Final Main Great British Menu

It's the national finals of Great British Menu...

-Sweating a little bit.

-You want to give it everything.

..as the eight regional champions go head-to-head...

-Pretty stressed.

-Tell me about it.

..for a place at this year's glorious Taste of Summer banquet...

Fingers crossed.

..celebrating 140 years of the iconic Wimbledon Championships,

the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world.

Yesterday...the chefs did battle for the fish course.

-I really want to get a dish at the banquet.

-All or nothing.

And after an intensely fought competition...

All four of your dishes were absolutely delicious.

There really weren't many points between you at all.

..returning chef Tommy Banks won for the second year in a row...

Congratulations, Tommy, you've done it again.

Thank you very much, that's amazing. Thank you.

..with his unique dish combining turbot with strawberries

and cream.

It hasn't sunk in. I feel really nervous and shaky, to be honest.

Today, the heat is on for the main course.

I feel like I've turned up for the wrong party here.

I'm the only one without a barbecue.

But with only two spots left on the final menu...

If I don't make this one, I think I might have run out of chances.

..and champion Tommy Banks hoping to make history with a third win...

I'm nervous right now, very.

..whose dish will go all the way?

So the chef going forward to cook the main course at the banquet is...

Today, the chefs will be cooking their main courses,

and with the standard of the competition so high,

they all know they'll need to deliver perfection.

Big day today, guys.

Today's main course, it's the course everyone wants. I'm very nervous.

Today's my shaky day.

Pressure is still on. But looking forward to it.

Definitely feeling the butterflies!

To succeed,

the chefs will need to impress the discerning panel of judges -

Matthew Fort, Oliver Peyton and Andi Oliver.

I cannot imagine how the chefs

have got any energy left today for the main course,

because the amount of effort they put in yesterday into that fish

course was just absolutely amazing.

It was phenomenal yesterday, the level of cooking,

the beautiful dishes that came out of that kitchen

were really extraordinary.

Yesterday, the judges selected Tommy Banks' turbot

with strawberries and cream

to follow Pip Lacey's Whatever the Weather starter.

I think I'm still kind of buzzing a bit and some point it's going to

really sink in that I'm actually going.

For Tommy Banks to win the fish course yesterday,

he had to get four tens.

Tom Brown had 39 and it wasn't good enough.

So they know they've got to get four tens today.

There's only two spots left.

I don't want come second every time, I want to win one.

Well, the pressure is on.

Today, the judges will each mark the chefs' dishes out of ten,

with the highest scorer winning a place on the final banquet menu.

Hello, chefs. Welcome.

Yesterday was such a fantastic day.

You cooked some incredible fish dishes.

Tommy Banks, you must be feeling fantastic,

second year in a row with the fish course at the banquet. You going to

push on today and see if you can get the main course as well?

Absolutely, yeah. I'd like to make your jobs difficult.

Oh, thanks!

Michael and Phil, you've both been to the finals before,

and yesterday you were so unlucky with your fish courses,

but the standard is just so high this year.

Do you think you can crack it with your mains?

Hopefully. I'm just going to cook it to the best of my ability

and hopefully you'll enjoy it more than my fish course.

-How about you, Michael?

-I'm very nervous.

I got four tens for the regional, I'm just going to cook hard today

and see how it works out.

We've seen some really amazing cooking this year and the standard

is getting higher and higher,

so we're really excited to see what you come up with today.

-Good luck to you all and we'll see you all later. Good luck.

-Thank you.

First into the kitchen are Pip Lacey representing the central region,

Phil Carmichael for Wales, and Tom Brown from the south-west.

-Good luck, Pip.

-Good luck, man. Good luck, Tom.

-Good luck, Pip.

-Good luck, Tom.

-Good luck.

With only two more places on the final banquet menu,

and the chefs all gunning for glory,

the pressure in the kitchen is immense.

-Guys, main course, how are you feeling?

-Pretty stressed, actually.

The standard was so high yesterday,

that the atmosphere seems a little bit different.

-I think everyone is a bit more serious.

-Every man for himself now.

-Yes.

-Definitely a bit more competitive, I think.

Yeah, absolutely.

Helping to choose the main course for the banquet

is guest judge wheelchair tennis champion Gordon Reid.

In 2016 he won the first-ever men's singles wheelchair championships

at Wimbledon, as well as triumphing in the men's doubles event

and taking gold at the Paralympics in Rio.

Gordon, welcome to the judges' chamber.

Thanks very much, great to meet you.

Come and meet Andi and Matthew.

-Hi, there.

-Good to see you.

Well, we hope you're hungry.

-Very hungry.

-Do you like meat?

-I love meat, yeah.

-You're about to have a lot of it!

Gordon, what does it take to be a champion?

Good question. The right diet, a lot of meat!

THEY LAUGH

No, I mean, it takes a lot. I'm a full-time athlete so that's my job

and I dedicate my life to the sport.

You started off in tennis at a pretty young age, didn't you?

I started playing tennis when I was six and then I got injured

when I was 12, and that's when I got into wheelchair tennis.

In 2016, you played at Wimbledon and you won the first-ever men's

wheelchair singles final, just an extraordinary feat.

Yeah, it was an amazing experience for me,

to go out there and play singles at Wimbledon.

It's the tournament I grew up as a boy watching on TV, so to have

the chance last year for the first time ever was a dream come true.

-Have you got a medal to show for it?

-I have something to show you, yeah.

Oh, we like medals.

Look at that baby.

That's the doubles and this is the singles.

So you're a doubles champion and singles champion?

-Yep.

-Do you give anybody else a chance?

It seems to be a bit harsh on everybody else.

I'm a little bit greedy, aren't I?!

The banquet is designed to celebrate summer and also

140 years of Wimbledon. Now, bearing those in mind,

what does that sort of food image conjure up for you?

Wimbledon is a very classic tournament,

so probably a few classic dishes today.

You know, mixed in with that summer vibe, barbecue style.

-There are one or two of those!

