North West Starter Great British Menu

This year on Great British Menu...

There's no BLEEP saucepans!

..the nation's top chefs are striving to produce their finest hour on a plate...

-Read before you feed.

-That idea is brilliant.

..with 21st century dishes worthy of World War II veterans...

-I believe you worked at the Churchill War Rooms?

-I did, yes.

I saw Churchill quite often obviously.

..for a glorious banquet marking the 70th anniversary of D-day

at London's iconic St Paul's Cathedral,

a bastion of British wartime resilience.

From jubilant victories...

Chris.

I don't know what to say. I am absolutely elated.

..to bitter disappointments...

BLEEP!

Burnt. Totally torched to the pot.

..our fearsome troupe of former champions won't be holding back.

To me, he looks like a rabbit in the headlights.

You would almost say a schoolboy error, Chef.

Going head-to-head this week to represent the North West

are Jason Atherton's protege James Durrant...

Working at that level is always going to give you that resilience to pressure.

..ambitious new chef Mark Ellis...

I am under pressure. Only two minutes left.

..and returning contender Mary-Ellen McTague...

-I was here last year.

-It's helped me prepare a bit better, I think.

..who's hoping it will be second time lucky.

If she pulls this off, I'll be surprised.

But she's facing two new competitors determined to stop her.

It is an awful feeling when you put a dish up you're not 100% happy with.

This June, the nation will commemorate the incredible heroes

who stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-day 70 years ago.

In honour of their tremendous sacrifices,

the chefs have been tasked with creating patriotic dishes

that evoke the fighting spirit of the 1940s...

You just knuckled down to doing whatever you had to do.

..and have used personal histories

to inspire their menus both at home...

-He looks like a boy, so young.

-He is very young.

..and across the Channel.

Even the chefs were on the front line sacrificing their lives for D-day.

Fighting it out this week for the chance to cook at the commemorative D-day banquet

are returning chef Heston-Blumenthal-trained

Mary-Ellen McTague...

It's really great to be back this year

and I am absolutely determined to get to the banquet this time.

..first timer James Durrant

who's worked at Gordon Ramsay's three Michelin star restaurant

and under a two-time Great British Menu winner...

I work for Jason Atherton so I'm ready for the pressure of the Great British Menu kitchen.

..and ambitious newcomer Mark Ellis,

who may lack the three Michelin star experience of his rivals,

but is eager to make an impact in the competition.

I'm here to work hard and win. Nothing else will do.

Judging the chefs is a first-time veteran...

I absolutely hate this bit.

I hate not knowing who's coming through the doors.

..two Michelin star heavyweight

and twice banquet champion...

..Daniel Clifford.

-Morning, chefs.

-Morning.

-I am really excited to be here.

Mary-Ellen, how do you feel to be back here?

-A lot less nervous than last year.

-Had timing issues last year.

-Yes.

-Sorted that out this year?

-Yes.

-OK.

-James?

-Excited but nervous, yes. Some tough competition here.

-And Mark?

-Can't wait to get in there.

Bit of a newcomer so I've quite a bit to prove.

I'm really looking forward to tasting your food. It's really nice to be on the other side.

I'm slightly upset that I'm not cooking because I do feel this brief is a great one to cook for.

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

First up is second timer Mary-Ellen McTague.

BLEEP!

Last year, she struggled to deliver on time.

I just don't know what's happened.

BLEEP!

Although her nerves held her back,

she made it to the judging chamber...

..but was pipped to the post by Aiden Byrne.

-Morning, Chef.

-Morning.

Tell me about your menu. How have you got to this point?

The biggest source of inspiration was my husband's grandparents.

Bill was on a battleship. He was there on D-day

-and Vera was at home making boots for the soldiers.

-Great.

I backed it up by doing some research at museums and reading books and things.

Take me through today's dish.

It's based on the Dig For Victory campaign,

getting people to grow their own to supplement the shortage of food.

So I've created what you'd imagine a wartime salad to be.

-Some beautiful beetroot.

-Yep.

Being an English garden, got some snails.

I'm going to make some sour milk cheese

that used to be hung in a pair of tights under the stairs overnight, back in the war days.

I'm making a national loaf. That was the bread that was made during the war.

-They didn't like it back in them days.

-They didn't.

I've got the original recipe from a war museum

-and I'm going to do a few things to it to make it eat much better.

-OK.

-So you've taken a massive risk there.

-Well, yes.

-Brilliant.

Mary-Ellen's dish, Dig For Victory.

She's seriously done her homework. I just hope she can deliver it.

She's making cheese, she's making a bread that no-one really likes.

