0:00:02 > 0:00:04It's been one of the most competitive weeks ever
0:00:04 > 0:00:06on Great British Menu.
0:00:06 > 0:00:10- What's going on?- World War Three, at the moment!- A bit of drama there.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13Some of us will sleep really well tonight and some of us will have nightmares!
0:00:15 > 0:00:18We've witnessed the titans of the culinary world pushed to tears
0:00:18 > 0:00:21in the battle for the Central region.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24Daniel, I ain't going to mess around, mate. I almost started crying.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27And an unprecedented turn of events...
0:00:27 > 0:00:28- It's not working.- BLEEP.
0:00:28 > 0:00:33..has seen last year's star being dramatically knocked out.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Well done to Paul, well done to Daniel.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39So which of these two revolutionary chefs will blow the judges away?
0:00:39 > 0:00:43- I'm happy and excited already. - People would eat this with an enormous amount of pleasure.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46It could really end up at the banquet.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49Will they think that Daniel's unique menu
0:00:49 > 0:00:53and headline chicken dish is worthy of a place in the final?
0:00:54 > 0:00:58I want to go home, I want to see my kids, I want to see a smile on their face.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00I want this more than anything.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04Or will it be Paul's daring menu of rare wild foraged ingredients
0:01:04 > 0:01:05that will bowl the judges over?
0:01:05 > 0:01:09This is it, I'm not here to have fun, I'm here to win today.
0:01:09 > 0:01:10That's it?
0:01:10 > 0:01:11Happiness is here, I'm happy.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14There's only room for one in the national final.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18The chef who will be going forward will be...
0:01:31 > 0:01:33Regional finalists Daniel and Paul
0:01:33 > 0:01:36have cooked their hearts out to be here today and a place in
0:01:36 > 0:01:40the prestigious Great British Menu final is now at stake.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43I'm going to lie to you - I haven't come down here to come second.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45Neither have I, chef.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48Two Michelin-starred Daniel Clifford has so far led the way
0:01:48 > 0:01:52with extraordinary twists on everyday ingredients.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54It's all about the brief this year,
0:01:54 > 0:01:56and my food is absolutely killing it.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58I've just got to prove to the judges now.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Hot on his heels is new boy Paul Foster, whose daring menu
0:02:01 > 0:02:04and unusual ingredients have marked him out
0:02:04 > 0:02:06as a force to be reckoned with.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08It could go either way today.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11We've got different judges, different palettes, and different opinions.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16Both chefs have come up with groundbreaking menus that reflect
0:02:16 > 0:02:19the ambition behind the Olympic spirit.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22Who goes forward to represent the Central region in the national finals
0:02:22 > 0:02:24is down to our three discerning judges,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Prue Leith, Oliver Peyton and Matthew Ford,
0:02:27 > 0:02:30who are expecting great things.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32The Olympics is a race for excellence
0:02:32 > 0:02:35and that is exactly what they have to do,
0:02:35 > 0:02:40but they have to surprise us, delight us, and do it magnificently.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44This competition is what can you do all on your own that is really
0:02:44 > 0:02:48creative, really individual and deeply impressive?
0:02:48 > 0:02:52Each dish should actually have us gasping in admiration.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02Daniel and Paul are about to face their toughest challenge yet
0:03:02 > 0:03:03and cook their entire menus again
0:03:03 > 0:03:07for our panel of distinguished judges, something Daniel
0:03:07 > 0:03:09knows all about and hopes to use to his advantage.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12When you finally go in there, you pump yourself up,
0:03:12 > 0:03:16you believe you've done your absolute maximum and you get a body blow.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19It must be like running the 100 metres
0:03:19 > 0:03:22and then tripping over at the finish line.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24Daniel, or anybody who is trying to unnerve me now,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27it's not going to happen.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29We've both got our game face on.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31Daniel is first out of the blocks
0:03:31 > 0:03:34and determined to prove his worth with veal tartare,
0:03:34 > 0:03:38caramelised sweetbread and radical burnt onion, a love or hate dish
0:03:38 > 0:03:41that scored a near-perfect nine earlier in the week.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43The only change I'm making is a little bit less burnt onion,
0:03:43 > 0:03:47because it was a nine. If I could push it to a ten, that would be fantastic.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50Daniel has been here twice before and is desperate to
0:03:50 > 0:03:53cook at the prestigious Olympic feast.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57You'll find out later how hard it is to stand in that room
0:03:57 > 0:04:00and it's someone else's name being called out.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07Daniel is clearly confident but will our glittering Olympic guest list
0:04:07 > 0:04:09want to sit down to veal sweetbreads and burnt onion powder?
