.

It's very punchy, that drink, isn't it?

I'd like a bit more!

1887, Matthew, is that your birthday?

I think it might be the birthday of Wimbledon.

I think it's the birth of the Men's Singles trophy,

the tiny little pineapple that is on the top.

-Oh!

-And no-one really knows why it's there.

Ahh!

The semifreddo is lovely.

Oh!

So you get that sweet pineapple, then the hit of coriander.

And that's so difficult to balance.

I don't like coriander, I think it's too overpowering,

but I think, in this, I'm really pleasantly surprised.

-Mmm!

-It's an intelligent piece of cooking,

it's an intelligent piece of thinking.

Perfect way to end a meal.

-Seconds?

-Yeah, I'd go again!

The last dish of the day is Ryan's dessert...

..featuring honey sponge and ice cream,

and inspired by the honey bee.

Veteran judge Richard

felt it sung the Taste of Summer brief and awarded it a nine.

The pressure's on.

He starts by putting cinnamon cones and strawberry sauce

into ice cream van displays.

The ice cream cone, is it smaller?

A little bit smaller, yeah.

To his honeycomb boards, he adds strawberry puree,

freeze-dried strawberry powder and honeycomb,

followed by a mix of sweet and sour strawberries and pine berries.

Ha-ha!

Next, honey sponge and then honeycomb,

honey glaze and a quenelle of honey ice cream.

To finish, he fills his cones with a soft serve ice cream...

I've got to be one of the most bravest men

in this country to do this.

..and tops with a Flake...

Let's go.

-I feel like I'm going to collapse now.

-You look like it!

TINKLING MUSIC: Pop Goes the Weasel

-Oh.

-The little ice cream van music.

# Di-di-dee-dee! #

It's rather artistic. Some nice smells.

-Wow.

-I think it looks pretty amazing.

I think it looks great and it smells amazing.

It's like an ice cream you had as a kid, you know.

Not just as a kid, either.

There's actually some chocolate in the bottom of the cone...

-Oh, is there?

-..which was a nice surprise.

There's also this little squeezy thing with more strawberry.

That's quite nice, that strawberry puree

that he's got going on in there

and it is quite fun doing it.

While you all have been talking about the ice cream,

I've just demolished the sponge.

You've eaten the whole thing?

-Cos it's delicious.

-Mmm.

It's very light, isn't it?

The honey flavour in that is lovely, actually.

Slightly eggy, though.

-I like that.

-What about the honeycomb?

Lovely and crunchy?

I love the honeycomb.

This sort of dissolves into nothing in your mouth.

It's really well executed, again.

Honey is a very, very brave choice of ingredient

for a pudding, and he's carried it off.

I get a real BUZZ out of this pudding!

THEY GROAN

I think it's going to be really tight.

I think it is, yeah, I think it is.

The dishes have been interesting.

Some of them, I've liked more than others.

I think what Ryan's dishes have had today,

is that they've been more consistent than Pip's.

-PIP:

-I came back to go all the way.

I felt that in the kitchen today.

I just really want it.

-OLIVER:

-Let's do the math

and find out who's going through to the final.

Welcome, chefs. How's it been today?

-Exhausting.

-A bit brutal.

Pip, it's your second time here on the Great British Menu.

Does it get any easier?

No.

No, it doesn't.

-OLIVER:

-Ryan, you're the newbie, what did you think?

It's so intense in there.

It's just a different world. And emotional.

I can tell you

that it has been a really closely-fought contest all day.

But, sadly, there can only be one winner,

and so the chef going through to the final is...

..Pip.

Congratulations. Congratulations.

Speechless.

Amazing. Thank you so much.

Pip, your pineapple dish, it quite literally blew me away.

I'm still smiling about it, it was just sublime.

Pip, you should be really elated with your win.

-I am.

-Your food was delightful, it made me really happy.

Ryan, you absolutely cooked your socks off,

and you were, quite literally,

dare I say, PIPPED at the post!

Ryan, your barbecued lobster was perfectly cooked. Commiserations.

I really do hope we see you again.

Pip, we really look forward to trying your food at the finals.

-Thank you both.

-Thank you.

Thanks, guys.

-RYAN:

-Well done.

-Yay!

-A little gutted I'm going home.

It would have been great to represent the Central Region.

It's so much better than... I know what Ryan's going through.

It's great. Yeah, ecstatic.

-How you doing, champion?

-Yeah, good.

-You all good?

Congratulations.

How are you feeling?

Yes. Just yes!

How are you?

A little deflated, but I've gone out against a fantastic chef.

-I think we should have a drink.

-Yes, definitely.

The judges said it was very close.

I'm quite happy with that. I'll definitely be back.

Get one of those dishes to the banquet.

-Do us proud.

-Will do.

-Cheers.

-Cheers.