She's got her work cut out.

Next up is newcomer James Durrant

who's worked in some of the toughest kitchens

on London's highly competitive restaurant scene.

-Morning, Chef.

-Morning. So what's your inspiration for the menu?

-Inspired by ration food really.

-OK.

We're starting with S-P-A-M,

so spice, pork, allium and molluscs.

Spam, basically.

Yes, a little play on words and how I'm going to recreate it.

We've got the pig's head

and I'm going to really slowly cook this

with a spice which is going to be cloves, honey, star anise, bay leaf, thyme.

I'll deep-fry them later.

Leeks, I'm going to turn into a really nice buttery puree.

The scallops are going to be seared. A little bit of curry powder on them.

-Just give that little bit of luxury to it.

-OK.

I want to celebrate what all those brave soldiers and women did.

You've got big boots to fill.

I want to see blood, sweat and tears. Do Jason proud.

-Cook your socks off, boss.

-Cheers.

James's dish, the S-P-A-M,

it really excites me.

But scallops are quite sweet, pork is quite sweet.

It'll be interesting how this comes together

because he's got such a simple box of ingredients.

Finally it's another new chef, determined Mark Ellis,

who's out to impress with his unique, quirky cooking style.

Take me through your inspiration for the menu first.

Inspiration for the menu has been my nan

and her personal food journey through the '40s onwards.

First dish is Dig For Victory, so we've got some nice baby leeks,

baby carrots, beetroots as well, and that's going to go with rabbit.

-We're going to confit the legs down and make a pressing of those.

-OK.

Then I'm going to make a parfait with the livers.

As a bit of a twist, I'm going to make some edible soil.

I've got some fantastic brown mushrooms. Truffle, black olives.

-What's this little bad boy?

-That is flavour enhancer.

-Have you used this before, James?

-No, never.

-Does this box worry you?

-I think it worries Mark more. He's got a lot to do.

-Yes, he's got a lot of work.

Parfait is always a risky one, especially in the time.

I wish you the best of luck.

Let's make sure you're digging for victory

-and not digging yourself a hole.

-Thank you, Chef.

For me the biggest concern of Mark's dish

is the amount he's got going on.

And then he's using a product called flavour enhancer. I've never seen it.

I hope it enhances it and doesn't ruin my palate.

With tension high from the start,

James is first to bring up the elephant in the room.

-Two Dig For Victories, guys?

-Yes. It's kind of unavoidable.

-That was one of the biggest food campaigns of the war.

-Yeah.

-I managed to avoid it.

-Well, you did. Well done.

I've really enjoyed doing the research.

My husband's grandparents have been absolutely amazing.

It wasn't until I started doing the research that I found out who was on my doorstep.

My wife's grandad was one of the first on the beaches.

It's just incredible, isn't it?

Unfortunately, he's not here today but she gave me a picture of him.

He was 17.

I don't think I could imagine being that young and signing up

-and risking your life, really.

-I think we had the same idea.

-Ah!

-That's my nan.

My nan's been my inspiration throughout my life.

I brought one as well.

That's my father-in-law and that's my husband's nana Vera

and that's Bill and they're ace. Love them.

Fantastic.

Table four, please.

Returning contender Mary-Ellen

is head chef at Aumbry in Prestwich, Manchester.

She serves modern European dishes

but while working in three Michelin-starred Heston Blumenthal's development kitchen,

she spent a lot of time studying historical food.

All the food I've looked at up till now has been 17th or 18th century, 19th century,

so this is a new era for me to look at. It's been fascinating.

Luckily for this year's brief,

the source of her inspiration was close to home.

-This is Bill's Navy picture.

-Yes, that's right.

Her husband's grandfather Bill was a gunner on a small destroyer

during the D-day landings and with the help of his wife Vera,

Mary-Ellen has really done her homework.

He was 17 and a half when he went into the Navy.

They escorted all these big battleships,

just trying to get the beaches clear for them.

I was in the shoe factory. We used to make army boots.

I can remember, you know, a shortage of things.

I mean, we had a little garden

and we used to grow things, perhaps a little bit of lettuce.

What better for Mary-Ellen to base her starter on?

This was inspired by the growing your own, Dig For Victory thing you told me about.

I also remember you telling me about sour milk cheese, so you didn't waste it.

Oh, no. You didn't waste anything really.

Mary-Ellen's starter ingredients might be fairly true to wartime...

The carrots were bigger than that!

..but combining them all together is something Vera's never tried before.

That's quite tasty, yes.

You've got such a passion, haven't you?

-Your heart and soul is in it.

