All language subtitles for Great.British.Menu.S18E01.1080p.HDTV.H264-DARKFLiX.[eng]

The creme de la creme of
the UK's chefs...

Oh, la, la!

...are heading to the Great British
Menu kitchen.

Hot stuff coming through.

They're competing to cook a course
at our magnificent banquet...

...one of the most prestigious prizes
in a chef's career.

Rock and roll.

This year, the banquet is
celebrating Britain's triumphs

in the world of illustration
and animation.

Stop, motion, action!

Wow.

Inspired by the 65th birthday
of the nation's favourite bear,

Paddington, we're raising a glass
to the full range of illustrated

and animated delights...

EXCLAMATWNS

Isn't that amazing?!

...from cartoon series to computer
games and comics.

Like a Gruffalo...
LAUGHTER

But reputations are at stake...

I wave the white flag.

...as some of the most eminent
Michelin-starred

veteran chefs of the competition...

No, I'm not giving out points
for confidence, right?

...both dependable old hands...

Snakes. Snakes!

...and bright young guns...

One each. Oh, you're too kind.

...will be returning to cast
judgment.

I'm scoring you a ten.

I would give you an 11 if I could.

The chefs will need to come up with
dishes which tell a story

and capture the imagination.

It's amazing!

Just as the likes of Mr Bean,
Rupert Bear, Pingu

and Fireman Sam delight
their audience...

Backup career.

...the chefs must thrill the exacting
panel of judges...

It's absolutely buzzing with
flavour, isn't it?

...who are searching for perfection
on a plate.

Tom, so nice to see you!

What?

Of course they are.
It's Great British Menu.

Game on, people.

It's the North East region,
which, for Great British Menu,

stretches from Yorkshire
and the Humber to Northumberland.

And with four outstanding chefs,
we're set for one

of our tightest battles.

God, that's good.

This week, the most talented
chefs from the North East

are drawing their inspiration
from the finest animations

and illustrations from their region.

Prepare for culinary re-imaginings
of the Clangers,

a music video from The Cribs,

and comic strip hero Andy Capp.

We've got four of the very
best today, starting

with Northumberland's Cal Byerley.

It feels really exciting
to be on Great British Menu

for the first time. Watching
the show growing up,

it's a huge hon our to be here.

Competing against him is Rory Welch
from County Durham,

who's also a first timer.

How are you doing? You good?
Yeah, good.

I'm really competitive. I do want to
win, but most of all,

I just want to be here cooking
my whole menu.

Third in is another confident
newcomer -

Yorkshire's Will Lockwood.

Will. Cal, man. How's it going?
Rory - nice to meet you.

I'm aiming for big scores this week.

I think my dishes could... All of
them could score highly.

And finally, Gareth Bartram
from South Yorkshire.

He tried two years ago and just
missed out on cooking

for the judges.
I'm Gareth, nice to meet you.

There's a lot at stake.
Obviously, it's my second time here.

I've got a lot to prove.

I just really want to get
through to that judges' chamber.

It's fantastic to be here.
Nice. Yeah, proper chuffed.

It's an hon our. Ready to do my bit. Hopefully
get something to the banquet. That'd be amazing.

Hello, chefs. Hello, Andi.

How are you doing? Good, thank you.
Very good. Thanks.

So, the first thing I want you to do
is make the canape.

Now, the canape needs to be sharp.

It needs to be elegant. And quite
importantly, it really needs

to be one bite. It's your first
foot forward in

the Great British Menu kitchen.

Let's get cracking, shall we?

The canapes don't need to be themed,
but they will be used as a decider

in any tie-break.

And scores could be tight today
because they're all at the top

of their game. Cal has
a Michelin star

and a Green Star for sustainability.

Gareth has one star.

Will also has a star, and Rory
has a Michelin Plate.

Willis using discs made from
artichoke puree and xanthan gum

to create a tart. Feeling good.

I just need to blend my artichoke
puree and then

fill my tart cases.

He cuts beef tartare for
the filling,

while second-timer Gareth's having
some trouble

with his cheese and truffle gougere.

A bit concerned about this custard, but it seems
to be thickening up now. Yeah, it should be OK.

Fingers crossed.

Cal, meanwhile, is sieving sourdough
batter to make a thin, crispy pastry

shell called a Pie Tee.

A Pie Tee is a traditional sort of
iron that you clip into hot oil

and then into a batter, then fry.

Trying to control his nerves,
he pipes in brown crab emulsion,

followed by white crab.

And Rory sieves pease pudding
and shapes

fermented potato flatbreads.

This canape represents my style of
cooking because it's something

that's really well-known in
the North East.

As Will grates smoked dried
ox heart,

they're all trying to showcase their
culinary style in one bite.

How would you feel if Paul Ainsworth came through
the door? Paul's great. I'd be over the moon.

Do you think he'd get your food?
Totally. Tom Aikens?

Yeah. Formidable character.

Angela Hartnett? Yeah.
She'd be great.

Another legend of the industry.

How about if I said Michael O'Hare,
Gareth?

Yeah. Yeah, brilliant.

So, heads down, lads.
Focus, and I'll see you in a minute.

Thank you.

Arriving is one of our most
experienced veterans, with both

an MBE and OBE for services to
hospitality,

along with a Michelin star at
restaurant Murano.

You are due on the pass now,
gentlemen.

Wow. Everybody happy'?
Yeah. Yeah.

Tasting and scoring their dishes
will be Angela Hartnett.

Hello! Hey! Hello.

Hello. How are we all?

Well. Good, thank you.

What do we have?

So, it's a cheese and truffle
gougere.

What have we got here, Chef?

Fermented potato flat bread,
pease pudding, cured ham,

and pickled wild leek.

Did you cure the ham? Yeah.

What have we got here?
Jerusalem artichoke

and a raw beef tart.

Ancl this one? A little sourdough
cracker cup. It's filled

with brown crab emulsion,
fresh white crab meat,

with some apple dice in there,

lovage pickle jelly, and some
sorrel on top.

Mm. What are your expectations from
these delightful chefs

with our wonderful brief -
animation and illustration?

I think exciting food.

I want to see your imaginations.

I want to see you as
individual chefs.

Not much to ask, is it?

Enjoy, guys. Cheers.

These lovely canapes,

I'd like you to rank them
in order of preference.

My least favourite was Rory's,
not because I felt it didn't lack

flavour, but I think it was
just a little bit dense.

That's a nice, dense bread.

Yeah. just like a stottie cake
should be. Yeah.

Third? Gareth. You know, I love that
gougere. Full of flavour, bursting

in your mouth. Maybe a tad big.

Makes the custard warm. I love that.
Yeah. Really good.

And second? Will, for me,
was second.

That was delicious.

I loved the quirkiness of it.

The fact that he had that grated
meat on top.

That's a ten. Heavens.

Layered up with flavour. Really
nice. Smart.

Number one for me is Cal.

You know, that was ten plus.

It was so beautiful, it was so
delicate, and it was just bursting

with flavour. So fresh, that.
Yeah. Really fresh, Cal. Lovely.