-Expecting a lot of that.

But I'm looking forward to it. Summer food always brings

good memories of spending time

with family and friends outside in the sun.

Not that we get that much of that in Glasgow!

Back in the kitchen, both Pip and Phil are using barbecues in the hope

of capturing the taste of summer brief.

So it's the heat with us both barbecuing, it's getting a bit hot

-in here.

-I feel like I've turned up at the wrong party. I'm the only one

-without a barbecue.

-British summer time, you have to have a barbecue.

As soon as the sun comes out,

every man and woman under the sun thinks they know how to barbecue.

Invariably burn lots of stuff.

Just want to celebrate that with my main course.

Hopefully not burning stuff!

Returning finalist Phil Carmichael is first to serve for the judges.

Yesterday, he had high hopes for his fish dish

but ended up in third place.

I was really disappointed,

didn't get what I wanted yesterday out of the fish course,

so just got to dust myself off,

get in the kitchen and smash my main course.

Phil Carmichael's a wonderful chef, really inventive, beautiful food.

This is his third time at the competition,

and he hasn't actually ever made it to the banquet.

I think he'll be really gunning for it today.

Phil's main course, Fired!,

is a sophisticated take on the British summer barbecue,

featuring barbecued Welsh leg of lamb,

with a barbecue sauce served with four different salads.

In the regional heats, the dish impressed veteran judge Tom Aikens.

You took the humble barbecue to another level.

I'm giving you a nine.

But the judges felt it wasn't quite refined enough

for the grandeur of the banquet.

Gordon, you said you like barbecue and we're here to please

-because the first dish is barbecue.

-Perfect.

That's what I like to hear!

There was some very fine lamb.

I really like that purple potato salad.

I wasn't keen on it, actually, but there was a lovely barbecue sauce.

Perfect start. Look forward to it.

In a bid to finally win a place on the menu,

today Phil is attempting to elevate his salads to banquet standard.

What tweaks have you made, then?

They didn't like my pickled turnip slaw that I did in the regionals

so I've changed that to pickled barbecue cabbage,

refining the potato salad. They said it wasn't creamy enough.

My mum makes a beautiful potato salad.

-Yeah?

-Are the judges going to think this is special enough?

I've confited the potatoes,

just a little bit of oil and just mix them with some shallots, chives,

quark cheese and some sour cream.

Hopefully, that will be enough to get me a good score.

Phil starts by adding his wrapped potato filled with sour cream

and quark cheese, then tops with chives.

Next, he starts work on his serving plates.

-What's the sauce you're putting on?

-Special barbecue ketchup.

-Nice.

Then a new addition - pickled barbecue cabbage,

followed by barbecued green and yellow courgettes,

and baby aubergine.

What's the garnish you're going with there, Phil?

Charred sweetcorn with a little bit of lemon in there.

Oh, nice. Can't wait to eat this.

He dresses with mint oil and slices his leg of lamb.

-How is the lamb?

-Yeah, it's looking good.

-Yeah? Nice and pink?

In a change to the presentation,

he places the lamb onto mini coal-fired barbecues with thyme.

Thank you.

Phew!

-All right?

-Yeah.

That was tough.

Ooh. It's very different.

He's really neatened the whole thing up, hasn't he?

There was a lot, it was much more sprawling last time, as I recall.

-Gordon, what do you think?

-Yeah, it's interesting.

Probably a combination I wouldn't have put together with the sweetcorn

in there as well, but it looks tasty, it looks juicy.

It definitely looks like summer to me.

Hopefully they'll like the tweaks I made.

It wasn't my strongest dish in regionals so...

I like the sort of smokiness of the meat straightaway.

The meat is really well cooked, lovely, well seasoned.

I've got to say, he should just bottle that barbecue sauce,

he'll make a fortune.

Yeah, I think it goes well with the meat and, yeah, I'm a big fan of it.

If yesterday was anything to go by, then there'll be another seven

world-class dishes going out so, who knows?

I love the cabbage. I remember I had issues with the coleslaw before

so I think that actually just treating it as pickled cabbage

-has actually transformed that.

-The potato salad's much better.

Much better. And these little curls are absolutely...

-wonderful.

-The potato salad's delicious.

Just way better than my mum's.

THEY LAUGH

I don't think it's exciting enough for the banquet.

-There's no magic.

-I think there's an enormous amount going on here,

but it's lost that sort of lovely free and easy outdoor feeling

of the proper barbecue.

Could you see this at the Wimbledon banquet, Gordon?

I'm not sure if it stands out for me as a Wimbledon dish.

-I don't know if it's really blown me away.

-You are being tough!

You're starting off as you mean to go on.

Next to cook for the judges

is first-time finalist from the south-west, Tom Brown,

head chef at a Michelin-starred fish restaurant.

So far, he's narrowly missed out on a place at the banquet,

coming in the top three for his starter

and second for his fish course.

I've been up near the top twice now,

so obviously the judges like what I'm doing.

I'm dying to get to the banquet, I really want to finish first today.

Tom Brown is the "nearly man."

He very nearly went through on the first course.

Yesterday, he was one point off the lead.

Trust me, in tennis, one point can make all the difference.

-The same here, obviously.

-So, I'm wishing very good things for him.

I'm hoping he'll just make that breakthrough.

Tom's main Porthilly Under Roast

is an elegant modern take on a traditional Cornish dish,

which makes use of surplus veg and is based on the recipe

cooked by his mum.

They mean a lot to me, all of these dishes.

They are from the heart, every one. So I'd love this one to do well.

His version features rib of beef and oysters in a complex beer sauce,

topped with potato cake,

served with sweet gem lettuce in an oyster emulsion.

In the regional heats,

Michael O'Hare was bowled over by the execution of the cooking.

I'm scoring you a ten.

-The food was impossible to fault. Congratulations.

-Cheers, thank you.

But the judges disagreed and didn't think the dish fitted

the taste of summer brief.

It was a bit of a sort of hotpot affair.