-Thank you.

Back in the kitchen,

Mary-Ellen's Dig For Victory salad is far from finished.

-I was here last year.

-Yes.

-That was really, really tough.

I don't expect it's going to be a whole lot easier this year,

but it's helped me prepare a bit better, I think.

Sounds like you prepared well. You've got loads going on with that starter.

-Yeah, I've done a lot of research.

-Yeah.

She's peeled her baby vegetables

but is still busy making her sour milk cheese,

preparing snails and making salad cream.

She also needs to get Britain's most hated bread in the oven.

-How are we getting on?

-Good. About to make the national loaf.

We've got stoneground wholemeal flour, potato flour,

which was the thing they bulked out the national loaf with,

and also what makes the loaf not so delicious.

This is a massive risk.

I imagine people were sent home with their national loaf,

and then did stuff to it to try and make it more edible for their family

because it was horrible. It is horrible.

I love the fact that Mary-Ellen has made the national loaf.

Let's just hope she can bring it into the 21st century

and it adds something to the dish instead of hinders it.

Mary-Ellen's not the only one trying to bring wartime food into the 21st century.

Jason Atherton protege James's S-P-A-M dish

of spice, pork, allium, as in onions and leeks,

and molluscs, as in scallops, is a modern twist

on the tinned ham ration packs the D-day soldiers would have had.

For me, they didn't have a lot then,

so it's time for us to show them what we can do for them now and really spoil them.

-You've worked with Jason Atherton.

-Yes.

-Think it helps you any?

You've been in the same situation.

You've worked at the highest level you can get.

I think working at that level is always going to give you that resilience to pressure.

Yes, it definitely helps.

Sardines on toast.

With his Michelin star training,

two years ago, north-west-born James moved to Andover in Hampshire

to open The Plough Inn, but he hasn't lost any of his ambition.

I think it would be really foolish for the other chefs to underestimate me.

Working with Gordon Ramsay and Jason Atherton

has put me in a position where I can win because I have that edge.

I want a dish on the banquet.

James was surprised to discover his wife Louise's grandfather

had played a role in the D-day landings.

Obviously it was a very harrowing experience

being in the thick of it on the front line.

I think one thing he did say, "I was in mud and bullets."

He was just lucky to be alive through a lot of it.

-They put their lives on the line for our future, basically.

-Definitely.

Very proud of him.

I remember him saying that they sometimes went without food for a week

-and they had ration packs.

-Yes.

It's just a really humbling experience to hear how tough it was.

-What have we got here?

-OK, well, this is the starter.

I want to look at really spoiling these guys

and thanking them basically for creating our future.

-It's got a really good flavour to it.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-That's lovely.

They made the most of the food they had then.

We make the most of the food we have now. That's really...

Really nice.

-17 years old?

-17 years old.

-It sends shivers just thinking about it.

-Yeah.

How do you feel to be given the opportunity to cook for people like this?

It's great. It's fantastic.

Experienced James has moved onto moulding the spicy meat from the pig's head into balls.

You've got some shallots here.

Yeah, just giving a little sharpness to cut through the fat and richness of the pig.

Leek puree is cooking. That's going to blend in a minute. Nearly there.

James's pig's head. Let's hope he's tasting as he goes

because if it's too salty, it will ruin the dish.

Keen to impress is newcomer Mark.

You've got a lot going on, Mark. Confident you'll get it all done on time?

Yeah, I'm really confident.

He's the busiest chef in the kitchen,

making rabbit liver mousse and a rabbit compression

for his Dig For Victory dish

that also includes carrots, beetroot

and a technical edible soil with today's most controversial ingredient.

The problem with flavour enhancer is you start using words like enhancer or E numbers

and people start getting really worried.

They think it's artificial

and created in a lab by some mad scientist.

-The fact of the matter, it isn't.

-What's it made from?

Lots of earthy tones. It's loads of dried varieties of mushrooms.

HE SHOUTS ORDERS Yes, Chef.

Mark uses modern techniques and ingredients on a daily basis

as head chef at the 1851 restaurant

at Peckforton Castle in Tarporley, Cheshire...

Got more edible sand, Rich?

..and has a highly regarded three AA rosette rating to show for it.

The accolades keep coming. If people don't know what I'm about,

they'll be quite surprised with what they see.

I can't wait to blow everyone's socks off.

He's got the full support of his grandmother Winifred and great-uncle Alan,

who have been sharing their wartime memories with him.

I was six when the war started, Mark, and 12 when it finished,

so really we were only children

but it's how much you took in, watching your parents, what they did.