0:04:12 > 0:04:16The judges have been given cards to explain any unusual facts this year,
0:04:16 > 0:04:18but what will they make of it?
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Right, in front of the judges like that.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25Thank you very much.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31Three people sitting in another room judging me right now
0:04:31 > 0:04:32and it is nerve-wracking.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36But at the end of the day, I have to keep my composure and just keep going and going.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44Will the judges think Daniel's
0:04:44 > 0:04:48veal and burnt onion dish awe-inspiring enough for the Olympic feast?
0:04:48 > 0:04:49It smells absolutely wonderful.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52It looks like a tartare of something.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56- Is this is a cinnamon stick? - Must be, a bit of cinnamon bark.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00- Good tartare, though, what is it? - It is very good, very light.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03Is it veal?
0:05:06 > 0:05:07- Mmm.- Oh!
0:05:07 > 0:05:09That is a beautifully cooked sweetbread
0:05:09 > 0:05:13and how often do we see offal on these menus,
0:05:13 > 0:05:14particularly as a first course?
0:05:14 > 0:05:18I was expecting something far more rock and roll.
0:05:18 > 0:05:19What is this stuff on there?
0:05:19 > 0:05:22Something bitter there, it's rather nice.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26Burnt onion powder, that's what it is.
0:05:26 > 0:05:27Is this groundbreaking?
0:05:27 > 0:05:32- No.- Is this fireworks, is this seriously a rocket into the sky?
0:05:32 > 0:05:36I think it is an absolutely beautiful dish, extraordinary high level
0:05:36 > 0:05:40of skill, beautiful thing, but the imagination is completely lacking.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43I think as an opening statement,
0:05:43 > 0:05:47it sort of lacks that sense of, you know, going for gold.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55So Daniel's veal and onion dish didn't break enough
0:05:55 > 0:05:57culinary boundaries for our judges.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Will newcomer Paul be able to steal a march?
0:06:01 > 0:06:04He's kick-starting his menu with pork neck carpaccio,
0:06:04 > 0:06:08a fatty cut most chefs would steer clear of and making
0:06:08 > 0:06:10humble pork scratchings with the skin.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15I've heard through the grapevine that Matthew Fort is
0:06:15 > 0:06:20a massive pork scratching fan, so hopefully he'll be a fan of mine.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24It wasn't one of my favourites.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26Is it breaking boundaries or is it playing safe?
0:06:26 > 0:06:28It's a decision we find out later.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Paul is serving his pork neck with ribwort plantain,
0:06:32 > 0:06:36an unusual foraged ingredient few people will have ever tasted.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40- Think they would have heard of the plantain?- I don't think so.
0:06:40 > 0:06:45Hopefully, it is going to knock them back a little bit
0:06:45 > 0:06:46and be a good talking point.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52It's not the only wild ingredient Paul's using today.
0:06:52 > 0:06:53His menu is full of them.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59Will the judges appreciate his attempts to push the boundaries?
0:07:01 > 0:07:04Very steady, guys, crackling will blow off easily.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06Scratchings to the right.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12I'm very confident in my dish
0:07:12 > 0:07:15and I think that the judges will love it.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18But is Paul's unusual pork and ribwort dish
0:07:18 > 0:07:21radical enough for our record-breaking Olympians?
0:07:21 > 0:07:24I think something porky this way comes.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27This is absolutely up your street, Matthew,
0:07:27 > 0:07:29it's some kind of scratchings.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31What do you think this stuff is?
0:07:35 > 0:07:37I don't know what it is. It's very mild.
0:07:37 > 0:07:43The sauce is made from, wait for it, Matthew, ribwort plantain,
0:07:43 > 0:07:46"A foraged ingredient not often used."
0:07:46 > 0:07:48No, not often used, for very good reason.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50What do you think the judges are saying about you now?
0:07:50 > 0:07:55I don't like to think about it, but it's tight, it's tough.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58It's not very exciting. The best bit of it is the pork,
0:07:58 > 0:08:02slices of well-cooked, beautiful pork.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04It lacks drama, it lacks colour.
0:08:04 > 0:08:10I don't think there's anything here, really, that we haven't seen before.