You felt like you needed a nap afterwards,

which wasn't very summery.

We want dishes fit for Wimbledon champions.

Why don't we ask somebody who knows?

What do you think you're looking for for a Wimbledon feast?

Something light and fresh and nothing that is going to make you

want to sleep afterwards cos that's not good.

In the hope of better hitting the brief today,

Tom is refining his dish to make it more summery,

and serving his under roast on light green coloured plates.

What have you got going on there on the plate, Tom?

Cornish sea salt and seaweed picked from the beach where the oysters

-are grown down in Porthilly in Cornwall.

-Nice.

He starts by placing his oyster-dressed baby gem lettuce

in oyster shells and tops with mint.

Next, his rib of beef slices go into serving pots.

Do you not think it's a bit rare?

By the time it goes in the pot, with a hot sauce...

It will be all right, then.

Then he adds cooked oysters.

This is a beer sauce which I've poached the oysters in.

Perfect.

He finishes his under roast with a potato cake topping.

It's not an easy one to get out, that. I was sweating a little bit.

Thank you very much, my dear. Ooh!

-A lot of Wimbledon greens in there.

-A lot of greens.

-Smells good, though, right?

-It smells amazing.

Aaah!

It's beautiful, unctuous.

Look at that gravy. It looks incredible.

Happy with everything on the plate so, yes, see what the judges think.

Well, that tastes amazing.

The meat is really tender and juicy and with the gravy as well and the

potatoes on top, it's really moist and kind of melts in your mouth.

I have to say,

it's really succulent. The gravy's rich and deep.

The oysters help bring out the flavour of the beef.

The gravy's quite sweet, isn't it?

It doesn't have that deep meaty flavour that I really like.

There's not enough potato.

I mean, I think that little gem's gone droopy there as well.

-It's not great, that bit.

-If you are going to put away this amount

of meat, you've got to have something to balance out

the volume of the meat.

-Do you think your mum will be happy with this?

-Yeah, I think...

I hope so. I hope so.

Everyone wants their mum to be proud of them, don't they?

It's just not very summery.

-A bit like seeing Santa Claus on the beach.

-Yes!

A nice bit of beef and oyster in summer is perfectly acceptable.

I think it's actually too rich for the Wimbledon banquet.

It tastes so good though, that's the problem!

Up next is Pip Lacey from the central region.

Despite winning a place on the banquet menu on Monday,

her fish course yesterday didn't fare quite so well.

You come last yesterday, Pip, so...

-Don't remind me.

-Yeah, how did that feel?

-Up and down.

-Pretty rubbish, to be honest, yes.

No-one wants to come last.

But someone's got to, so that was my turn.

Hopefully not today.

Pip's main course, Game, Set & Match Rufus,

celebrates an unusual Wimbledon icon.

So, Pip, what's your take on the brief for your main course?

The main inspiration for serving pigeon was Rufus the Hawk,

the hawk that gets rid of all the pigeons.

It's like a tribute to him, really.

The dish features pigeon two ways,

including pigeon breast which she's cooking on a barbecue.

-A bit smoky there.

-I want to give it a bit of smoky flavour as well.

You're giving everybody a bit of smoky flavour.

-Yes!

-Fire going in my face!

Sorry about that!

She's also making a hot water crust pigeon pie, with a summer cup jelly,

served alongside charred fennel and a fennel coleslaw.

In the regional heats, veteran judge Richard Bainbridge praised the dish.

The cooking of the pigeon was perfect.

And the barbecue flavour was completely on point.

However, I wanted it to be slightly larger.

But despite increasing the size of the pie for the judges,

they still didn't think it was big enough.

We gave this dish seven.

She's really going to have to change it quite markedly, I think,

to make it a serious contender for the banquet.

I think it was quite a little pigeon pie which was one of our complaints!

-A little pigeon pie.

-Wanted more pie and more pigeon.

-Gordon, do you like pigeon?

-I can't say I've really eating pigeon,

I don't think ever before. It's a new experience for me.

Yes, there's a first.

In a bid to get a second course on the menu,

today Pip has increased the size of her pie again,

and is altering her accompaniment on the size.

Change anything on yours, Pip?

Originally I had some blackberries on there.

They told me to take them off, so I've just added a bit more fennel,

-just tried to refine it a bit more, really.

-Yeah.

Pip sprinkles her charred fennel with parsley before plating.

Next, she adds fennel coleslaw along with barbecued pigeon breast.

What's the sauce there, Pip?

It's pigeon sauce with some orange zest in.

Finally, she adds her bigger pigeon pie.

OK. All right.

And places in new serving baskets.

Off you go, thank you.

Looks nice, mate. Very good.

I like the presentation. Think it's more of a summery vibe.

I don't know how I'm going to eat it through this grass.

I'm quite fond of a little hamper.

It's not a hamper. All she's done here just put it...

-Stick it in a basket!

-Just put a plate in a basket.

I mean, you know.

Just get it out, shall we?

-Oh.

-It looks a lot smaller out of the basket, doesn't it?

Call that a main course?

It's a funny little plate for a main course, isn't it?

They asked me to make the pie bigger and now it looks massive!

-That pie is very nice.

-The pastry on the pie is absolutely superb.

Beautiful, the jelly on the inside is absolutely wonderful.

-Yes, the jelly's delicious.

-That pigeon breast is as soft as velvet.

It's a beautifully cooked piece of pigeon, that's succulent.

I didn't think it would be that tender,

I thought it would be a little more chewy.

Yeah, seems to just fall away in your mouth. It's really tasty.

And how do you think the judges are going to score this?

I think the few tweaks I've made, hopefully,

it will just put an extra mark or two on it.

It's a really well cooked plate of food,

it's just cramped and badly presented.

Putting it in the picnic basket

is not disguising the issues with the dish.

You've got a pie, you've got lots of breast and you've got very little

-accompaniment.

-Pip, what have you done? Where have you gone?

It sounds like we need to get Rufus back to chase this pigeon away

from your plate!