Well, I think we're in for
a good week.

This should be a joy to judge.

Right, boys. Let's get going,
then. Yeah.

We're onto starters.

This year, there's an extra
challenge of making them vegan,

as well as being themed on British
animation and illustration.

And Will's basing his on a stop
motion animation,

recently revoiced by Sheffield's
Michael Palin.

The title of the dish is
The Soup Dragon,

inspired by the Clangers.

WHISTLING

Small has come to collect
the soup for breakfast.

WHISTLING

THEY IMITATE THE CLANGERS

How are you going to tell us about
the Clangers in a plate of food?

On the bottom, there'll be
a hen-of-the-woods puree.

On that will be some pickled
hen-of-the-woods, and then onions

that I'm going to bake really high.

They'll give some nice crunch,
and then there'll be some roasted

hen-of-the-woods, topped with
a soup. Like a foamy soup made

out of the watercress, the parsley
and the spinach.

Ancl what are you doing with
this dye here?

With the green soup, the Clangers
would eat a blue string pudding.

Blue string pudding, yes?
Yep. So, the purple potatoes,

they get noodled and then they
get brined

in the blue dye, and then they'll be
fried in a little ring.

Ancl we will top that with
wild garlic emulsion

and a fennel pollen vinegar gel.

Very calm, isn't he? Mm. Worried?

A little bit. It sounds good.
Good, good.

Will finely chops maitakes
for his puree,

as Cal is also preparing mushrooms.

Look at you standing to attention!
I know, I'm ready!

What are you cooking for us, Cal?

The name of my dish is the Magical
World of Mushrooms,

based on an illustrator.
And the book is called

lnkcap and the Blight
of the Bonnets.

And who's the illustrator?
Kylie Dixon from the North East.

So, this book, they're all mushroom
characters? That's right. Yeah.

They live in an allotment of living
mushrooms. Mushroomy adventure.

Yeah, exactly. Sounds fun.

I'm doing a mushroom broth with
chestnut mushrooms and some

dried ceps, then cooking the
mushrooms in very different ways.

We've got the lion's mane...
This one here? Yeah.

We're going to baste that in
a mushroom miso and vegan butter.

What are these? Those are
blue oyster mushrooms,

so we're going to very gently
cook those.

I'm going to fry off some of
the sourdough starter

and sort of coat the blue oyster
mushrooms.

So, you get a lovely, garlicky
crunchy mushroom as well

in there. We wish you loads of luck.
At ease, soldier.

LAUGHTER

Onto Rory who is taking inspiration
from a comic strip

of a flat-cap-wearing,
beer-loving Geordie,

which has appeared in
the Daily Mirror since 1957.

The title of my dish is
Life With Andy Capp,

and it's inspired by... Andy Capp.
..Andy Capp,

illustrated by Reg Smythe
from Hartlepool.

What exactly are you cooking?

Beer and onion and mushroom broth.

Ancl then on the side, it's going to
be like a little mushroom parfait

toast. That will be piped
onto the sourdough,

that will be grilled. And then we
finish with truffle.

What are you doing with the grains
and the hazelnut?

The grains are going to be
in the broth. Yeah.

Ancl then the hazelnuts are going
to be through the parfait,

just to give it the body. Right.

Ancl as well, I'm making a burnt
nut oil,

just to finish the broth with.

There's a lot of mushrooms here.
Take us through what's what.

I've got cauliflower mushroom,
scarlet waxca p,

trooping funnel caps, maitakes
and the common waxcap.

Ancl they're all just basically going
to be grilled in a basket

over the coal. Mushroom city,
Here we come. Yeah, it is.

Finally, it's Gareth.
And guess what?

He's using mushrooms, too.

So, the title is Mirror Kissers.

It's inspired by a music video by
a band, The Cribs.

Oh, The Cribs. Yeah.
So, they're from Wakefield.

What's the nature of the video,
then? It's 2,740 frames

which have been manipulated to
make, like, a start-stop

almost animation style of video.
Right.

# You've got a lot to say
but don't mention

# The mirror kissing ways of
the hipster type... #

So, my dish is basically there's
going to be lots of layers

in there. I'm using the Japanese
slicer on my potatoes

so I get a nice long ribbon.

I then season it with truffle
and thyme, lots of vegan butter.

I'm rolling it around a rolling pin,
then I'm going to steam it

and then fry it. Look like a bit of
a record almost. OK, OK. Ah!

That's quite tricky, isn't it, to get it
fried, and stay crisp and cooked? Exactly.

Yeah. On there as well,
you've got some artichoke puree,

then mushroom and kombu sauce.

You've got hen-of-the-woods again?
Going to roast off those,

finish them with a little bit of a
persillade - a mixture of shallots,

garlic, lots of herbs, tarragon,
chervil, parsley.

The expectations are high. Mm-hm.

May the battle begin.

With everyone cooking mushrooms,

they're going to have to do
something really special

to stand out.

Will's hoping his green soup will do
just that, as he prepares fresh

watercress and parsley to
blend later.

I need a good score against
these guys.

Quite a lot of different elements,
but I think I should get it clone on time.

I've practised it enough, so I need
to give it everything.

He pours wild garlic oil
for an emulsion, in a recipe

he's adapted to make vegan.

So, instead of using like eggs,
you use soy milk.

Rory is starting his broth
by cooking down onions

and dried mushrooms.

Feeling confident.
just need to get cracking.

Rory's dish - Life With Andy Capp,
he's bringing out the barbecue.

He's got a lot of mushrooms there.
He's got a lot of barbecue flavour.

That's his thing. But if there's
no acidity to cut it,

it could be quite flat.

Will's delicious dish -
The Soup Dragon.

He's obviously got the watercress
soup, then he's got

the mushroom dashi.

Then I think there's a mushroom
puree, so it's all quite wet.

So, I just hope that, as you eat it,
you feel it's not just all liquid.

Like Rory, Cal is also simmering
mushrooms for a broth.

God, that's good.

Whilst Gareth is slightly bucking
the mushroom trend

by having potatoes at the heart of
his dish.

I'm doing a potato and truffle
spiral.

It's very important to get a good score in
the starters. It puts you in a good place,

ready for the rest of
the competition.

Gareth, that potato spiral,
he has to nail that.

Soft in the inside,
crispy on the outside.

Seasoned beautifully.

Cal's dish - The Magical World of
Mushrooms?

So, I like the sound of Cal's dish.

He's nailed the brief. And as long
as it tastes great,

he should be getting top marks
in this one.

Cal works on wrapping leeks in salt
dough for baking,

as Gareth starts to layer his
wafer-thin potato sheets.

I want to brush this with a little
bit of vegan butter.

A little bit of salt, a little bit
of thyme leaves. Grate some truffle

inside. I'm just going to spread it
out. Make sure it's nice and even.

He carefully rolls the potato strips

around a covered rolling pin.

Easy as that. He puts them
in to steam,

and turns to his mushroom sauce

and artichoke puree.

My kombu dashi stock.

And my mushroom stock.

Oh, I've just messed up.