0:08:10 > 0:08:15You'd be ashamed to put that in front of top athletes.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19It just isn't world-class or gold medal or anything else.
0:08:19 > 0:08:20Things can only get better!
0:08:24 > 0:08:27So Paul's starter has fallen at the first hurdle
0:08:27 > 0:08:30and Daniel has a slight lead going into the fish course.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34Daniel's pork-encrusted stuffed mullet is up next,
0:08:34 > 0:08:36a high-tech dish that scored another nine in the week.
0:08:36 > 0:08:41But Daniel has been here before and is under no illusions.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43I've had good marks before and been sent home.
0:08:43 > 0:08:49So, it's Glynn's palate, the judges' palate, two very different things.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54He stuffed his fish with lots of strong Mediterranean flavours
0:08:54 > 0:08:57and coated it in airbag, a revolutionary new technique.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59For me it's groundbreaking,
0:08:59 > 0:09:01but I also think it might be a bit quirky for them.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04I don't know what they're looking for.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09He'll soon find out if his bold use of classic flavour combinations
0:09:09 > 0:09:13and trailblazing new techniques tick all the boxes for this year's brief.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19You're the judges, boys, then.
0:09:19 > 0:09:20Look after it.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28Will Daniel's bold stuffed mullet with artichokes, ham and olive puree
0:09:28 > 0:09:32be the stroke of genius the judges are looking for?
0:09:35 > 0:09:36It smells good, doesn't it?
0:09:36 > 0:09:38It smells really good.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41- I think it looks very pretty as well.- Yes, original.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44That is red mullet, isn't it? A fillet of red mullet.
0:09:44 > 0:09:50I think this little crunchy topping is ground-up pig skin.
0:09:50 > 0:09:51- Mm!- Olive puree.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55You've got some ham in the middle.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57- That's really good.- Intense.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01I have to say I think there's just too much happening.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05I don't like all this richness of flavour going on with the fish.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07It's detracting from the fish.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12It's just too many powerful flavours done in a very clumsy manner.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14I absolutely disagree with you.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18All those individual tastes are very clean and clear
0:10:18 > 0:10:21and they are also very fresh.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25This actually is a dish which works very, very well, Oliver,
0:10:25 > 0:10:27and I'm rather shocked, frankly, that you simply don't have
0:10:27 > 0:10:32the imagination or the wit or the vision even to appreciate that.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36I think you're winding me up here. This dish, there is so much going on.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40It's like... I've got a headache even thinking about it.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43Piling pork stuff onto a bit of fish to me is not innovation,
0:10:43 > 0:10:45it's tragedy.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47It's less innovation in the technical sense,
0:10:47 > 0:10:51but it's innovation in the sense of a personal vision of food.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53But are we not looking for a bit of humour here, a bit of good times?
0:10:53 > 0:10:55Well, we're not getting from you, are we?!
0:10:57 > 0:11:01So, mixed reviews for Daniel's stuffed mullet.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04Will Paul's fish course fare any better?
0:11:04 > 0:11:07He's taking a massive risk with barely cooked common ray,
0:11:07 > 0:11:11crispy chicken skin and foraged sea vegetables.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14A room temperature dish that only scored six in the heats.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16Is that one of your strongest dishes?
0:11:16 > 0:11:18I think so.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21It was my worst scoring dish but I personally think it's a strong dish.
0:11:21 > 0:11:22We'll have to wait and see.
0:11:24 > 0:11:25I didn't think it tasted of fish,
0:11:25 > 0:11:27I thought there was too much chicken skin.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31He hasn't taken that into consideration. If he wants to take the risks, it's up to him.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35It's a brave move from new boy Paul, who clearly thinks his unusual
0:11:35 > 0:11:38sea vegetables, daring chicken skin
0:11:38 > 0:11:40and uniquely barely-cooked fish
0:11:40 > 0:11:43ticks all the boxes for this year's brief.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45But will the judges agree?
0:11:47 > 0:11:49As you see it to the judges, guys.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51OK, nice and steady, thank you.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55Can Paul pull it back with his fish course?
0:11:55 > 0:11:57A good result here would put him back in the race.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06- That's it?- Happiness is here, I'm happy, it looks interesting.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08I'm happy and excited already.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10Well, we have raw fish here.