With the first three mains served,

the judges are considering their scores so far.

There is really serious talent among this lot. It's just a matter of

whether they cook them to the same level as before.

It's all been a bit sevenish, hasn't it, really? The first three dishes.

-What do you think, Gordon?

-There's been some really good flavours.

The meat's been great but...

-looking for the whole package.

-Upwards and onwards.

Next to cook for the judges are Tommy Banks

representing the north-east and the south-east's Selin Kiazim.

-Good luck, Tommy.

-Good luck.

Yesterday, Tommy won the fish course.

But Selin has yet to get a dish on the banquet menu,

despite impressing the judges with her unique takes on the brief.

The main course is definitely the one that I really want.

There's only two spots left.

If I don't make this one, I think I might have run out of chances!

With the kitchen hotting up, guest judge Gordon Reid's come to take

a look at how the chefs are coping with the pressure.

-How's the stress levels in here?

-Pretty high. I'm cooking quite a few

different cuts of lamb so there'll be a lot of running around for me

-shortly.

-I'm nervous, I get the most nervous when I come in and see you

guys in there, because then it's out of my hands.

We're not that scary, are we?!

Do you get proper goose bumps when you go out at Wimbledon?

Yeah, you do, cos it's so iconic,

the grass courts around you and we get such good support as British

players, cos it's our home event, you know, there's always...

It's always pretty noisy out there, so you get nervous as well.

But it's all about how you kind of channel that nervous energy.

-It can be a good thing.

-I'm nervous cooking lamb,

but I can't imagine what it's like playing in a Wimbledon final!

I'm more comfortable doing that than I am in there judging your dishes!

Looking forward to tasting your dishes soon.

Both Selin and Tommy are hoping to impress with summery takes

on the same meat.

So we're both cooking lamb,

but it looks like you've got a lot more cuts going on than me.

My dish is called Grand Slam Lamb. It's about having a big barbecue.

It's got to be a big feast, something that everyone gets involved in.

I've got lots of meat to cook and get right.

Selin is up first. So far this week

she's come fifth for both the starter and fish courses,

so is pinning her hopes on today.

I'm hungrier than ever to get a dish through to the banquet.

It would be a huge honour, and I would be incredibly upset, I think,

if I didn't get a dish through. It would mean a lot to me.

Selin's lamb dish,

Grand Slam Lamb, is a celebration of the barbecues she remembers as

a child. It features barbecued lamb shoulder to be carved at the table,

served with lamb cutlet,

lamb neck fillet and Selin's lamb version of the Duchy sausage,

a spicy hot dog served at the Wimbledon Championships.

In the regional heats,

veteran judge Angela Hartnett scored the dish an eight.

I thought the Duchy sausage was really tasty.

However, the neck fillet was slightly chewy.

Having perfected the cooking for the judges,

it became Selin's highest-scoring dish on her menu.

It was a glorious barbecue, as I recall.

Really abundant, sharing.

There was a great sense of conviviality to it.

Proper sort of feast.

-I gave her a nine.

-I gave her a nine, too.

Selin is Turkish Cypriot and she brings all of that sort of range of

Mediterranean flavours and sense of sunshine and spice and so on.

-Ready for some more lamb?

-And barbecue?

-Yeah, bring it on. I'm looking forward to it.

-You need feeding up.

You look very, very slender to me.

This is your strongest dish of the week, then?

I definitely think this is my strongest dish.

It's all about family and childhood memories.

I care about this dish a lot.

-You must have been looking forward to cooking this all week then.

-Yeah!

Yeah, I really have been.

Selin starts by serving her accompaniments -

a freekeh and pomegranate salad...

and romaine lettuce leaves.

That lettuce looks absolutely gorgeous.

-What have you spread on it?

-That's a dressing.

And it's got some caramelised walnuts, they're like bacon.

-Nice.

-And then Parmesan over the top.

-Beautiful.

She places her lamb shoulder onto a serving platter...

-Check this out.

-Wow.

..and tops with charred onions and parsley.

That looks amazing, Selin.

I've glazed it in a spiced paste...

I've got fenugreek and garlic in there.

She finishes her lamb shoulder with salt and pomegranate dressing.

-What's that?

-It's just a bit of pomegranate dressing.

She adds caramelised onion puree to her plate,

followed by her sliced barbecue lamb neck

and lamb cutlets,

before turning to her lamb sausage.

So, what are you doing with the sausage there?

This is my take on the Duchy sausage.

It's one of the most popular foods that they sell at Wimbledon.

Normally it's a grilled sausage in a baguette.

So, for the bread element I've made these lavash.

-Wrapped them round.

-Nice, like a sausage roll.

She dresses the plate with charred onions and flat leaf parsley...

I'm a bit worried they're going to be full up by the time they've eaten

-the salads.

-I know.

-That's the plan.

-Hope they've still got an appetite.

..and finishes with pomegranate dressing and sumac.

-Please, guys.

-Yeah, sure.

-OK?

Thank you.

Wow. Well done. Honestly, that looks absolutely amazing.

-That looks incredible. Smells incredible.

-Yeah.

I am very impressed by that. Very impressed.

Oh.

Ah. Well, I don't know what the rest of you are going to eat.

-Wow.

-Smells amazing.

You said you wanted barbecue, you've got barbecue.

That is what I'm talking about. Nice big bit of meat.

That looks amazing, smells amazing, straightaway,

-just want to get my hands on it now.

-Really glad to get that one out of

the way. I think I've been building up to that all week.

-One slice or two, Gordon?

-I'll take two, please.

That's what I want to hear. I hope you notice the nice thin slices.

-That's perfect.

-It's a lot of food.

Shoulder is my favourite cut of lamb.

-It's delicious.

-It is, isn't it?

-It's just delicious.

All you've got to do is look at Gordon's face there and see that

this absolutely hits the spot. There is a man smiling with pleasure.

I'm just glad I asked for two slices and not one.

I think this Duchy sausage is really... It's better than before.