I've made a mistake. I've poured
my dashi stock

into my Jerusalem artichoke puree

when it should have gone
into my sauce.

There's no time to remake his puree,

so he pours the stock into the right
pan and keeps going.

Only thing I've got to do now,
because I've added that stock

to the Jerusalem artichokes,
I need to re-caramelise those.

So, panic averted now.

He's honed his calm kitchen style
as head chef at Lincolnshire's only

Michelin-starred restaurant
Winteringham Fields.

I started in a butcher's shop,
slowly worked my way into a kitchen.

Worked my way through the ranks.
And now I'm here.

My proudest moment has to be
being awarded a Michelin star.

Held it now for four years.
Ancl it's a very proud achievement.

How long on that lamb garnish, guys?
One minute, please, Chef. Oui, that.

We only do tasting menus.

Six course at lunch,
eight course at dinner.

It's uber-seasonal, relaxed
fine dining.

I love to see the excitement
in the kitchen when I'm creating

new dishes. And when it goes down on
the table, just to see

the guests enjoy it.

That, for me, is just amazing.

Service, please.

Today he's got the toughest
customer of all.

What have you got working here?
What are these two things here?

So, this is my Jerusalem
artichoke puree.

Ancl this is my mushroom sauce.

What have you got in there?
Obviously mushrooms.

There's all the mushroom trim,
from all of my mushrooms

I've prepped, shallots,

there's some white wine, kombu
stock, and mushroom stock as well.

Yeah, you can taste that white wine,
can't you?

Gareth can cook. Listen. Technically,
flavour-wise, ticks every box.

I just hope it's going
to have that wow factor.

Will has maitake mushrooms on
to roast, as he prepares

his Clangers-inspired spiralized
potato blue string pudding.

Right, I'm going to start weighing
out the potato.

He fries them in rings to keep
a perfect circle,

then he blitzes up his
mushroom puree.

They look exciting. Blue potato
nests.

Ancl how are you looking?
Yeah, good. Good.

So, this is your mushroom puree?

So, it's hen-of-the-woods cooked
down in, like,

a mushroom dashi, kombu,
and loads of dried mushrooms.

Are you on time? Yeah.
Yeah, I'm looking good.

His competition is looking good,
too, as Cal unveils the king

of the mushroom jungle.

These are lion's mane mushrooms
grown in Gates head,

right under the Tyne Bridge.

Which is just up the road from
his Northumberland

restaurant Pine.

After opening in 2021,

it quickly racked up the accolades.

My proudest moment as a chef
so far would definitely

be winning the red and green
Michelin star this year at Pine.

In the kitchen, my style is less
conformist to traditional

methods of cooking. It's a bit
more raw, new world

sort of cooking style.

Basically we don't do
creme brulees!

What you put in is what you get out,
so, you know, the harder you work,

the bigger the benefit.

I'm very competitive, especially at
like Scrabble and things like that,

so I'm hoping it comes across in
the cooking.

I think it would be amazing to get
a dish to the banquet, not only

just for myself, the restaurant,
but for the North East in general.

It would be huge.

Cal's hoping to add a Great British
Menu win to his trophy

cabinet, as he moves his lion's
mane mushrooms to the barbecue.

Just basting them in miso
vegan butter,

and then some fermented cep juice
as well.

They're like sponges, so really
takes on all that flavour.

He's making tin loaves to go with
it, and each one is topped

with an illustration.

You're looking quite in control. Yeah. A
little bread to go on the side with the broth.

So, in there, there's allium
flowers, wild garlic

and wild leek flowers, and some
chive flowers from the garden as well.

I think you have a lot to do, Cal.
You're like...

Cal's the chef you want in your
kitchen.

Flavour-wise, I think
he should nail it.

It's just making sure that,
in the time, he does do it

and his bread is cooked properly.

Rory, can I get in after you on 250?

Yeah. just for the bread, after
your onions.

For his starter, inspired by Andy
Capp's love of beer,

Rory has roasted onions to go in
the bottom of his broth, which now

has kombu sheets in to give
a more umami flavour.

Alongside it, he's reducing
some local stout.

What are you up to?
I've just got my broth in there.

I've just got my liquid in, so it's
just cooking away.

Got my barley on, Imperial
stout glaze.

Just need to get a bit of vinegar
in there.

Cook it down a bit more.
It's quite treacly, isn't it? Yeah.

Ancl you're feeling quietly
confident? Yeah.

Head down and get cooking.

In another pan, he's cooking more
mushrooms for his parfait,

and adds hazelnuts for texture.

Gareth blitzes his artichoke puree
and adds a dash of lemon juice.

And Cal has fresh loaves aplenty,

and is clarifying his
mushroom broth.

I froze it and now I'm going
to ice filtrate it,

and then you get a nice, refined,
clear broth after that.

It's Will to serve first.

He pipes his wild garlic emulsion
and fennel pollen vinegar gel

onto his blue potato string, then
adds tiny nasturtium leaves.

They look striking. Yeah, mega.

He begins to layer his soup bowl
with the mushroom puree, as Cal

helps by whizzing up his
watercress veloute.

Full power for 90 seconds, please.

What's going in there? Onions?

Yeah. So, they're cooked at
300 degrees,

so they sort of steam in their
own skin. Five minutes, Will, yeah?

Yes, Chef.

Everyone pitches in to plate roasted
and pickled maitake mushrooms,

truffle shavings and wild
garlic capers.

Finally, it's topped with
the watercress veloute,

and the blue string pudding is
on the side.

CLANGER WH ISTLES

The Soup Dragon. Inspiration
is the Clangers.

How are you feeling? Yeah, good.

Broke into a little sweat there,
Will? Yeah, a little bit.

Yeah. Have you forgotten
something, Will?

Yeah. Oh! My mum would not be happy.

Your mum? Yeah. So, she made these
Clangers out of felt.

Oh! Oh, wow! And you nearly forgot!

Yes. Aw!

Will's mum, hello! Oh, wow.

Right. Let's go, Will!
Good luck, Chef. Thank you.

Shall we see if it tastes as good as
it looks, gentlemen? Yeah.

Are you happy with how your
mushrooms are?

Yeah. The texture of them?
Yeah.

I like to give them a real good
roast, sort of firm them up,

so they've got a bit more texture.

Can you taste all the different
preparations of mushrooms?

Yeah, I can. The pickled maitake
comes through a lot more

than the others. It's pretty tasty.

What's the texture and consistency
of this like? As you wanted?

Yeah, crunchier. Could be slightly
crunchier.

How about that veloute?
The watercress veloute? Cal?

Yeah. I thought that was
delicious. More.

Do you think this dish has met
the brief? Yeah, very much so. Yeah.

Ancl if you scored it,
what would you give it?

An eight. Any element you'd change?

No, I think the soup could have clone
with slightly more seasoning.

We're going to go for our first
lot of scoring.

You know, it's an eight.

He's really told the story of it,
so, yeah, I'd agree. Eight.

Yeah, a good start. It's an eight
for me.

How'd that go? All right.
Who's up next?

Me.

Cal's finishing his dish,
based on the adventures

of an allotment of mushrooms.
What's that, Cal?