0:12:10 > 0:12:11I think.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13I don't think this is raw.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16I think it's been cooked at a low temperature or something like that.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18I suspect it might be skate or ray.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21This is a completely different league.
0:12:21 > 0:12:26What you've got here is a series of flavours which draw you in.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29"The dish showcases unusual, wild, foraged sea vegetables
0:12:29 > 0:12:34"including rock samphire, sea purslane and stonecrop."
0:12:34 > 0:12:36These are beautifully done, beautifully used
0:12:36 > 0:12:38and beautifully integrated into the dish.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41There's quite a lot of things here that one does not normally see
0:12:41 > 0:12:44in terms of technique, thinking and everything else.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47You don't not normally see it, you don't EVER see it.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49There are elements in there you recognise from elsewhere.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52It's the way they are put together, that's why
0:12:52 > 0:12:54it's groundbreaking, for me.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57I think that is pretty getting somewhere near Olympian food
0:12:57 > 0:13:03because it's really strange, unusual, looks wonderful,
0:13:03 > 0:13:06very pretty presentation, and delicious.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09This is the first dish of the competition for me.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12This is what I was expecting and I think he has delivered on it.
0:13:12 > 0:13:13Give it a gold?
0:13:13 > 0:13:15Things are looking up.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20So Paul's radical ray has gone down a storm and it's neck-and-neck
0:13:20 > 0:13:22going into the main course.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25I'm trying not to think about the end of the day
0:13:25 > 0:13:28but a little bit nervous about going into the judges' room.
0:13:30 > 0:13:31It's nerve-wracking.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35All I've got to do is keep being consistent in what I do
0:13:35 > 0:13:38and that's what I'm very good at, so the race is not finished yet.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47Time for the big one, the main course,
0:13:47 > 0:13:49a dish Daniel won gold for in the heats.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52You can't improve on a ten out of ten, can you, chef?
0:13:52 > 0:13:54Well, no, the only way is down now!
0:13:56 > 0:13:57Hopefully the judges like it.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Paul's first up, and letting his ingredients
0:14:00 > 0:14:03do the talking in a rustic duck and broccoli dish.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07Glynn loved it and gave me a great score.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11- So, hopefully, it's going to go well today.- I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18He's daring to do something different with foraged pine needles
0:14:18 > 0:14:21and rarely used duck hearts, unconventional ingredients
0:14:21 > 0:14:23that might not appeal to everyone.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28- That is an ingredient I've never used.- Never cooked with?- Never.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30I've had ox heart but I've never had duck heart.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35It's a gamble but this ambitious young chef has been taking them
0:14:35 > 0:14:36all week.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40He knows he has to push the boundaries to be
0:14:40 > 0:14:42in with a chance of cooking at the Olympic feast.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48OK, guys, that way to the judges,
0:14:48 > 0:14:49lovely.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54Will the judges think Paul's duck and broccoli dish
0:14:54 > 0:14:57unique enough to compete with the best of the best?
0:14:59 > 0:15:02This is definitely meat and two veg.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04It's not looking very radical.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08I'm not sure that it's straining at the Olympic leash.
0:15:08 > 0:15:13Well, that puree of beans, or whatever it is, is rather bitter.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16- Must be broccoli.- Oh, do you think?
0:15:16 > 0:15:18This is a festive broccoli.
0:15:18 > 0:15:23That duck is absolutely, it really is as good as you're ever going to eat.
0:15:23 > 0:15:24It's just duck.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27Oh, come on! It is not just duck.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30This duck is one of the finest ducks I have ever tasted
0:15:30 > 0:15:32and I bet you it is a British duck.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35A great British duck is not a novelty item.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38The heart is, you know, don't often see that.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41I would like a whole dish of those heart things
0:15:41 > 0:15:44but you can only say bad things about the broccoli.
0:15:44 > 0:15:49It's the fact that the puree is bitter and dull, both,
0:15:49 > 0:15:51which is quite an achievement.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54It is just too boring for words.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57It remains meat and two veg.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00You know what, though, the duck is so good!
0:16:02 > 0:16:05So, Paul's duck has put the cat amongst the pigeons,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08giving award-winning Daniel a chance to steal the lead
0:16:08 > 0:16:10with his extremely technical chicken dish
0:16:10 > 0:16:13with ingenious sweetcorn egg and revolutionary chicken spray.
0:16:13 > 0:16:14A cutting-edge creation
0:16:14 > 0:16:17that nearly broke him in the heats.