A little spicy. Have you ever queued up for the Duchy sausage at

-Wimbledon?

-Well, we don't get it in the player area.

It's nice to be eating one for once.

I'm really enjoying the little spices in there.

To cook all those different elements of lamb the way you have,

it's nothing short of phenomenal.

The freekeh salad and the romaine, very well-balanced.

Joy! The broad beans, a summer vegetable.

It is impossible to fault. Everything is cooked perfectly.

And the presentations are wonderful.

I think it's befitting of a banquet, I really do.

-It feels really positive.

-Yes.

-It's like positive cooking.

-Life affirming.

-What this dish does, it makes you feel happy.

-Yeah.

-I can't really see anyone at the banquet not enjoying this.

-Maybe unless they're a vegetarian, but...

-Yeah.

The fifth chef to face the judges is Tommy Banks.

With his fish course winning for the second year running,

today he's looking to move into uncharted territory

and get a third dish to the banquet.

I'm absolutely going for it again.

I've been gearing towards this day all week. This is my best dish.

I'm really looking forward to cooking it and a little bit nervous,

but I'm just buzzing, to be honest.

Gordon, Tommy Banks is a bit like you and it is actually starting to

annoy me, because he's just perfect.

Most of the time you're struggling to find anything wrong with Tommy

-Banks' food.

-Tommy Banks is actually already through to the banquet

cooking the fish course, so if he gets through again today he's going

-to be very busy.

-It'd be like winning the singles and the doubles

-at Wimbledon.

-I can't imagine what that would be like!

Tommy's dish, Champions Guard of Honour,

pays tribute to the presentation ceremony at the end of the finals

on centre court.

So, what's the inspiration for your dish?

When the champion wins Wimbledon, they walk down and the ball boys

go either side and they walk down that guard of honour. And I just

want it to be the main course of the banquet, really celebratory.

His dish features lamb two ways,

a rack of lamb, and slow-cooked lamb ribs,

along with Pink Fir Potatoes and a turnip puree.

In the regional heats, veteran judge Jeremy Lee

was won over by the perfect cooking of the meat.

I'm giving you a score of ten.

-Thank you very much.

-This was a beautiful dish.

Congratulations.

And when it came to the judges, they were just as impressed.

The quality of that lamb was just outstanding.

The skin on the outside of that lamb, it was all sort of crisp

and the fat underneath was rendered out properly.

But there were not enough vegetables.

-You marked it down one.

-I gave it a nine.

I just long for something a bit green.

This could be the point in the day where one point matters.

Tommy's serving his rack of lamb whole,

with the diners carving it at the table.

But it means he won't know how well it's cooked when it leaves the pass.

So, is it quite risky cooking the lamb like that?

-Are you worried about it?

-The main thing that worries me is sending it

into the chamber without seeing what the middle bit looks like,

cos this lamb's from my next-door neighbour,

-he's my oldest friend.

-Yeah.

So, I just don't want to, like, miscook it,

because I wouldn't be able to go back and tell him.

-Yeah, a lot of pressure.

-Yeah, I'm nervous right now, very.

Tommy starts by plating fermented turnip puree.

-So, what's going on the plate there, Tommy?

-Pink Fir Potatoes.

I've cooked them in lamb fat. Just coated them in some breadcrumbs,

-made out of sourdough and done in smoked butter.

-Sounds amazing.

Next, he portions and serves his lamb rib,

followed by mint gel.

-How are we doing?

-Doing all right, thanks, yeah.

I'm just seeing Selin's going out and I'm quite worried about it,

to be honest. Probably shouldn't be thinking about Selin's dish now,

but it's quite hard when you've just eaten it and really enjoyed it.

He adds slices of pickled turnip.

Finally, he plates his sharing rack of lamb on a wooden tennis racket

and serves his lamb sauce on the side.

OK.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

-Good?

-Yeah, I think I'm pretty happy with the cooking.

-Oh.

-Wow.

-There she blows.

-You can smell that mint straightaway.

-Isn't it beautiful?

-It smells great.

-Is it one or two chops for you now, Gordon?

I've already got a little bit of meat, so I'll go for one.

-I'll start with one. Start with one.

-Oh, you've blown it now.

They're going to go straight into the middle of that and say,

"How's he cooked it?" and I'm hoping that it's bang on.

The eye of the chop is just perfectly pink.

Oh, hello!

I like the puree. Nice and light.

And the potatoes as well are a nice accompaniment to the meat.

I still think that is an absolutely majestic piece of lamb.

The flavour on that just rolls on, like the hills from which it came.

The lamb's really delicious.

It's, like, perfectly seasoned, really soft, tender.

Delicious, yeah, well done.

When the plate gets set there in front of you,

you're looking for a few more veggies.

I'm not quite as moved as I was the last time.

I have to say I think he's let his guard down, you know,

because I actually think the gravy isn't as good.

It's a teensy bit thin.

It's not, it's a lot thinner than before.

And I think the puree is also a little bitter for me.

I think Tommy's food is cooking very fine margins.

The margins make all the difference between absolute triumph and,

-"Oh, I'm not sure that quite works."

-I feel really impressed by it.

I enjoyed it. I like the presentation.

I'm just not there with it.

With five main courses down,

the competition has passed the halfway stage,

and the judges are considering the chefs' efforts so far.

It's interesting these days,

because you just never know where you're going to get to.

Well, no doubt, the momentum is definitely building.

You can just feel it, because people are changing the dishes.

And there are still three wonderful chefs to go.

Are you ready for even more dinner?

I am, I am, three more to go, saved plenty of room for that.

He's young! Look at him, he can manage it!

We're going to have to test him, double-portion him, or something.

The final group of chefs to cook are

Northern Ireland champion Tommy Heaney,

Scotland's Michael Bremner, and Ellis Barrie from the north-west.

-Good luck, buddy.

-Good luck, mate.

-Good luck.

-Good luck, fella.

-Good luck.

Let's go.

All three chefs are hoping to impress with their unusual takes

-on the brief.