So, this is a vegan herb butter.

Will decorates the butter
with nasturtiums,

as Cal places the salt-baked leek
hearts and the lion's mane

mushroom around the bowl.

What mushrooms are these ones now?
So, these are blue oysters.

Ancl then I've just coated them
in a black garlic emulsion

with tamari as well. What's
the crumb on top of them, sorry?

So, I've just fried sourdough
starter.

It's all hands on deck as they
scatter truffle

and borage cress.

One minute, Cal. Thank you.

He decants his clarified mushroom
broth, then finishes with garlic

capers, pickled shiso herb
leaves,

and wild leek oil.

It's served in a mushroom allotment,
with a freshly baked bread

and herb butter alongside.

Name of the dish -
The Magical World of Mushrooms.

So, the book is lnkcap
and the Blight of the Bonnets.

A book all about living mushrooms.

Happy? Yes. It's exactly how I want
it to be.

What do you think, Will?
Yeah, beautiful. Right.

Thank you.
Good luck, Chef.

Gareth, talk to me about that broth.

Yeah, the broth is delicious.
It's got great flavour there.

Nice clarity as well. He's clone
exactly what he set out to do.

Happy with the cooking of your
leeks? Yeah.

Tender. Sometimes I hate when you
get a leek,

it's sort of, you know... Firm?
Yeah, firm.

You get bits in your teeth,
and I don't think I've got

that with that. I think that's,
for me, perfect.

Let's move to the mushrooms. Let's
start with the lion's mane.

Will? Yeah, it's got a beautiful
texture, a nice crust on it.

What about the cooking of the other
mushrooms?

Do you think the garlic is coming
through enough? Yeah, I do.

The crumb on the top? Yeah, yeah.

Great texture on that. Yeah. Sort of
sour flavour.

It's delicious, that crumb.

And your bread. Cooked enough
for you?

If I was being hypercritical,
I would say maybe another

ten minutes proving.

All right. Should we score it?
I'm going to go with nine.

I'm going to go eight.

Yeah, eight for me as well.

Do you think this is better
than Will's dish?

Hopefully. What would you score it?

I'd really love a high score with
this one. Eight, nine, ten? Nine?

I really love this dish. I put loads
of effort into this dish.

I hope it shows.

How was that, Cal? It's tough, man.

Yeah, it was tough getting everything
up. Did she give anything away?

She said it was an 11 all clay.
Nah, I'm joking.

LAUGHTER

Rory's next.

He's barbecuing wild mushrooms
and his roasted onions over spruce

to get a smoky flavour,

as Will helps by piping the mushroom
and hazelnut

parfait onto barbecued
toasted sourdough.

Some hazelnut.
Four or five bits.

Ancl then completely lace it with
truffle. Yep.

Ancl a couple of bits of wood
sorrel. Yep.

Rory, three minutes.
Yeah. Thank you.

The smoky, wild mushrooms
are given a basting to finish.

What's that going on?
Imperial stout. Nice.

I'll just finish it with a bit of
smoked vinegar. Lovely.

Just for a bit of acidity.
It's called Big Trouble Al'Owa.

Big Trouble Al'Owa?

Sticky soy barley and the mushrooms
are spooned into bowls.

What sort of mushrooms have you got
in there? I've got some scarlet

waxcaps going in.
Some cauliflower mushroom.

His mushroom broth goes
into jugs on the side.

Right, lads.

Oh.

So, it's Life With Andy
Capp,

inspired by the comic strip
Andy Capp.

He pours out the broth at the pass,

adds some burnt nut oil, and serves
with the cap on top.

Sleeping. Andi Capp.

Right. Let's go, then.

Good luck, Chef. Thank you.

I just think that looks very
inviting. Yeah.

Sticky and dark and yummy. Yeah, it
looks good.

Are you happy with your broth? Yeah.
I'm happy with it. Yeah? just a nice

really deep, rich-flavoured broth.

Perfectly seasoned, the broth.
Coats everything really nicely.

Yeah. Keeps all that flavour going
in your mouth. Really good.

How do you feel the roasting
of the mushrooms is?

Yeah, it's good. And you want that
smoke flavour coming through?

Yeah, I want that smoke flavour
in there.

What about the grains?
Lovely bite to them.

Pearl barley. Yeah, real nice
texture. I love barley in broths.

Me, too. It's really homely,
sort of, yeah.

Parfait. Are you happy with the
consistency of your mushrooms?

Yeah, I'm very happy. With
the hazelnuts in it, I think

it just gives it a bit of body.

One question is - is it one
note? Potentially.

It's a good note, though.

What would you score it?
Solid eight.

Why would you mark it eight? Maybe
a bit of a pickled element

cos the parfait is really rich.

I'm going to go a strong eight.
Eight for me. Will, what do you think?

Yeah, I'm going eight as well.

How was that? Yeah, it was tough.

She gives nothing away,
does she? No.

Last to serve,

Gareth pan-fries some
hen-of-the-woods.

Nice fresh herbs, lots of butter -
vegan butter.

Vegan butter, obviously.

The potato spirals are crisped
up in the deep fat fryer.

The perfect chip.

The Perspex plates are
a representation of his Cribs

music video inspiration.

What's that going on there, Gareth?
Jerusalem artichoke puree.

On the puree ring,

he places the hen-of-the-woods
and his potato.

Gareth, four minutes. I'm probably
going to be a little bit early.

What are they going on there?
So, these are my pickled shimejis.

To represent the layers
in the music video,

he's layering his dish with splashes
of mushroom sauce, nasturtium

leaves and truffle slices.

OK. So, this is Mirror Kissers.

Inspiration - The Cribs, who are
from Wakefield, and their video

for their song Mirror Kisses.

Wow. Very colourful.

Let's go and eat it.

All right. Shall we try The Cribs
Mirror Kissers?

So, how were the potatoes for you?

Yeah, they're good. Nice and crispy,
as I wanted. Truffle's come through.

Nicely seasoned.

Yeah, deep-fried potato. Who doesn't
like that?

Just like a really her by chip.
It's delicious.

Artichoke puree?

Yeah. Delicious. Consistency?
Yeah, I'm happy with that.

It's got great flavour.
Nicely caramelised.

His hen-of-the-woods,
how's it treating you?

Nice. There's, like, good depth of
flavour.

Maybe a touch more salt on it.

The temperature of the dish,
because obviously it's on this,

is it going to remain hot enough?

Might be nice to try and get
the board hot.

It's just going to help
maintain that heat.

Where do you think it sits
amongst the other three? I think

we're all pretty level pegging,
to be fair.

What would you score it?
I think an eight.

So, let's have some scores.
I'm going to say a seven.

I'd agree. I think a seven.

Seven, I think. The flavours are
sort of...

Yeah, quite safe.

Here he is.
Here he is. How are we?

All good? Yeah, man. You?
Yeah, good. Yeah, I'm good.

Happy with that? Yeah, I was happy.

Angela give much away?

Yeah, wouldn't like to play poker
with her.

Well, starters were good.

Weren't they? Yeah, really good.