0:16:17 > 0:16:22I'm cooking out of my skin at the moment. If I don't go through today, I'm not going to go home
0:16:22 > 0:16:25and kick myself because I know I've done everything humanly possible
0:16:25 > 0:16:27to get through.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32This is groundbreaking, this is absolutely mind-blowing.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34I've got to have confidence in it,
0:16:34 > 0:16:36why change something that has got 10 out of 10?
0:16:36 > 0:16:40Let's just hope the judges see the dish's great potential.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44He is attempting to take an everyday ingredient to new Olympic heights
0:16:44 > 0:16:48but chicken has never succeeded as a main course before.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53The judges might hate it and I might go home and be a broken man tonight.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57It's an incredibly ambitious dish to serve at a banquet.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01If this goes all the way, you're going to have to come down and help.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03- I charge by the ticket, skip.- OK!
0:17:05 > 0:17:08But Daniel has to get it past the judges first,
0:17:08 > 0:17:12and time is fast running out to bring his complex dish together.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17What will they make of his ingenious chicken and sweetcorn egg
0:17:17 > 0:17:19and gimmicky chicken spray?
0:17:19 > 0:17:24Right, boys, the egg goes in front of the judges.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28Treat it like a baby, boys, please.
0:17:32 > 0:17:33The nerves start to kick in.
0:17:33 > 0:17:38It's my pride and joy. I just hope that dish is the one that pushes the judges towards my camp.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43Can Daniel edge out in front with his pioneering new take on
0:17:43 > 0:17:45a family favourite?
0:17:47 > 0:17:50Things are hotting up here. This is all very interesting,
0:17:50 > 0:17:51beautiful looking thing.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56- More like a rain cloud.- It's a bit of sauce.- It's meat, isn't it?
0:17:57 > 0:18:00There's popcorn in here, do you realise?
0:18:01 > 0:18:05It's worth having this plateful just for that alone.
0:18:05 > 0:18:06Very technical, that is.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08To get that to work.
0:18:09 > 0:18:14This sort of reconstructed egg, there's sweetcorn in it, isn't there?
0:18:14 > 0:18:17Actually, it adds up to a jolly nice mouthful.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20There are lots of things to like about this dish.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23He just needs to work more on the flavour and I think he's onto something.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27I think people would eat this with an enormous amount of pleasure and a good deal of surprise.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30This guy is incredibly skilled.
0:18:30 > 0:18:35It's extremely well thought out, it's very clean and nice looking.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38I think it could really end up at the banquet.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44So Daniel's main course has impressed the judges
0:18:44 > 0:18:47and Paul now has some catching up to do with his dessert.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51He's up first with a controversial dish
0:18:51 > 0:18:53that showcases a previously failed ingredient.
0:18:55 > 0:18:56Sea buckthorn again,
0:18:56 > 0:18:59I've taken a big risk, but this brief
0:18:59 > 0:19:02is about taking risks and putting yourself out there, which is
0:19:02 > 0:19:05what I've done, and hoping they'll appreciate that.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09The judges don't want to see things they've seen before, like sea buckthorn.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11PAUL LAUGHS
0:19:11 > 0:19:13Yes, but have they seen it like this?
0:19:13 > 0:19:17They don't like it, so no-one's served it to them any more.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21It's a massive gamble and Paul's last chance to impress.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24Will he turn the tables on this sharp foraged berry,
0:19:24 > 0:19:25with Yorkshire rhubarb,
0:19:25 > 0:19:27burnt meringue, ginger syrup
0:19:27 > 0:19:28and crunchy puffed rice.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32Or has he pushed the boundaries that step too far?
0:19:35 > 0:19:38Guys, as you see it, please, to the judges.
0:19:39 > 0:19:40OK, lovely.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47This is my do or die dish. This is the sea buckthorn,
0:19:47 > 0:19:51this is going to ring some bells for them and bring back the old friend.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55Has Paul done enough to stay in the race
0:19:55 > 0:19:59and will the judges give sea buckthorn a second chance?
0:20:00 > 0:20:02Well, now! This is a surprise,
0:20:02 > 0:20:06I mean, this has got little maggots crawling all over it.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10That is a novelty turn, isn't it? Is that innovation?
0:20:10 > 0:20:13- It's quite a pretty looking dish, though.- It is pretty.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17It's our old friend sea buckthorn.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21It's not! Oh, God, I don't like sea buckthorn.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24You may have changed your mind since then.