-And learned to cook, for example.

-Yes, everything was rationed.

You only got so much, which had to last you,

-and you only got so much meat so a lot of rabbit was used.

-That's good.

Mark knows rabbit was a staple meat during the war

because his grandmother Winifred ate it,

but she wouldn't have eaten the livers as a mousse.

-Oh, that's lovely.

-Good.

-Tasty.

-That always helps!

-Very nice.

I can't begin to explain how much I want to get a dish through to the banquet.

It would mean so much to me personally,

so much to my family, my partner, my nan, my daughter.

I don't often fail on things in life.

I make it my business to succeed, so that's what I'm going to do.

-You'll win.

-I'm glad you're optimistic.

With plating up approaching, Mark is under pressure.

Mark, your stock's over-boiling, boss.

Mark's got a lot going on. Let's hope he can pull it all together.

The ambitious first timer is ready

to precision pipe his rabbit liver mousse,

quirkily presented in plant pots.

Ooh. Quite lively, this one.

BLEEP!

He's squeezed that parfait out, it's going everywhere.

He looks really nervous. There's a lot of style there.

Let's hope it's got substance as well.

-All right, Mark?

-Yes. Having a disaster with the mousse,

-but I'll get over it.

-It's all over your hair.

-Is it? Where?

Careful, you might ruin your hairstyle!

Luckily for Mark, returning contender Mary-Ellen is first up.

She's researched the brief - finding original recipes,

but knows the importance of starting the week strongly.

Her Dig For Victory salad kicks off with sour milk cheese,

then croutons of her controversial national loaf.

-Nearly there?

-Nearly there.

She adds baby herbs, baby beetroot

and yellow baby beetroot.

-Are you happy with everything you've done?

-Yes, think so.

-Just hope Mr Clifford thinks so too.

-Yes.

Last on are cooked snails

and dots of the British favourite, salad cream.

- Is this your finest hour? - Close, close.

-She's set the bar.

-Yes.

First Dig For Victory up, boys.

- Let's go and taste it. - Lovely.

-Looks beautiful, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

These are the baby beetroots.

- Cooked naturally? Are they pickled? - Not pickled, no.

The pickle is just in the vinaigrette that's on the outside.

-For me, the veg could have been seasoned and cooked a bit more.

-Yes.

The snails have been braised in white wine and garlic.

Snail's nice.

- Would Vera be proud of that cheese? - Hopefully she would, yes.

The cheese is quite rubbery for me.

- Do you think this hits the brief? - I do, absolutely.

It is Dig For Victory, isn't it? It's a garden salad.

We've got garden vegetables and snails.

The national loaf.

- Is this how you wanted it? - Yes.

I like what she's done with the bread. It's got a nice crunch to it.

When the dish is put down, how are people going to know

- that is the national loaf? - Well, I suppose they're not.

Do you think people are going to know that's national loaf?

No, I think it needs to be more pronounced, on the menu so people understand.

Do you feel this is one of your stronger dishes?

- No, the big ones are yet to come. - OK.

Obviously I like mine better.

- What would you mark this dish? - Maybe six.

OK.

-Seven out of ten for me.

-Seven out of ten for me as well.

-Hi.

-Was he brutal?

-No. That's later. He's not going to be brutal in there.

-He's going to be brutal when he gives the scores.

-Right.

Next up is experienced newcomer James

with his spiced pork,

allium and mollusc dish -

S-P-A-M.

-Very nice. Where did you get them?

-Wow.

-I had them made for me.

-What's this?

-It's a little poem to help explain my dish, really.

"Now Jackson had his acorns and Grant his precious rye.

"Teddy had his poisoned beef, worse you can buy.

"The doughboy had his hardtack without the Navy jam,

"but armies on their stomachs move and this one moves on spam.

-"Spice, pork, allium and molluscs."

-Very clever.

-Thank you.

He starts his plate with allium in the form of leek puree,

then adds deep-fried balls of star-anise-spiced pig's head,

scallops,

confit baby leek...

-Are you nearly there?

-Nearly there, nearly there now.

..and finishes the plate with a pork vinaigrette.

First dish out, Chef. How does it feel?

-I'm happy with what's on the plate.

-Does this honour the D-day veterans?

-I certainly hope so, yes.

-Let's go and try it.

-Excellent.

Tinned ham was a big staple of the ration diet on the front lines.

I've changed the ingredients and recreated something

-that shows off what we're all about in restaurant world today.

-Yes.

I think the veterans will understand the story this is trying to tell.

Ta-da!

-Are you happy with the pig's head?

-Yes.

-That's nice.