I mean, that's a really high
standard to start

the competition with. I'm thinking
there's a couple of pretty good

scores in there.

I don't know, Andi. I don't know.

LAUGHTER
Don't tease me, Angela!

Let's do it.

Hello, chefs. Hello.

All round, loads of flavour
and great storytelling.

Will, for your dish,
The Soup Dragon,

it was a really clever presentation.

I loved your mum's arts and crafts.

I'd love her to move next to me
so she can do all my sewing.

The watercress soup, for me,

it needed more seasoning,
as you said. And I felt it needed

that more pepper flavour to come
through - you know, the pepperiness

of the watercress. Yep.

I thought your roasted
hen-of-the-woods,

they had great texture to the soup.

They had great acidity with
the pickled onions.

I thought that was a really lovely
touch.

Overall, I thought this was a great
dish with really

complementary flavours.
So, well clone.

Cal, for your dish,
The Magical World of Mushrooms...

...your presentation looked fun.
Visually, it was great.

It really did have that wow factor.

I think maybe you need a little card
to explain the connection

with the book.

I thought your mushroom broth
was spectacular.

I really thought that was
so delicious.

Garlic was a big part of your dish.

I didn't feel it came
through enough.

I liked your white tin loaf.

I think you're right. Needed a bit
more proofing,

and maybe it would have
been slightly

less doughy as a result.

Rory, for your dish, Life With Andy
Capp, I really

enjoyed your presentation.

The cap, the flavours of the stout
really helped reinforce that story.

Mushroom broth, again, delicious.

Deep in flavour and very rich.

I did like your mushroom parfait
on the char-grilled toast.

It was a nice addition, actually.

It was really tasty.

You need a bit more acidity
to cut through your dish.

You know, that broth is rich, so you
need something that's

going to lighten that slightly.

Gareth, for your dish Mirror
Kissers,

I like the inspiration of
the music video.

It was a fun link to the brief.

I just think that board, you know,
as soon as it hit

that Perspex, your dish would have
gone too cold.

I loved your potato
and your truffle -

the spiral, it was well made.

It was crispy.

Had a good hit of the truffle.

I think I just wanted more of it.

Your Jerusalem artichoke -
full of flavour.

Again, just needed more of it.

And so to the scores.

Will...

...|'m giving you...

...an eight.

Will, I love the way that this dish
came together.

Deep and satisfying flavours.

Well done. Thank you.

Cal...

...I'm scoring you...

...a nine. Thank you.

That broth was just spectacular.

So much flavour. Thank you.

Rory...

...I'm scoring you...

...a SEVEN.

I just thought you needed
a little relief to it.

Something bright, something sharp,
something herbaceous.

Gareth...

...I'm scoring you...

...a SEVEN.

I just felt it was a bit muted.

Needed a bit more oomph to turn up
the flavour. OK.

This is probably, in all honesty,
the strongest

round I've ever tasted
first off the bat, I'd say so.

So, well clone, all of you.
Thank you. Thank you, guys.

See you for fish.

Well done. Well clone, guys.

Quality. Well clone. Well clone.

Nerve-racking, yeah? I can't feel
my legs.

Fish course, lads. Yeah.
Got to impress Angela. Yeah.

Fish course - very important
they get this right.

Got to nail it.

One of them goes home after this.

Going into the fish course, I feel
a little bit nervous.

I'm feeling a little bit disheartened
maybe from the score I got.

But if I go out confident,
I'm sure I'll come out on top.

Proper chuffed getting
a nine for the starter.

If I can deliver on the fish,
I think I'm in good stead.

Happy to get eight on the board,
so I just need to knuckle down,

not make any mistakes.

I've got to be coming back
fighting for the fish course.

If I don't, then I'm going home.

Rory hopes to stay in
the competition with a dish

inspired by the just So Story -

How the Whale Got His Throat,
illustrated

by South Shields' Sheila Graber.

It tells of a shipwrecked sailor
who uses a raft

to stop a whale eating all the fish
in the ocean,

including some plaice.

How are you going to get this whale
story onto a plate?

I've got the plaice which I'm just
going to pan-roast,

pickled celeriac, and I'm doing
a smoked dulse salad.

Ancl then I'm making a sauce.
I bake potatoes in the embers

and just finish in the oven. Nice.

Ancl then it's going to be equal
parts potato, dashi

and neutral oil, trout roe,
and pepper dulse.

Nice. Ancl chives. So, would that be
like thick?

Not mayonnaisey, but...
Really thick, yeah.

What's your biggest worry on this?

Just to get the balance right,
cos you can just totally

destroy dishes with smoke.

Gareth is cutting brill into
tranches, and he's equally

determined to get through to
the next round in this,

his second attempt at
Great British Menu.

Feel good to be back?
Yes, I remember the pressure

well now. It's all coming back
to me.

The title of your dish, please?

So, the title of the dish is Fishing
For Green Soup,

and the inspiration is the Clangers.

We're back at the Clangers.
I'm using brill.

And what are you doing with your
brill? I'm going to barbecue it.

It needs very, very careful cooking.

30 seconds here or there, and it could be
undercooked. Destroyed. Destroyed, yeah.

And what's with it? Leeks cooked
in whey, a sorrel sauce,

compressed cucumbers,
and some grape.

So, the whey? Yeah, so it's
a by-product of yoghurt.

So, that's where the acidity is
coming from? Yeah. OK. Interesting.

Quite a naked plate of food.

Exactly that. So, it's
nerve-racking.

Current leader Cal is wilting
spinach and preparing sea herbs.

I'm very intrigued to see what
you're going to come up with

for the fish course.

So, yeah, Paddington's Catch, based
on an episode. Obviously,

classic Paddington, gets into all
sorts of bother -

catches his fish, loses his fish.

I plan to cook the fish.
So, what fish are we having?

We've got plaice. Basically,

I'm going to debone the whole thing
because we're going to stuff

it with a mousse made from some more
plaice, New Zealand spinach, dill.

So, it's going to have fish top
and bottom, and then the mousse

running through the middle. Sounds
gorgeous. Angela? Very much so.

Ancl the sauce with it?
Doing like a white wine sauce,

but with fermented white asparagus
juice. What would the danger be -

that you could split that stuffing?

We'll see when we carve into it,
I guess.

Cal preps his con fit potatoes.

I'm going to cook them in rapeseed
oil, produced on the same farm

as well.

Whilst just one point behind him
in the scores,

Willis basing his course on
the same famous bear.

The title is A Buried Treasure,
inspired by an episode

of Paddington Bear called
Paddington Finds Buried Treasure.

In this episode, what happens?

They sort of dig down, find
this broken vase.

Oh! What's this?

Oh, treasure!

See, Judy!

That's not treasure.

It's just a worthless bit of
pottery.

So, you're recreating this vase?

I've broken the plates on purpose
with a hammer.

Yeah. And stuck them back together
with gold. And all the shellfish

will be in the bottom, hence
the treasure.

Tell me about what's going in this
bowl, then.

So, we've got roasted scallops,
razor clams, pickled mussels.