-I'm feeling good about this dish.

-What about you?

-You know, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous.

There's been some fantastic dishes today, some fantastic cooking.

But face facts. The main course is where everyone wants to be.

But you never know what way the judges are going to go.

You just cook it to the best of your ability and see what happens.

Oh!

Despite not yet getting a dish to the banquet,

Ellis Barrie has impressed all week

with his innovative and unique cooking style.

Today, I feel great.

I've been in the top four so far on the rest of my dishes and today

I hope, hopefully, I can go further.

Ellis is just one of these really intriguing chefs.

He's self taught.

Real flair, sense of individuality and a kind of wit.

He makes you think that anything is possible.

There is that sort of excitement that comes in every dish

that he presents. It's never going to be like anybody else's.

Ellis's dish is a celebration of

one of Wimbledon's most iconic champions.

-What's the story?

-So, the story's about Fred Perry,

a guy from humble beginnings. He won Wimbledon

and instead of recognising it by giving him the club tie,

they left it on a dressing room chair for him.

He wasn't seen to be in the right social class.

-Sounds a bit harsh, doesn't it?

-Yeah, fairly harsh,

so now he's a much-celebrated Wimbledon champion,

and times have changed so I just thought I'll honour him

with this dish and hopefully I'll do him proud.

It's a great story.

Fred Perry's Pork Tie features pork cooked two ways -

a pig's head bonbon and a pear-stuffed pork loin,

served with a perry sauce

to represent the legendary tennis player.

In the regional heats,

veteran judge Daniel Clifford liked the presentation

but wasn't impressed with the flavour of the pork loin.

Is the stuffing overpowering the pork?

You do get the pork coming through.

Do me a favour and taste that again.

Do you get pear?

Despite refining the cooking of his stuffing for the regional final,

the judges didn't give Ellis the high scores he'd hoped for.

I liked the concept, I liked the story and when it turned up,

we all thought it looked quite good

and then it just didn't deliver on flavour.

He just hadn't cooked the pork correctly.

That was the centrepiece of the dish so then everything else went to pot.

It was a concept dish. That story is so amazing.

I don't think Ellis has done the story justice.

-It didn't score high in the regions, only sixes and sevens.

-All right.

-So...

-Have you made the recommended changes that they've given you?

The judges weren't happy with the way the pork was cooked

so I've taken the fat off the pork and cooked it with a bit of lard.

I've added some truffles in there,

-to emphasise the from-rags-to-riches story.

-All right.

Ellis starts by plating his confit potatoes,

followed by peas and broad beans.

Next, he slices and serves his stuffed pork loin and pork bonbon.

I love the plates, man, they're great.

They're representing being from a humble beginning.

I think it makes sense. Well, it does to me anyway!

He adds a garnish of pear pearls, cherry tomatoes,

shallot rings and pea shoots, and dresses with a mustard vinaigrette.

He completes the dish with truffle shavings

and frosted pine nut shards.

Finally, he fetches his special presentation

which reflects the Fred Perry story.

Here we are, guys.

They look incredible.

So these are the chairs which the tie was left over

in the changing room...

with a little bottle of perry sauce.

Let's go.

-That was incredible.

-Phew.

Ah. Do I see a tie?

Here we go.

-Wow!

-It looks better already, actually.

-It does, doesn't it?

-Looks amazing.

-Look, there's some peas!

-Yay. Vegetables.

-Nice summer peas.

-Happy?

-Yeah, I put my heart into that dish.

I hope the tweaks I've made will please the judges.

I've got a little bit of an issue already.

I think the pork is dry.

Plus, the stuffing is overpowering the flavour of the pork.

It feels more Christmassy than summer to me.

The pork is dry, that's annoying.

He made a mistake making the pork loin

the centre of attention instead of the pork ball,

-which is infinitely superior.

-Much nicer!

I think that pork ball may be the best thing I've tasted today.

There's a lot of work gone into this dish.

There's so many different elements.

They've got the little potatoes, the pine nut brittle.

I like the pine nut brittle.

I like the pine nut brittle a lot, actually.

I love the sauce. The sauce, for me, just makes the whole dish.

-Yeah.

-Absolute belter.

-Really nice.

Lovely perry gravy.

A lovely clever touch, actually.

This is Fred Perry's tie

and perry pear cider in the gravy,

and it's another little way in which he has thought through this.

Do you think this is a fitting tribute to Fred Perry, Gordon?

I think Fred Perry is obviously one of the legends of British tennis.

I thought it was a really smart idea and I think it's a delicious dish.

He's a bright chef. He's got some really clever ideas.

I think there are loads of lovely ideas about this dish, I really do.

I just don't think it's coming together.

The penultimate chef is Tommy Heaney.

He narrowly missed out on winning the starter to Pip,

but failed to impress with his fish course,

coming a disappointing seventh.

Today, it's back to the A game.

I've got to push on and really go for it.

Two spaces left in the banquet.

Hopefully I'll be able to nick one.

Tommy's main, A Summer Holiday, is a surf-and-turf dish,

featuring lamb rump and lamb rib, cooked once again on a barbecue.

I've seen quite a few barbecues today.

Do you think that's something you're worried about?

All I can do is cook this as best I can and then see what happens

from there, but it's quite personal to me and, as I say,

it's a dish I'd really like to get to the banquet. I enjoy cooking it.

As well as eight different technical accompaniments,

including an onion puree, sea vegetables,

salsa verde and a potato foam,

in the regional heats,

the dish was also served with pickled cockles

but despite veteran judge Michael Smith feeling

that he enjoyed the dish overall,

he wasn't so sure about the seafood element.

The pickled cockles, I know they were there because you love them

but if you took them away from that dish, they wouldn't be missed.

When Tommy cooked for the judges, he failed to take Michael's advice,

ending up with sevens and eights.

Tommy Heaney's Summer Holiday, a happy experience blighted by detail.

I just didn't get the cockle thing at all.

I quite liked it. It was salty and zappy and worked quite well.

I bet he's going to change it.

He's certainly got to change some of the details.

Despite refining his dish, today, Tommy still can't decide

whether to include the seafood element on his plate.

One of the things I had on the dish was pickled cockles.

I eventually changed them to pickled clams

but then decided to leave them off anyway

because one of the comments he made was,

cockles didn't bring anything to the dish.

So I'm just going to leave them off.

-What do you think?

-I don't know.

-What?

-I don't know.

Tommy starts by plating his onion puree,

followed by smoky barbecued aubergine

and slices of barbecued lamb rump.

-Is that lamb how you wanted it cooked?

-It's exactly how I wanted it cooked, yeah.

I like your plates, they're very nice.

Yeah, I was looking for something

that looks a bit like a beach-front kind of thing.

Could you not find any?!

THEY ALL LAUGH

He drains his sea vegetables and dresses them onto the plate.

At the last minute, Tommy decides to plate his pickled clams.

-So the clams are going back on the plate?

-Yeah. You changed my mind.

You can't blame me for this now.

He places his lamb ribs onto mini presentation barbecues.

Corn on the cob, because everybody loves corn on the cob at a barbecue,

and then jacket potatoes.

Next, he fills his jacket potatoes with a potato foam

and adds pots of salsa verde to his beach-style trays.

So what's that you're putting on there, mate?

We've got some salsify sticks.

Ah, cool. That looks really cool.

Finally, he serves his lamb sauce.

That looks impressive.

-Well done, mate.

-Well done, buddy.

-Oh!

-Another small helping!

-Beautifully done.

-Thank you.

Yes, this is a classic kind of barbecue, isn't it?

That kind of charcoal-y smell just instantly reminds me of summer.

Hmm. Let's tuck in.

Are you happy with how it went out?

Yeah, I think so. I mean, you tend to be overly critical on yourself,

don't you?

The rib is absolutely fabulous and it's just perfection.

The rib is indeed beautiful.

-Really smoky.

-Yeah.

And the potato? I could have done with more of the creamed interior.

It's really nice, the interior.

Yeah, I like the crunchiness of it as well. It's a nice texture.

Yeah, I'm enjoying it.

One of the things I'm worried about is the clams.

Personally, I would have lost the shellfish.

I just don't see the point of it.

I don't think they have any suitable place but everything else,

I think these all do have a point. I think it's really smart, actually.

Do you need a sauce, a salsa verde...?

Yeah, yeah, why not? It's a barbecue, for heaven's sake.

I quite like that, I like a few different things to dip in and out of, I think it's fun.

Gordon, don't be silenced by Oliver.

Well, I think I agree with Oliver, in a way.

Oh, in that case, that's enough. That's enough!

I think what you've got with Tommy is someone who's a very good chef.

I think his issue is organisation. There's too much happening.

-No.

-I think it's a really, really good dish.

I think there's a great deal of individual joy in this thing.

He's definitely improved the dish, I would say that.

-Absolutely.

-He's made a massive effort and it's much improved.

The last chef to cook today is returning finalist Michael Bremner.

Main course day is the biggest day for me.

There's no question of that.

So I'm focused, I'm determined,

there is no reason why I can't go to the banquet.

I'm going to give it everything I have.

-Big dish for you?

-This is the one that I want to get to the banquet.

I'm pretty much putting all my hopes on this dish, really.

Michael is Scottish. It's his second time in the final.

He's never actually made it to the banquet.

All of Michael's dishes have

a beautiful sense of design about them.

They make you want to eat them.

And he really wants this. He really wants to get to the banquet.

You can see the look in his eyes. He's got this steely gaze.

He's really fixed on making it through to the banquet.

Michael's hoping to make it onto the menu with a choice of meat

not usually thought of as a traditional summer cut.

I'm doing ox tongue, which is a cut of meat that I passionately love.

I think it's underused.

I think it's something that, back in the day, they used to use a lot.

I think now's the time to bring that back, if you like.

Something I have never actually tried, so I'm looking forward to it.

You either do something a little bit different and you take a chance,

or you do something that's a little bit more obvious.

-Yeah.

-I get excited about it.

The Grass Is Greener is inspired by Wimbledon being

the only grand slam still played on grass.

He's serving his ox tongue centrepiece

with a jus-filled ravioli, pickled summer veg and wheatgrass oil.

When cooking for Nathan Outlaw,

Michael lost points for failing to execute crucial elements correctly.

The pasta was raw.

And at this level, it's unacceptable.

But having cooked his dish perfectly and presented the dish

in a more summery manner, the judges gave him a perfect score.

I thought this was just a triumph of a dish.

It is so easy to get ox tongue wrong.

We all gave it ten in the regionals.

Are you familiar with ox tongue?

That's another new one for me, another first for me today.

If I was Michael, I would really be feeling under a lot of pressure

because it's the last dish of the day, he got four tens previously,

he's had a mixed competition so far.

-I would not like to be in Michael's boots.

-No.

So, the pressure's on massively.

-Yeah.

-But if I can give it justice to how I did it on the regionals,

I genuinely believe I could see it on the banquet.

Michael's working on his potato accompaniment

using a specially devised method he hopes will hit the Wimbledon brief.

So, what's the grass for, Mike?

I'm cooking my potatoes in grass.

Very intriguing. Literally got a bit of Wimbledon on the plate!

Michael starts by plating parsley puree,

followed by the glazed, water-bathed ox tongue.

That's a big old chunk of tongue there, isn't it?

He adds his rye-grass-cooked potatoes.

Here we go, Mike. Here's the crew.

-Hi, guys.

-Hiya.

-How are we all?

-Michael!

-Nice to see you.

-I've never seen ox tongue done like that before.

He dresses his plate with pickled red onions, courgettes,

slices of pickled carrots and radish,

and places his jus-filled ravioli on top of the meat...

-Are you happy with the ravioli, Michael?

-Yeah, I'm very happy.

..then drizzles with wheatgrass oil.

Finally, he adds thinly sliced cauliflower.

Yep.

Thank you very much.

-Well done, sheriff.

-Thanks a lot.

-Ah!

-There she is.

I feel the love of an old friend.

I'm just sitting here smiling at it.

I just think it looks very elegant.

I think it looks brilliant. Nice and colourful and summery.

I can't believe you've made a piece of braised ox tongue

look so summery.

-Oh! That's the moment.

-You love that.

That jus, that sticky gravy...

-Yeah.

-..is so immensely pleasurable.

It's not what I expected to see on my plate when I heard "ox tongue".

The ravioli's perfect.

Just cut into it, nice and thin.

Does the job that you wanted it to do.

Sauce is really hot and nice inside.

Thank you very much.

Also, those little pickled onions, which provides a little note of

-sharpness to it.

-The balance of the veggies on the plate

and the look of the veggies on the plate has made it feel summery.

The potatoes have been cooked in rye grass, which is the grass that grows at Wimbledon.

Does it taste like any other potato to you?

After I won this year, I actually tried to tip my wheelchair over

so I could kiss the grass.

I didn't quite manage it, so I didn't exactly taste the grass,

but it's really interesting.

It's the first time I've eaten tongue.

Certainly won't be the last.

Mr Generosity, what are you thinking?

I don't know if it's my favourite today.

You will very, very rarely ever eat a piece of tongue

as beautifully cooked as this again in your life.

With all eight dishes served,

the judges must award each one a mark out of ten.

The scores will then be added together

and the chef with the highest total

will get their main course onto the banquet menu.

I'm pretty glad that today's over and done with.

That was quite full-on.

It's that nervous time of the day again, I think, for everyone.

-We've all done our best now.

-I'm very happy it's over.

I'm shattered.

Gordon, how's your day been?

Definitely meaty, that's the easiest word to describe it.

But I think I came in here with quite high expectations.

Some of them hit it and a couple of them were way beyond it as well.

I think there's been moments of inspiration and some, you know,

just patently quite uninspired moments as well.

I think it's actually a real challenge

to create a meat course during the summer.

The main course, it's THE main event of any banquet,

and I think to cook at that would just be incredible.

I don't envy the judges having to make a decision today.

I feel sick right now.

I kind of want to go into that chamber, but I really don't as well.

You really start to understand which chefs have got that extra spark

that pushes them over the finish line, you know?

-But the scores are very tight, aren't they?

-When we add them up,

I think we'll find there's not a lot of difference.

Greetings, chefs. How's it been in the kitchen today?

-Yeah, it's been tough.

-Yeah, it's been stressful.

Now, I'm sure you are all dying to know the results.

So, in eighth place, it's...

..Pip.

We all thought your pigeon was, you know, really beautifully cooked.

However, we didn't really feel it was a main course.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

In joint sixth place, it's...

..Phil and Tom Brown.

Phil, you tried to refine your dish,

but we sort of feel it lost some of its soul.

-Always tomorrow.

-Tom, that was an exemplary piece of cooking.

However, we just didn't feel it was correct for the banquet.

-At least the cooking was good, eh?

-The cooking was great.

-Thank you.

What happened there?

Never mind.

Here we are again.

In fifth place, it's...

..Ellis. We love the story behind your dish.

However, we thought the pork loin itself was a bit disappointing.

Yeah, OK. Fair enough.

In fourth place,

it's...

..Tommy Heaney.

We loved your barbecue dish.

We didn't really feel the clams had a place on the dish, though.

Thank you very much.

In third place,

it's...

..Tommy Banks.

I mean, the lamb itself was absolutely majestic.

A beautiful piece of cooking.

But some of the elements just weren't as well executed as before.

Thank you very much.

Thanks.

-All right, chief?

-I'm happy with that.

It's... They were my two favourite dishes of the day, so, you know,

either of them are worthy winners.

So, that leaves Selin and Michael.

And I can reveal that...

..we had a tie-break situation.

You both scored three tens and a nine.

What do you think?

I don't know what I think.

I'm terrified. Genuinely, inside, I've got no idea what's going on.

Yeah, I'm scared

right now, but really glad I've made it this far.

The three regular judges have to decide which dish we think

is the most appropriate to go forward to the final banquet.

So the chef going forward to cook the main course at the banquet is...

..Michael.

I cannot believe that!

-Well done.

-Oh, my God.

Seriously? Wow.

Honestly, I'm shocked.

-Wow.

-I thought both your dishes today were absolutely fantastic.

Michael, congratulations.

Not a surprise to see another Scotsman doing well with something about tennis.

That truly was an amazing piece of cooking.

That really hit the nail on the head.

-Well done.

-Thank you so much.

Selin, commiserations.

I absolutely loved your dish.

We all did. It was just so beautiful, so generous,

a sheer joy to eat.

I'm really happy for Michael, but...

Yes, it's tough.

Well, I think, you know, you could see all heart and soul on that dish, and we loved it.

You OK?

Thank you both very, very much indeed

for giving us so much pleasure and there's always tomorrow.

- Thank you. - Thank YOU.

I can't believe I've won.

I can't believe I've won.

The main course for the Great British Menu, I just won it.

That ox tongue was just the best ox tongue I have ever eaten.

-He so deserves it. You can just feel how much it meant to Michael.

-Yeah.

I got through.

I'm really proud of myself, that I cooked that dish as I wanted to today,

and the judges, you know, they really enjoyed it

and I know there was nothing in it, so,

you know, I can take that away with me.

For both of them, they were so emotional because they'd both put so much into their cooking.

You could taste that heart,

you could feel it when you're eating the food they had created.

Given how insanely competitive all these chefs are,

it's going to be mayhem tomorrow in that kitchen.

It's the last chance. Last chance saloon.

-Cheers to Michael.

-Cheers, Michael.

-Well done.

-You'll never guess what?

-'What?'

-I've won the main course for the Great British Menu.

WOMAN SHRIEKS

'That's amazing!'

I can't believe it. Honestly, I can't believe it. It's insane.