-Beautiful flavour.

-You get a lot of the star anise, don't you?

-Yes.

-What about the scallop?

-Yes, came in amazing. Fresh this morning.

The scallop's a bit overdone for me.

-Altogether, do you honestly think the dish is working?

-I'd say so, yes.

-He's brought a lot of really nice combinations together on that plate.

-He has.

My biggest worry after tasting it, it may be a bit heavy, a bit rich.

-Strong eight for me, I think.

-Yeah, strong eight.

-Strong eight.

That was nerve-racking. Initial thoughts?

Really, I don't know. He's not giving anything away.

Last up is determined Mark,

who still has plenty to do for his Dig For Victory.

He's added baby leek, baby carrot and onion

to his rabbit mousse flowerpots

and finishes them off with flavour-enhanced edible soil.

BLEEP!

Under pressure. There's only two minutes left.

While frying off his rabbit compression,

he places his flowerpots on plates.

Up to my eyeballs here.

Next on is his rabbit leg compression,

charred baby leek,

rabbit loin

and finally crispy pancetta.

-How does that feel?

-Yes. Done.

The big question, Chef, will victory be yours?

I'm quite optimistic with this dish.

-Second Dig For Victory. It's enormous.

-It's a big portion.

Do you feel that this is a contender today?

Honestly, I think I've hit the brief with that.

I think he's really got to grips with the brief.

He's really got on board with the Dig For Victory.

He's got the soil, the vegetables,

and rabbit was a big popular staple in the countryside.

-The edible soil. Do you think that works?

-Not quite.

-A little bit over-seasoned for me.

-OK.

-It is salty.

-Strong garlic.

Do you think the flavour enhancer's brought something to the party?

Yes, it's definitely there. It's heightened the earthy tones.

I think you really get the flavour enhancer.

Not sure about that with the parfait.

-Are you happy with this, the rabbit compression?

-Yes.

I like the compression a lot.

I think the flavour's really nice and the texture is nice as well.

Does the dish work together as a whole?

-Yeah. Not something I was worried about but I think it kind of makes sense.

-OK.

There's essentially three different dishes going on here.

-He's overcomplicated it almost.

-He has. The whole thing doesn't tie in.

Do you feel your Dig For Victory is better than Mary-Ellen's?

-I prefer to eat mine.

-OK.

I prefer my dish.

I'd probably give it...a seven.

-I'm going to give it a five.

-I would say six.

Hey. OK?

-Yes. A bit daunting. Bit

-BLEEP

-as well.

-Why?

-The soil was a bit too salty for me.

-Yes.

It is an awful feeling when you put a dish up that you're not 100% happy with.

Yeah. I'm not looking forward to going in to see what he says.

Mary-Ellen, I'm going to start with you.

Your Dig For Victory salad.

I think the snails were cooked perfectly,

the home-made cheese tasted nice,

and the national loaf, big risk there,

but I think once you'd fried it, it tasted really nice. However...

..I think the beetroots could have been cooked a little bit more.

I really appreciate all the hard work that you've put into this

but the journey that you've taken,

it doesn't really represent itself on the plate.

- I can't see the story. - OK.

James.

Your S-P-A-M with spiced pig's head and roast scallops.

I think the poem was clever

and I think it really told a story on the plate.

I thought the scallops were cooked perfectly.

The pig's head pork balls, I thought they were really nice.

But...

..it's a really rich dish.

I just think it needs a slight bit more acidity.

Mark, for your Dig For Victory

with rabbit, edible soil and allotment veg,

I liked the compression.

The parfait tasted really nice.

The plant pot was a brilliant idea.

But...

with the rabbit next to it, I thought it was two completely different dishes

and it didn't really work together.

But my biggest problem...

..was it was far too salty.

Once I'd had some of the soil, it completely destroyed the dish for me.

Mary-Ellen...

..for your Dig For Victory salad...

..I'm going to give you a six. - OK.

James, for your spiced pig's head, roasted scallops...

..I'm going to give you an eight.

Mark, for your Dig For Victory...

..I'm going to give you a five.

It's not a great start but I've been in your shoes

and I'm sure you can pull it back.

Thank you very much.

-Well done.

-Thank you. Well done.

After round one, James has a solid two-point lead,

while Mary-Ellen and Mark need to play catch up.

It's good. I wanted a good head start but there's a long way to go.

-Not delighted.

-No?

-No.

'I'm really glad I'm not last.'

That would be horrible.

-I'm over the

-BLEEP

-moon.

-No, you're not.

Very disappointed not to be ahead really.

You know, I'll pick myself up.