0:20:26 > 0:20:27- No.- You haven't!
0:20:27 > 0:20:30I like sea buckthorn, dammit!
0:20:30 > 0:20:33Oh, dear, oh, dear, it's absolutely awful, it's a tragedy.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37It's just all...really harsh.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39Where is all the sweetness coming from?
0:20:39 > 0:20:43Even the meringue isn't sweet. It's just egg white with a little bit of sugar.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47I thought this could be lots of nice surprises hidden away underneath here.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50The surprise is how horrible it is.
0:20:50 > 0:20:55I absolutely agree with you that this is not Olympic heights.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58The truth is that if you are aiming for real innovation
0:20:58 > 0:21:01and breaking new boundaries, then you are taking a hell of a risk.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05Now this guy took a hell of a risk and fell off the edge of the cliff.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07You have to admire the chef's courage,
0:21:07 > 0:21:09because this is definitely not a crowd pleaser.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11You know what, he's eaten it all!
0:21:11 > 0:21:12I don't know how you do that, Fort!
0:21:12 > 0:21:15That is astonishing.
0:21:15 > 0:21:16It's wrong.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23So Paul's risky sea buckthorn hasn't paid off and everything now
0:21:23 > 0:21:28rests on Daniel's dessert, his lowest scoring dish of the week.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31His final showdown is a raspberry roulade with white chocolate
0:21:31 > 0:21:34cookie dough and pungent tarragon,
0:21:34 > 0:21:36a flavour combination that could make or break him.
0:21:38 > 0:21:39I've been here three times.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41If it's not right this time, I'm going to cry.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43With the finishing line in sight,
0:21:43 > 0:21:47he pipes on some white chocolate cream,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50fills it with tarragon oil, adds his raspberry roulade and a scoop of sorbet,
0:21:50 > 0:21:55before bringing his third and final Olympic campaign to a close.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58Boys, the judges are there.
0:22:00 > 0:22:01Well done.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04- What a journey, eh? - I know, I know. It's not over yet.
0:22:04 > 0:22:05Not over yet.
0:22:07 > 0:22:12Will Daniel's bold raspberry and tarragon roulade set him on the path to Olympic glory?
0:22:14 > 0:22:16It's a raspberry medley.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19You can smell the raspberry coming off the plate.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24Oh, look! Look at that, it's got green stuff injected inside.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26I think it's tarragon, liquid tarragon.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29Absolutely right, it's tarragon.
0:22:29 > 0:22:30Oh, that is such a pleasure.
0:22:32 > 0:22:37It's quite conventional, though, isn't it? What's unusual about this?
0:22:37 > 0:22:42I think this, again, this is completely style over content.
0:22:42 > 0:22:47I don't like the flavours, I don't like the balance of flavours,
0:22:47 > 0:22:51I think it looks great but from there on it goes downhill.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55That sort of roulade thing is really quite horrible.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59- Do you think this could be improved in any way?- Yes, different pudding.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03I think you're being completely unreasonable. I think that tarragon with the raspberries is delicious
0:23:03 > 0:23:06but what has been disappointing is that what looked like
0:23:06 > 0:23:10really exciting little things turned out to be not the best of anything.
0:23:10 > 0:23:15You don't need three of each of these items, do you?
0:23:15 > 0:23:17They don't really go together.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20I think Oliver is right, I think he's got to take us
0:23:20 > 0:23:23somewhere where we haven't been before in food and this takes us
0:23:23 > 0:23:25to a whole lot of rather familiar points
0:23:25 > 0:23:26without any sense of real progress.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32Cooking complete, there's nothing the chefs can do now
0:23:32 > 0:23:35but anxiously await the judge's verdict.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38It's an emotional time, it's down to the judges now.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40The last hurdle for both of us.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44They've put their all into their menus but only one of them can be
0:23:44 > 0:23:45crowned Central champion.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48'To be honest, I'm on edge, I'm nervous.'
0:23:48 > 0:23:52This whole week has built up to this.