They're pickled in elderflower
vinegar.

Got a sauce made out of English
sparkling wine, some yoghurt whey,

with some samphire in there,
and split with some chive oil.

Ancl then it's topped and gratinated
with potato and a sheep cheese

sort of mousse. What's your main
worry on this dish?

Getting all the shellfish cooked.

It all comes together at
the last second.

Will combines whey with fermented
onion and mushroom juices

for a sauce,

as Gareth uses his whey to cook
his leeks in.

Coming out all guns blazing, do you
know what I mean?

Bottom of the pile with me
and Rory, but

one of us is going to shine here.

He's hoping his brill will get him
through, as he skewers it

for the barbecue,

whilst Rory prepares seaweed
for smoking later...

This one I'm just prepping up now
is dulse.

...and Cal is starting his fermented
asparagus juice sauce.

Shallots, garlic, some thyme.

Then that's just fired down with
white wine.

Then you add in the fermented white
asparagus juice, so a very tangy

white asparagus flavour.

Cal's dish - Paddington's Catch?
He's technically

really pushing himself there.

He's going to put those fillets,
which have no bones holding them

together, on a barbecue.

I am absolutely holding my fingers,
that does not stick and that works.

Gareth's dish - Fishing For Green
Soup.

We're back to the Clangers.

We love the Clangers.
SHE IMITATES THE CLANGERS

So, this brill that he's got,
it's quite a delicate fish.

He's putting it on the barbecue,
he's putting it on the grill.

Yeah, that I feel is quite brave.

If he gets his fish right,
great. If he doesn't...

He ain't going through. ..it's going
to be a problem.

Rory's dish - How the Whale
Got His Throat.

He's using plaice. You don't want to
kill that plaice with loads

of too much smoky flavour

that actually is going to destroy
it with the garnish.

So, the balance is all for him.

It's hot in here, isn't it?

Will's dish - this Buried Treasure.
I love the sound of this.

He's got all his shellfish
at the bottom.

Then he's going to have his whey
coming through there.

I don't want a repeat of his first
course, and they do sound similar

in how they're being plated
and styled.

Willis hoping his emulsion will
make it more fish pie

than fish soup. I'm making
the potato and cheese foam now.

Boil them, blend them with cream,
butter and sheep cheese.

He preps his shellfish
for cooking later.

Back in York, Willis head chef for
one of our veterans, Tommy Banks,

at the one-starred Roots
restaurant.

My food is quite creative.

I try to use quite simple
ingredients in quite a complex way.

As a chef, I get inspired by foraged
ingredients, and then preserved

ingredients in the winter months.

I like the unique flavour
they give my food.

I would say I'm very competitive.

My boss, Tommy, has obviously
been really successful

in the competition, so I've got
a lot to live up to.

Ancl I want to beat him.

Harry, will you get that lamb,
please? Yes, Chef.

I feel like I'll bring a fresh
perspective and a new style

to the kitchen.

Service.

The potato and cheese emulsion
is now cooked

and ready to go into the espuma gun.

Oh!

BLEEP!

Whoops.

To add to the pressure,
along comes Angela.

What's in there, then?

So, this is sheep cheese, boiled
potatoes, butter, cream, salt.

Feeling all right? Yeah.
Good. Good, time-wise.

Sounds in control.

Yes, it is. I'll let you get on.
Until the last five minutes.

All right.

He's basically got this foam going
over the top of his dish.

It tasted delicious.
Really good.

What he's got to make sure, though,
is when he burns it,

it doesn't flatten down and it still
holds the structure.

Like Will, Cal's been inspired by
Paddington,

as he mixes together his spinach
and dill mousse.

And like Rory, he's cooking one of
Britain's favourite fish.

Plaice, it's a beautiful fish.

Yeah. Great choice.
Nice and sustainable.

Yeah, "plaice" to be.

It's anyone's game. Definitely.

It's a big moment for Cal
as he has to debone his plaice

without damaging the flesh or skin.

So, you're going over the backbone?

Yeah, going over the backbone.

So, it's like a nice big parcel.
And then, yeah,

mousse in, fold it back over,

and I should be able to get three
or four nice tranches.

OK.

He's boning out his fish.
He's got to get that right.

It's technically tricky.

That's the key to his dish.

You know, he's got to make sure
that delivers on every count.

Rory's pickling celeriac
with thyme and juniper berries

for his How The Whale Got His Throat
plaice dish.

It's a very simple dish, but I've
just got to nail everything.

He scoops out the flesh of his
barbecued baked potatoes,

and mixes with kombu dashi
stock for his sauce.

Back in Gates head, Rory is head
chef at Trakol restaurant

under the Tyne Bridge.

My career highlights so far
would probably be winning

the North East Chef of the Year
in 2017.

The food I cook is everything
is cooked over an open fire.

We use a lot of rare heritage
breed meats.

Sustainability is massive to us.

What we're trying to achieve
is the green Michelin star.

With the projects that we've got
going on, we've got the outdoor

garden, the indoor grill room,

and the mushroom room as well.

I wouldn't say I've got like
a definite style.

A lot of my cooking doesn't
really have much planning.

It's cooking off the cuff.

Great British Menu means a lot to me
because I've watched pretty much

every series since I started
being a chef.

There's going to be a lot
of pressure and stress.

I think that's just part of it,
and I'll just have to handle it.

Service, please.

He's now blended his potato
and dashi stock to make

his sauce base.

Oh, there's lots of it,
isn't there? Go for it.

Yeah, so it is much thicker,
isn't it?

I will let it down when I go to
serve it.

Ooh, you get that dashi
through there. Yeah.

So, then I'm going to finish it with
the trout roe, the chives

and the seaweeds, and then a little
bit of the vinegar,

just to cut it right at the end.

He looks like he's in control
of everything.

He needs to make sure he doesn't
overpower everything

with all these different seaweeds
and pickles and stuff now.

For his Clangers green soup,

Gareth is compressing cucumber
with dill and chardonnay vinegar.

What did you use to watch as
a kid, Will?

Thomas the Tank Engine.
Classic. Postman Pat as well.

Another good one. Wacky Races.
I used to love Wacky Races.

Oh, Wacky Races was so good!
Yeah. Yeah.

His leeks are now finished,
and he's reducing

down the whey cooking juice.

That's what I'm going to brush
my fish in. Taste that.

So, it's quite sticky. It should be
a little bit salty,

a little bit acidic. So, it should
really lift the whole thing.

Ancl that's how you're cooking
your brill, then? Yes. Ah!

So, I've got skewers. Will you take
the skin off or leave the skin on?

I'm going to take the skin off. The
skin is there just to protect the flesh.

Gareth gives his brill a final turn
and Cal stuffs his plaice

with the spinach and dill mousse,
before also getting

it on the barbecue.

The fish is at about 35. It needs to
come to about 48-50

before it's ready.

Will adds butter to emulsify his
yoghurt whey sauce,

and Rory's fired pine and hay to
smoke his seaweed.

Has the fish come out how you wanted
it, Gareth? Looks spot-on to me.

Four minutes to go. Yeah.

First to serve, Gareth lets his fish
rest as he finishes his sauce.

This is basically my base for
my sauce.

Ancl then it's literally sorrel
and spinach in there.

Everything ready to go,

he carves his fish.

How are you serving the brill,
Gareth?

I'm literally going to take it
off the bone.

And it's brushed with the whey
reduction.

If you can just go a couple of leeks
either side.

A couple of leeks either side, yeah.

Will, can you just go with three
grape?

One on top of each of the leeks,
then one on top of the fish.

Sea purslane and oyster leaf
to go on top.

Last thing to go on is caviar.

Chive oil is dotted around,
and the sorrel sauce is served

on the side.

The name of the dish is Fishing For
Green Soup,

and it's inspired by the Clangers.

All right, let's go and taste it.
Well done, Gareth.

Good luck, Chef. Thank you.

WHISTLING

There we go. I just had to get it
out of my system.

Yeah, me too!

Cooking of the fish,
happy with that?

Very happy with that. I think the
cuisson's pretty spot-on, really.

Perfectly cooked.

It's still kind of...
Really meaty.

Yeah, it's meaty, but it's kind of
really tender at the same time. Mm.

It's really lovely, isn't it?

How was the sauce for you?
Consistency is perfect.

It's got that nice, luxurious
feel to it.

Real sort of luxurious finish
with the caviar going through.

It does have a luxurious feel.
It's quite buttery. Yeah.

So, chive oil - that worked for you?
Yeah.

Maybe I could have put a little bit
more on.

Then maybe it would have come
through a little bit more.

Anything you'd change?

Maybe the cooking of the leeks.

I did think maybe they're a little
bit over. What would you mark it?

A nine. Yeah.

You feel this is going to take you
through to the main courses? Yeah.

I'm going to say eight.
Why not a ten?

I don't know. I think it could be a bit
more adventurous. A bit more exciting.

Yeah, a bit more adventurous.

I'm going to go nine. Nine for me.

Will is next.

And he's got razor clams
and samphire for the start

of his Paddington's Buried Treasure.

You need any help? Not as yet.

Then when scallops hit the pan,
all hell breaks loose.

He chars, then chops his leeks.

Put a tablespoon of leek in each.
Each one, yeah?

Yeah.

The scallops hit the pan,
and he puts mussels

into the mended broken bowls.

So, they're steamed. Yeah.

Ancl then they are pickled
in elderflower vinegar.

Three minutes left.
Yes, Chef.

Hot whey sauce is poured into
the pans.

So, the razor clams are just
cooked in the sauce.

The scallops have been added
to the mussels and the mix

is poured over,

then the sheep's cheese
and potato emulsion tops it off.

What are you doing there, Will?
So, I'm just gratinating

the emulsion.

This is the tricky bit, as he's got
to make sure the heat

doesn't deflate it.

Ooh! OK, name of the dish, Will?
Inspiration?

The name of the dish is Buried
Treasure

and the inspiration is
Paddington Bear.

Looks fantastic. Yeah. Really good.

I want to eat it.

Right. Let's go, Will.

"Within this dish, you'll find
a seafood delight that's sure

"to bring you pleasure."

"So dig right down and take a bite
to find your buried treasure."

Are you happy with your potato
emulsion?

Yeah, I think it brings a nice
sort of creaminess to it.

Not too much potato, cos it would
be too rich.

I think it's verging, you know,
on the edge of being too heavy.

But I think it's just bang-on.

How's the seafood for you?

The scallops, they were quite small,
so I tried to keep them as close

to opaque as possible.

What about your mussels? Lovely.

Just the elderflower vinegar on
the mussels - really good.

Happy with the cooking
of the razor clams?

Yeah, they're howl like them.
They're nice and soft and sweet.

Good texture. You can really
differentiate

between the seafoods, the way he's
dressed them individually.

Right. What would you score
it, then?

Maybe a...nine?

Make you nervous? Definitely.

Yeah? Gareth, you go first.

Well, it's ten all clay for me.

That's a ten. Ten all day for me.

Ten all clay. Yeah.

Wow. Good dish.

Cracking dish, man. Yeah? Yeah.
Unreal. Bit of a gamble.

Serving next, Cal is crisping up his
fish skin

before giving his plaice a final

charring next to the coals.

That looks nice.
Yeah, man, it's spot-on.

Now, all he has to do is take his
boneless fish out of the cage.

Easier said than done.

Delicate fish as well, the plaice.

Yeah, it's a really delicate fish.

The hard thing is getting it from
the cage

to the board. Very carefully - one,
two, three. OK, pull that cage away.

Thank you.

Very carefully, he begins to
cut portions,

making sure no mousse is pushed out.

Cal, you've got ten minutes.
I would like to come up early,

if that's possible. That's fine.
Thank you.

Each slice layered with the con fit
potatoes, caviar...

just a bit of luxury, really.

...spinach, oyster leaf and oxalis.

Then it's one final delicate move
to get it onto the serving board.

Two bits of crispy skin
on all of them, please.

The fermented asparagus sauce
is split with dill oil

and served on the side.

So, this is Paddington's Catch,
from an episode of Paddington

where he loses a fish, finds a fish,

and now I've cooked the fish.

Beautifully clone. I'm an old hand.
Been here, clone that a few times.

I'll bring the sauce.
Well clone. Thank you.

All right, enjoy. Good luck, Chef.

Stuffing a fish is difficult enough
without then

cooking it on a barbecue.

A lot of things could potentially go
wrong and he's nailed it.

So, how was that for you?

It was pretty scary, to be fair. Mm.

Happy with the cooking of
the plaice?

Yeah. If I was going to do it again,
I'd cook it the same way,

if I'm being honest.

Texture and consistency of
the mousse, you're happy with?

I was worried about the mousse cos
it's very lightly cooked.

I'm pleased with how it's come out.
And the flavour of dill

has come through enough? I think it
has. But you could argue it could

have more chopped dill through
that mousse, perhaps.

The sauce is really good.

Like, the cooking of the fish is
just absolutely perfect.

Ancl you like the consistency
of the sauce?

You could have it thicker. You could
have it foamier, but I want to

be able to pour it. OK. What would
you score that?

I'd like another nine.

I think it could be a ten.

It is. It is a ten. There you go!

There you go!

I'm going to say nine,

cos I think he probably will
struggle to do that at the banquet.

Nine for me. Yeah. Excellent fish
cookery, sauce maybe a little bit

on the thin side, but still tasty.

How's it going?

How was that? Tough, that one.
I thought the starter was tough.

That was something else.

Just Rory to go.

He mixes smoked dulse
with the pickled celeriac,

and finishes his potato
and caviar sauce.

Is that trout roe you've just put in
that pan? Trout roe, pepper dulse,

I'm just going to finish
it with some chives.

A bit of lemon. Sounds beautiful,
that, mate.

It really does. just rich.

He starts pan-frying the plaice.

What sort of cuisson are you looking
for in your fish?

I'm just looking to get it nice
and opaque in the middle.

Nice golden brown.

Happy with it, Rory? Yeah. Perfect.
It looks banging.

The pickled celeriac and smoked
dulse go on top of the plaice.

What are the fronds, Rory?
So, they're pickled rock samphire,

just pickled in a bit of stray
vinegar.

Finally, he spoons over the potato
and caviar sauce.

Alongside the pebbles,

he's got a message in a bottle
and a raft to link

to the whale's story.

Title of the dish is How the Whale
Got His Throat,

and the inspiration is an
illustrator called Sheila Graber

from South Shields, and she
illustrated the just So Stories.

"A greedy whale ate numerous fishes
in the sea, including plaice,

"leaving only a resourceful
shipwrecked mariner,

"who he also swallowed along
with his raft."

Let's go, Rory.

Thanking you. Good luck, Chef.
Thank you.

Yeah, I think it's cooked perfectly.

How's the seasoning on that dish?

Yeah. Do you think it's nailed
it for you? Yeah, yeah.

I don't want to put any more in.

When I have the fish on its own,
the seasoning is

very high, almost on the edge.

And then when you have it
with everything else,

it just levels itself out. Yeah.

Anything you'd change on the sauce?

Uh, no. It's rich with the potato.
Nice with smokiness,

cos it's been cooked on the embers.

I think it's a well-balanced,
well-rounded sauce.

Do you feel the dulse,
the seaweed salad -

does that come through, work
for you? Yeah, I think so.

I think, like, it's quite smoky.

Smoked dulse. Who knew?
Unbelievable.

It really holds the smoke.

Yeah, almost like it's been cooked
on a barbecue.

Do you think it tells a story
and hits the brief?

I think it definitely tells
a story and hits the brief.

So, so far, perfect, perfect,
perfect? What are we saying? A ten?

Well, there's always room
for improvement.

I can't pick a fault with it, to
be honest. I think it's

a magical plate of food. On that
note,

let's have some scores, then.

A ten all clay. Yeah, it's a ten.
Yeah, he should be proud of that.

Ten all clay. Yeah, got to agree.
Ten.

Here he is. Hello.

All right, lads. Aye.
How was that?

Yeah, mint. Yeah. Real, real smart.

Just been full-on, hasn't it?

Yeah, yeah. Competition's
strong, though, innit?

Yeah, I think we're doing the North
East proud. Yeah, absolutely.

Like, spot-on cooking. Well, I don't
know about you,

but I'm having an excellent
day, Angela.

Aren't you?

Listen, I don't think there was
a dud dish amongst them.

No. There were some exceptional
dishes, but they were certainly

all high up there.

It's always difficult. Yeah. It's
even more difficult than usual.

Yeah. It's not going to be an easy
decision.

OK, guys, shall we go and get some
scores? Good luck, guys.

Good luck. Good luck.
Good luck.

Currently Rory and Gareth are
on seven,

Willis on eight, and Cal's on nine.

It's now time to find out which one
will be leaving us.

Hello, chefs.

Hello. Hello. So, we were expecting
glorious cooking

and we got glorious cooking.

Thanks for that. You're not making
my job easy at all.

So, Gareth, for your dish,

Fishing For Green Soup,

the story of the Clangers was clear
in your presentation.

When I looked at you cutting
the brill, I thought,

"Ah, he's overcooked that."
But actually when I ate it,

it was perfectly cooked.

As we both sort of said, the leeks
on the verge of

slightly being overcooked

and maybe slightly under-seasoned
as well.

Dare I say, it was a restaurant
plate of food.

Ancl I think you've really got to
elevate that whole style to make

it banquet-worthy.

Will, for your dish Buried Treasure,

you presented it beautifully in that
gilded pot, which tied

to the Paddington inspiration.

Your seafood, you nailed it.

It was cooked perfectly.

Ancl I thought that consistency
of that yoghurt whey sauce

really had a great acidity as well.

I wasn't sure how the potato, sheep
cheese emulsion would work,

but it held together nicely,

and a lovely little blowtorch
on top.

All in all, I thought it was
an original dish and I thought

it was delicious. Well clone.

Cal, for your dish,

Paddington's Catch,

I really loved the presentation.

Really told that story.

Very impressive - to debone that
plaice, to cook it whole.

It held its form well and it was
cooked very well.

The mousse in the plaice -

lovely, vibrant, green.

But, for me, I felt a little bit
more clill was needed in there.

I loved that acidity with
the fermented asparagus sauce.

I think it could have been a little
bit thicker.

Technically, very clever, really
complementary.

All those flavours together,
fresh and light.

Rory, for your dish, How The Whale
Got His Throat,

it looked sharp and the story really
came through.

I think perhaps a little bit more
theatre on the pass - it always adds

to that banquet.

The plaice was perfectly cooked,

and it was well-seasoned,
to the point

I would say it could nearly
have been over-seasoned.

Potato and trout sauce,
lovely smokiness to it.

Ancl as a dish I thought it balanced.

You had a light touch with
that smokiness.

And so to the scores.

Cal...

...|'m giving you...

...a nine. Thank you.

Cal, so impressive the way that you
rose to the technical challenges

of this dish. Thank you.
Over the moon.

Will...

...I'm scoring you...

...a ten. Thank you.

The presentation and the smell alone
were absolutely gorgeous.

And just so you know, your fellow
chefs all gave you a ten as well.

Cheers, boys. Yeah, well clone.
Gareth...

...I'm scoring you...

...an eight.

Beautiful cooking on that brill,
Gareth.

You got it just right.

And I had quite a lot of fun at
the pass with the whistle.

Rory...

...I'm scoring you...

...an eight.

That means that Gareth and Rory,
you are both tied on 15 points.

We've had to go back and look at
the canape ranking.

Rory, I'm afraid you came in

just after Gareth, which means,
unfortunately,

you're going to be leaving us.
Commiserations.

We've loved having you.

And can I just say - it is rarely
this tight.

I hope you'll come back.
Yeah, definitely.

No, thanks for having us.
I've really enjoyed it.

Thank you all so much. Thank you.
Thanks very much.

Thank you.

Gutted, man. Gutted. Well done.

Well clone, mate. Cheers. Thank you.

Thanks. It was close, that.
Close, real close.

It was close, man. To come down to
the canapes

is pretty... just standards are
just so high, man.

That's what it is.

Bit gutted, but at the same time,
I've clone myself proud.

But most of all, I'm coming away
with three new friends and three

restaurants to eat at.

Luckily, my canape got me through
by the skin of my teeth,

by the sound of it. I feel relieved.

Excited for tomorrow.

But, yeah, it was hard.

Two nines to start the week
is perfect.

I think I've got some really strong
courses left to come as well.

The only way is up for me, I think.

I can't put into words. It's just,
you know, you practise so much,

and then you get a ten and it's
kind of all worth it, really.

What a competition so far.
Tomorrow, I'm expecting it

to be an even better clay.

Next time, we've got an epic
round two...

One, one down.

...with some kitchen wobbles...

What's coming out your sand
castle, Cal?

Hopefully not liquid, Gareth,
he says.

...and more incredible creations...

...as they cook to stay
in the competition.

Come on!

Gold like that,