0:23:52 > 0:23:53And it rests on their decision.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04Time for the judges to find out which dishes belong to which menu.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08Remember, they still don't know which chef cooked which.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12You can see two contrasting styles at work here. Mr Brave and Mr Perfect.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15I'm just surprised on one or two courses, which way they went.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18Daniel has come up with a cutting-edge menu
0:24:18 > 0:24:21that takes classic flavour combinations to new Olympic heights
0:24:21 > 0:24:23with revolutionary new techniques.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27Paul's dared to do something different with a menu that
0:24:27 > 0:24:30showcases rare, unusual and wild ingredients.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33But the judges will only know whose is whose once
0:24:33 > 0:24:35they have chosen their winner.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38I've made up my mind which menu I'm going for. What about you?
0:24:38 > 0:24:41Me, too. I know what I'm doing now.
0:24:41 > 0:24:42- Oliver?- Yes, I've made up my mind.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45Well, I think it's time to get in the chefs.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50For Daniel and Paul, the wait is finally over.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53One of these chefs will be back to fight another day,
0:24:53 > 0:24:54the other sent packing.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Daniel, Paul, welcome to the judges' chamber.
0:25:02 > 0:25:07As you know, the challenge has been to find dishes and menus which
0:25:07 > 0:25:08reflect the Olympic ideals.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11Some of the dishes certainly lived up to the challenge,
0:25:11 > 0:25:14and some of them, frankly, fell by the wayside.
0:25:14 > 0:25:20But this is not about individual dishes, it is about menus.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24- Prue, have you decided which menu? - I certainly have,
0:25:24 > 0:25:26it is Menu A.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29- And Oliver?- Menu B, Matthew.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32Menu B. Well, I've also gone for Menu A.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36But you don't know who has cooked Menu A,
0:25:36 > 0:25:38and, frankly, neither do we.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40So I think I'll reach out...
0:25:42 > 0:25:43..and find out.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53So, the chef who will be going forward to represent
0:25:53 > 0:25:57the Central region at the national finals will be...
0:26:06 > 0:26:09Daniel. Congratulations.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13- Well done, chef. - You look like a relieved man.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15Well, finally!
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Honestly, I feel third time lucky, but I think
0:26:19 > 0:26:21this brief really suited me.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25I think I pushed myself a lot to try and get through today.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29From my point of view, you clearly are a highly technically accomplished chef
0:26:29 > 0:26:34and there was some very accomplished cooking there.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37But not all the dishes were perfect by any means and, frankly,
0:26:37 > 0:26:43if I was going to advise you to change one, it certainly would be the pudding.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45I think you should just express yourself more. You've done it,
0:26:45 > 0:26:47you're through, well done, amazing,
0:26:47 > 0:26:51now let go a bit, show us who you really are as a human being.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54That veal sweetbread flavour was fantastic.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57I didn't think it was the most innovative of dishes
0:26:57 > 0:26:59but, God, it was lovely!
0:26:59 > 0:27:02Paul, I must say there were some really wonderful dishes.
0:27:02 > 0:27:07The outstanding dish of all, I think, was on your menu.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11That is why I voted for you because I think that ray dish was fantastic.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14- How have you found it, Paul? - It's been brilliant,
0:27:14 > 0:27:17really...really unusual experience.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20A different kind of pressure than you're used to at the restaurant.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24Well, Paul, I'm sorry we won't be seeing you at the final
0:27:24 > 0:27:26but I'm sure we shall be seeing you again.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28Daniel, congratulations,
0:27:28 > 0:27:31and look forward very much to seeing you at the national final.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34- Thank you very much. - Well done.- Cheers.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42'I'm gutted.'
0:27:42 > 0:27:45When you put so much into something and you want it so bad,
0:27:45 > 0:27:48it's really hard to take, but I'm really happy for Daniel.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52I hope he takes Central region to the banquet.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55- Cheers.- 'When he called my name out, I was in total shock.'
0:27:55 > 0:27:58It's just.... I don't think it's sunk in yet,
0:27:58 > 0:28:00I really don't think it's sunk in.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04I feel totally over the moon, very proud. Now I've got to keep pushing and get all the way to the banquet.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Next week, it's the turn of the North East.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11Hey, hey, hey!
0:28:11 > 0:28:15Returning contender Stephanie Moon is fending off two newcomers.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18It's getting white hot now. If I get any grief off those boys.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20Ambitious hotshot Colin McGurran.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22Chefs competing with me, they need to be careful.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25And rising star Charlie Lakin.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28You wouldn't enter a competition like this if you didn't want to win it.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30All right there, chef?
0:28:30 > 0:28:33I've just dropped three of my goat's cheese on the floor.
0:28:52 > 0:28:551Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd