Original subtitles

Today, the eight finalists must battle for the centrepiece of our banquet - the main course.

They'll need to be on point for our guest judge,

renowned actor, comedian,

and narrator of some of our best-loved animations.

"The first little pig

"decided to build the house of Yorkshire park in,

"the second of steamed chicken and gold bar spring rolls,

"and the third was a crocodile Wellington."

Oh, delicious!

Welcome to the Great British Menu.

It's the main event on Great British Menu.

All eight chefs are hungry to win this prestigious course

at our banquet celebrating British illustration and animation.

This isn't restaurant food. This is GBM food.

So far, the starter has gone to London's Avi...

The flavours are so punchy.

...whose dish, inspired by The Gruffalo,

wowed the judges...

I'm already at the banquet,

but it's not that I'm going to take it easy.

I want to put out the best plate today.

...and yesterday, Nick Beardshaw from the South West

saw his Thai-influenced fish course...

Looks amazing. ..triumph with a perfect score of 40.

It blew us away on every level.

So, there's two spaces left at the banquet.

I'll take another one if there's one going.

Our chefs want the hon our of cooking at the GBM banquet,

which, this year, will be at the spectacular Brighton Pavilion.

Ooh, BLEEP!

Which of our talented chefs...

That was tough.

...will be victorious today and win the coveted main course?

With a perfect score of four tens is...

With only today's main course and tomorrow's dessert

still up for grabs, the heat is on.

Everybody ready for main course?

This is the one everyone wants. The big one.

There's a lot at stake today.

You know, everybody else will be on top form,

so I need to be, too.

The main course is at the heart of the banquet,

and all of our chefs have their eye on the prize.

I was third for starter. I was second for fish.

Is it going to be a first for main?

I'm going to give it my all.

Our eight chefs will need to dazzle our expert judges -

Nisha Katona, a TV cook, barrister,

and owner of a growing chain of restaurants,

comedian and award-winning food podcaster Ed Gamble,

and Tom Kerridge, who has a total of three Michelin stars

and is still the only chef on Great British Menu

to have won the main course twice.

Nick absolutely smashed it yesterday. Four tens - brilliant.

Yeah. So, we have got the Indian flavours in the starter,

we've got those Thai flavours coming through,

and then it's pitching that main course just right.

I'm gunning for this one. Yeah.

I got 35 with two silly little mistakes.

What did you get? 34. 33.

35. Oh, wow! Strong one.

We want something that is incredible,

visually brilliant, but super tasty,

obviously. They'll want it, as well.

They'll be staring each other down.

There's going to be some knives flying around today.

Anyone's game, I think, this one. Yeah, absolutely.

Let the games begin. LAUGHTER

The scores seem really close

for their main courses, so I think it's anyone's game.

You can tell everybody's gunning for this.

My biggest rivals, all of them.

They're all amazing. They're all pushing.

Hello. Good morning, chefs! Morning! Morning. Hello.

Lovely to see you all, you beauties. How are you feeling? CHEFS: Yeah.

Ready for action? Absolutely.

Nick, how are you feeling today? Amazing, yeah.

Really good sleep last night. LAUGHTER

Any of you got your eye on this one - the main course?

CHEERING

I'll just point out I won it twice. It's the best one to have.

LAUGHTER It was a lot easier back then.

LAUGHTER

So, this year celebrates Britain's best illustrators,

creatives and animators, and to do them justice,

we need such great visual impact from your dishes.

It's not just about how delicious it is.

It's that added layer of complexity.

So, Mark, Gemma, Tom and Adam, you'll be first to cook today.

Thank you, guys. Thank you. Good luck, chefs. Thanks.

Ancl the rest of you will be cooking a little bit later on, so good luck.

Thank you. I'll see you out there soon.

Good luck, guys. Good luck, everyone. Good luck.

Shall we?

After finishing last yesterday with his fish,

Wales' champion Mark is determined to do better.

I really want to get my name on that board today,

so I'm going to put yesterday behind me and push on today.

Mark is cooking duck three ways.

There's a lot of elements to do -

crisp the duck, carve the duck, rest it, barbecue it,

got the heart to pan-fry,

make sure everything's perfect and then hopefully get a better score.

Also hoping for a better score with her venison pies,

and competing in the finals for the first time,

is Northern Ireland's Gemma Austin.

I definitely feel more confident today

after coming fourth yesterday.

Just want to cook some good food and hopefully it'll be a good clay.

To dial up the flavour,

Gemma has added Parmesan to her shortcrust pastry...

...but she's got stiff competition in Central finalist Tom

when it comes to making the perfect pie.

So, this is Desperate Dan's cow pie. Oh, amazing.

My dad's a big inspiration for this one,

just because I grew up and just, like,

the garage would be full of Dandy comics.

I am also doing a pie. No way! Yeah. Battle of the pies.

I'm doing venison pie, caramelised onion and Jerusalem artichoke.

Beautiful. So, it'll be battles of the pies. Absolutely.

I don't really care what anyone else is doing,

if I'm being brutally honest.

It's a case of just doing the best I can do.

I really want to showcase this dish.

Well, you can see it in Tom's eyes that he's gunning for it, isn't he?

Having just missed out on a place at the banquet with his fish course,

the pressure is on for Scotland's Adam.

Everyone's really wanting the main course.

It's the crown jewel at any banquet,

so I've got to make sure I don't trip up.

Adam is juggling many elements for his picnic-style main,

including beef cheeks, which are seared and sealed,

alongside vegetables, aromats and spices,

and finished off in the pressure cooker.

The guest judge who our chefs are desperate to impress

is national treasure Sir Lenny Henry.

He is the voice of many admired children's animations,

including Famous Fred.

# I'm going to love you, baby

# And make you ye“ for more Ooh-ooh

# I'm going to love you tonight. #

Hello! Good morning! Good morning. Welcome.

Nice to see you. Well, nice to see you.

How are we? Are we OK? Are you hungry? Yeah, I'm hungry.

A lot of toast behind you. I might have some of that in a minute.

This is so exciting! I'm on the Great British Menu!

So, it's pretty exciting to cook for Sir Lenny Henry.

For me, being a Brummie, he's kind of a big deal in Brum Town,

to be fair. I think we have a super fan here.

SHE LAUGHS

Are you a big foodie? Yeah, I love food.

Well, I did a television series for ten years called "Chef!",

and it was really hard work.

And I even had a guy who did my hands.

So, they got this other black guy in from Birmingham

to do all the chopping of the onions and everything like that,

except for my family went, "That's not Uncle Len's hands."

Oh, really? LAUGHTER

"Len can't cook carrots like that!"

Honestly, I remember that show, and it was just the greatest.

Very, very close to the real thing. Ancl it really inspired Tom, as well,

because he had someone else to do his hands.

LAUGHTER

I hope it's a black guy.

"Ready for Tom's close up." LAUGHTER

When Mark last cooked this dish for the judges,

they said it wasn't generous enough for a banquet.

So, my changes are I'm adding a con fit duck leg, some game chips,

just a couple of crunchy bits to help the dish as a feast,

and an illustration so they can understand the story better.

Is there a giant head going to be here at some point?

You never know, apart from Tom's. LAUGHTER

Mark's dish is inspired by

the ancient Welsh fable of King Branwen,

who lost his head after a battle.

I'm not sure I'll be able to eat with a giant decapitated head

in the middle of the table. It's quite off-putting.

I mean, you might have a few peas and then go,

"Do you know what? I'm all right." LAUGHTER

Mark chars his roasted ducks.

You have four minutes, Mark. Great.

I see your friend has rejoined us here on the pass.

The duck legs have been stripped and pressed,

so Mark portions them, then crisps up the skin.

Duck hearts are pan-fried in foaming butter and thyme

and topped with a soy glaze, barley,

and a pumpkin and sunflower seed mix,

then plated alongside the compressed duck leg,

and pureed, roasted and pickled butternut squash.

And you have two minutes, Mark. OK.

What's that, Chef? This is red cabbage puree.

To present his pre-carved duck, Mark prepares a bed of burnt hay.

It smells amazing.

It's served with duck and elderberryjus

and a bowl of juniper salted crisps.

OK, service.

BIRDSONG

Wow! Here it is. Ooh! Wow!

Thank you.

As the judges taste the food, the chefs waiting to cook...

Chefs. Oh, look at that!

...also get an opportunity to critique each dish.

The elements are delicious.

I love the duck hearts with that little bit of crunch,

but, again, I just want more of it.

This is not as feasty as I thought it was going to be.

One of the nicest things was the crisps.

LAUGHTER The crisps, they were delicious!

Ooh, love that leg.

The heart's lovely, as well. It's really tasty, isn't it? Yeah.

That heart is beautiful. Yeah. Yeah. Really, really good.

The heart's probably one of the highlights of the dish for me,

but I think there's maybe a bit of an issue

with the actual main duck itself with the fat,

and the skin is a bit...

The duck isn't brilliantly cooked. It's not that well carved.

Actually, I think the squash element really doesn't work.

For me, it's a plate of super highs and a couple of crashing lows.

God, you really bring the whole thing down, don't you?

LAUGHTER

They've just given him a plate of food and he's slagging it off!

I think it's your best dish so far. It's absolutely delicious.

It's a really good start, that, isn't it? It's very nice.

Can't afford to relax after this. Yeah. No.

Have you any garlic and herbs just to cook with?

Ancl I'll get it for you after. Yeah.

Rosemary, thyme and garlic if you have it.

Gemma's main, The Moral Of The Story,

depicting Aesop's Fables,

scored an underwhelming 27 out of 40 during the heats,

so she has her work cut out to impress the judges.

"Venison pie filled with Jerusalem artichoke,

"caramelised onion and venison meat mix,

"served with a venison loin."

My memory was I wanted a fuller pie. Yes.

I've taken on board the comments from the judges

and I've basically increased the flavour on the dish,

I've added a wee bit more meat.

As well as adding to the pie,

Gemma has also added to the presentation.

The illustrations are beautiful. Yeah, stunning.

It sort of draws you into the story a bit more.

With service approaching...

Oh, my God!

You all right? Yeah, I've just got a lot to do in the time.

...venison loins are seared, then roasted,

caramelised beetroot is blitzed to make a puree,

and a red wine and venison sauce is reduced.

We have five minutes, Gemma. Oui.

Ooh, I'm not convinced.

I'm just going to finish the venison in a wee bit of foaming butter,

just to get more flavour on it.

You have two minutes, Gemma. Oui.

I do like a pie. It's one of my favourite things. I love a pie.

Beetroot puree is first onto the plate.

Pickled and mulled beetroot tops the venison loin.

Perfect.

I'm already a fan and I haven't tasted it yet.

The pies are adorned with a centrepiece of herbs...

Ooh! One minute, Gemma, please, to the pass. Oui.

Stay in control of it, though.

Ooh, love it!

...and it's served with the venison and red wine sauce.

Woo! OK, service, please, guys.

Oh, my God. That was tough.

LENNY GASPS Look at the size of that pie!

Look at that!

Excellent.

Ooh! OK, there's a pie. There we go. Yeah.

It's like a pie muffin.

Oi-oi. How's it going? Smells delicious.

Thank you. Thank you.

This dish is a massive improvement. I think it's fantastic.

The last time, the sauce was a little watery.

And the gravy is absolutely beautiful.

That pie, she's improved immeasurably.

The pastry's delicious and it's a lot more packed.

I love the cheese running through the pastry. Really great, right?

The inside is super tasty. I think it's smashing.

The pie mix is rich and hearty. Mm.

I think it's delicious. Ancl the jus is very, very nice.

This venison's clone just about right for me.

I would argue that mine is a little overcooked. Really?

My piece of venison's actually overcooked.

Really good. And the beetroot puree. Yeah? Yeah, it's really nice.

When I think of pie, you want something a bit more centre stage,

so I wished it had been bigger.

And does it have the same impact as the dressing? I'm not sure.

That pie is the absolute star, but I think if you strip away

a lot of the stuff on the table, it doesn't...

The actual food itself doesn't have the impact

that we need for the banquet. Mm.

Ooh, BLEEP! Ooh, this is burning. I took it off it.

Thank you so much. No problem.

We're all in this together, aren't we? What a hero, man!

Tom's hearty Desperate Dan's Cow Pie

is a braised beef cheek, potato and onion pie

served with roast sirloin, maple-glazed carrots,

mushroom ketchup and chive emulsion.

HE LAUGHS Cow pie!

A cow pie should be huge,

and you should have a big knife and fork like this.

You should have a cowboy hat on when you eat it. Yeah.

Tom's pie did well in the heats,

but judges found the potatoes in the filling a little undercooked.

So, in the regionals, I sliced my potatoes raw,

so, this time, I've tried to eradicate that

by cooking the potatoes whole and slicing them,

so they're going to go into the pie pretty much 95% cooked.

As well as cooked potatoes, Tom layers the pastry

with flaked braised beef cheeks and caramelised onion.

Of course, the theme this year for the banquet

is animation and illustration,

and you've got quite a CV with that sort of stuff, as well.

Yeah, and it's really great doing stuff for kids

because they recognise your voice, even if they don't recognise you.

Zog went off to practise, flying fast and free.

He soared and swooped and looped the loop...

...then crashed into a tree.

I was in Tesco's talking to the person behind the counter,

and this little kid went, "Zog!"

LAUGHTER "That's Zog!"

How did the novels come about, then? I've always wanted to write.

When I was a kid,

I loved The Famous Five and I loved The Secret Seven,

but I always noticed that

there weren't people like me in these books,

and just thought, "God, it'd be great if there was a black kid in this."

Ancl when I got the opportunity to write a book, I just thought, "This is when it happens now."

I've written a book called The Boy With Wings

and another one... It's behind you. ..called The Book Of Legends.

Ancl Keenon Ferrell, who is this gentle, dread locked giant

in New York City, does all the illustrations for my books,

and he draws on a computer.

Ancl I asked him to draw with a pencil

and he nearly had a nervous breakdown.

"No, man, I usually do it on a computer."

So inspirational to watch. Yeah.

Remember Stars In Their Eyes with the steam?

For his mushroom ketchup,

Tom sweats off shiitake and button mushrooms

with shallots and garlic.

He adds butter, vinegar and soy sauce before blending.

Cowboy-sized sirloin steaks are pan-fried in butter and herbs

and left to rest.

You have four minutes, Tom. Thank you.

How's my pie looking? Yeah, I'm really happy.

Yeah? Yeah. Really happy, yeah.

So, what have you cooked them in? So, they're in a maple butter,

and that's star anise emulsion.

They look beautiful. Cheers, mate.

You've got three minutes, Tom. Oui, Chef.

Onto the plate, mushroom ketchup

garnished with raw chestnut mushrooms...

...then chive emulsion topped with chive flowers

and a sprinkle of cep powder.

Are you happy with the beef, Tom? Really, really happy, mate.

You're due on the pass now, Tom. Thank you.

His beef sauce is served on the side...

...and, finally, Desperate Dan's signature pie.

Wow'. HE CHUCKLES

Let's go, 9W5-

Hello, Chef. Chef!

You all right? Absolutely.

Ooh! Look at that.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

PASTRY CRUNCHES

See, I love that noise - the noise of the crumbly pastry.

Yeah! Flippin' heck! Beautiful. Thank you.

Hope you enjoy, guys. I've just got to take this back for the other chefs.

Thank you. Amazing. Thanks, Chef. Thank you so much.

Let's bear in mind that he took the pie back when we come to mark it.

LAUGHTER

Ooh!

Mm. This is some pie! It's some pie, isn't it? Mm.

That beef cheek - somehow even better than last time.

The flavour in that is phenomenal.

Much happier with how the potato's been clone, as well.

Wonderful. I'm loving it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

That pie is so rich and sort of... Yeah.

I think it screams Desperate Dan. Mm.

Everything about it is like Desperate Dan would want, isn't it?

It's bold. It's robust. It's muscular. It's flavoursome.

The pastry is just so, so good, and I think it's amazing.

The pie is amazing. Presentation looked perfect.

Deceptively simple.

Few things on there and they're all done so brilliantly well.

Thank you, mate.

This is the first one where I've been tempted to eat the whole lot.

Ancl I love the fact that it's just a big wodge of carrot.

It's a lovely carrot, isn't it? Mm-hm. Really tasty.

I love the kind of grandeur of that pie, that depth of flavour.

But then you see his skill with just that chive emulsion,

which is phenomenal.

And that carrot is one of the best carrots I've ever tasted.

- Getting worried? - Yeah.

I feel sorry for my pie having to be up against your pie.

There isn't a duff note here.

To make something so simple, like pie, carrots,

look so effortlessly easy...

But the amount of complex chef technique and skill

that's gone into this is outstanding.

Truly delicious. Still eating.

This isn't restaurant food. This is GBM food.

High-scorer Adam has been in the top three twice already this week

and is determined to move past runner-up.

My main is my strongest dish, so if I can't make it with that,

I don't think I'm going to go to the banquet.

Ratty's Picnic is inspired by The Wind In The Willows,

and has over ten components,

including broccoli and spinach puree,

shredded beef cheeks and chicken.

The feedback was that I needed a bigger chicken element to the dish,

so I'm doing roast whole chickens. More risky.

That's what this competition's all about, though, isn't it?

It's a dramatic change to his main,

but Adam is sticking with a haggis mousse stuffing.

Chicken is blended with egg whites, haggis and double cream

before being syringed under the chicken skin.

That's why I needed extra large birds -

cos my hands are massive.

I loved Wind In The Willows when I was a kid.

Such an evocative story, isn't it?

Ancl it feels very, like, British and idyllic. Yeah.

BROCCOLI SIZZLES Ah!

With so much left to cook, Adam needs his rivals to muck in.

I need someone to fry my gherkins, please. Fry your gherkins.

Ancl I need someone to help me with my tarts, please. Yeah.

Beer-battered gherkins are deep-fried,

and the shredded beef cheek is added to tart cases.

You've got three minutes, Adam. How are you getting on?

We're cooking with gas.

A picnic-basket boat, complete with Ratty and friends,

is filled with home-made ginger beer

and jars of mustard and ox tongue sauce.

Oh, the gorgeous sauce - I'd forgotten about that.

Slices of black truffle are arranged on the tarts before being boxed up.

Pop this in there for me, please, Chief. In here, yeah? Yes, please.

Lettuce and broccoli salad and the gherkins...

One second. I've just got to season the bad boys.

...are served alongside jars of aubergine puree.

What's going on the plate now? Some broccoli puree. Nice colour.

Onto roasted beef-fat broccoli

goes a blue cheese sauce and broccoli cress.

So, crispy garlic.

You've got one minute, Adam. OK, thank you.

They did say they wanted more chicken.

That's great, mate. Well done.

Last on the plate, haggis mousse-stuffed chicken...

Oh! I am sweating!

...garnished with shaved truffle...

Looks great, Adam.

...and a final sprinkle of nori powder.

Service, please.

You know when you have that feeling that you're forgetting something, but you don't know what it is?

Ooh! Oh, look!

Thank you. God, this truffle smells amazing.

These are great, aren't they?

Go on, Nisha - open the ginger beer.

I think it's amazing.

It's absolutely fantastic.

A roller-coaster of incredible flavours,

hit after hit after hit.

It's like a firework's going off in your mouth.

He's definitely turned that chicken into a main element now, hasn't he?

The chicken is so moist, Adam. It's all amazing.

Delicious. Very, very delicious.

I love this deep-fried thing, whatever it was. Pickled gherkin.

Really tasty. just sumptuous. A sumptuous feast on a plate.

Every single element is delicious,

but I find it slightly overwhelming with the amount of different things.

Yeah, but that's what picnics are about, aren't they?

You keep coming back for more.

It's the best picnic I've ever had. Yeah, it's really nice.

And a real star of this for me, as well, is the ginger beer. Yeah.

Really spicy and peppery and gingery. It's fantastic.

Cheers.

Oh, man! Holy smokeaccino! That would... Blow your socks off.

Socially, this is a great dish. You can imagine this at the banquet.

What do you think? Banquet-worthy dish?

Yeah. I mean, it's up there for me.

Absolutely delicious. One of the best plates I've eaten.

Nice presentation, too, with the boat and the animals there.

It's actually Badger, Ratty and Moley.

He's really gone to lengths here.

Hello. Hello.

How are you feeling? Good. How are you all? Yeah, really happy.

Good. It was all delicious food. Blown away.

Hello, darlings. It's Andi! Hello!

You came on a good day, Sir Lenny Henry. I know.

There's been some brilliant, beautiful, exquisite dishes.

How are yous feeling? Excited to get started?

Excited. Bit nervous.

35 for you, right? You're the one to beat. We'll see.

I really love this dish, so, hopefully, I can pull it off.

What about you, Avi? Relaxed. Got my name up there.

LAUGHTER

Well, guys, good luck. Thank you. Good luck, mate.

Cheers, man. Smash it, mate.

When they get it right, the brief fits like this with the food.

People have, like, absolutely, like, reinvented their dishes,

so it's been amazing.

Anything banquet-worthy? Yes, definitely. Yeah.

Yeah. just a bit. Undoubtedly.

OK, our turn now. Good luck, everybody.

Yeah, good luck, Chefs. Let's go.

Ooh!

Within this second group are two chefs

who have already secured their place at the banquet

and two that are hot on their heels.

I feel good about the main course.

I think this dish is one of my strongest dishes.

I think I've got a good chance of getting to the banquet.

I think my dish is really strong.

Already starter winner

and representing London and the South East is Avi.

His dish, "What's A Squab?",

takes inspiration from the animated movie Fantastic Mr Fox.

I love Mr Fox as a character,

and also I love Wes Anderson's animation and creativity.

Avi starts on his new pigeon broth made from pigeon carcass and legs -

a brave replacement to his previously successful Marsala sauce.

Having scored a respectable 33 during the heats,

North East finalist Will knows that the level of competition is high.

Nick got a good score, Danielle got a good score,

so they're all rivals, really.

Willis presenting a venison feast,

including a whole rack of venison and venison faggots,

which are wrapped in pig's caul.

Venison is also the centrepiece of

South West fish course champion Nick's dish.

Savoury Crocodile is inspired by one of Quentin Blake's illustrations.

I have got a dish to the banquet already,

but this is my favourite dish.

I think it's so on brief,

it's really fun and it's super tasty.

Nick is making not one but two venison Wellington crocodiles,

with their bodies and tails made from venison loin

wrapped in sausage meat, black pudding and pastry,

and sausage-meat legs.

And hoping to go all out on her presentation

with Paddington's First Chinese New Year

is first-timer Danielle.

Avi? Do you need this one, Avi, yeah?

Representing the North West,

her well-earned 35 points during the heats

makes her one of the top two scoring chefs for this course.

I didn't realise that I was joint highest with Adam in the scores,

so that was a great confidence boost,

but I think it's only made me more nervous.

Danielle sets her chicken to poach

with ginger, spring onion and garlic,

and covers the pot, hoping it will keep the meat moist.

How did you get into television?

So, I used to do impressions all the time, make my friends laugh.

They said, "You should do this. This is you, this is."

Ancl there was a thing in the disco.

The DJ said, "Right, we're going to have a competition now.

"Anybody want to get up and do something, tell a joke, whatever you want to do?"

Ancl I did some impressions.

I did Elvis. I did Muhammad Ali. "I'm the greatest!"

And they went mad. Ancl then my life changed in 1985.

I went on television and I won this talent show, New Faces,

and it was in front of 60 million people,

and I never stopped work. But it doesn't feel like work.

It's great! You get to sit in your pants and write jokes!

LAUGHTER What's better than that?

Sir Lenny Henry - that's pretty special, isn't it?

Yeah. Bit of humour in my dish, as well. He's a comedian, isn't he?

So, hopefully, he might see the funny side of mine, as well.

Yeah. You got any humour in any of your dishes?

Depends if I cook them well or badly, I suppose.

Aiming for the former,

and to add some sweetness to his dish,

Will sweats red cabbage in duck fat and glazes in sugar and liquor.

Avi is cooking pancetta,

which he'll use to add more flavour to his squab.

Nick constructs the fiddly toes for his crocodile,

and Danielle wraps spring rolls

filled with a chicken, cabbage and mushroom mixture.

First to the pass is Avi. Looking good.

In the heats, his main was one of his lowest-scoring dishes,

so he's decided to make some significant changes.

Tom said he'd like to see a bit more spice.

So, this time, the pigeon legs, I've cooked in the stock.

I'm going to take it off the bone, chop them up with a few spices -

coriander, mint, green chillies - make a croquette. Oh, interesting.

Right. Ancl I'm barbecuing the pigeon - again, spiced up.

So, you're going to put some energy into that? Exactly.

I think we said it was a bit restauranty.

Is that a bad thing? Well, ever since I've started doing this show,

I've found out that's an insult. LAUGHTER

Cor, if you went out for a fantastic four-star meal,

you'd get this?

LAUGHTER

I'm going to make sure this pigeon is rested enough

so it's nice and pink and juicy.

All right, Avi, it's five minutes to the pass.

How's it all coming along? Slowly but surely.

LAUGHS: Slowly but surely!

The sauce is ready. That's ready.

As Danielle takes care of the pigeon broth,

Avi plates delicate pumpkin roasted in thyme and garlic...

What's that going on there? just chanterelles

cooked with garlic and some spices. Looks lovely.

...followed by crispy pancetta. Love a bit of bacon.

Three minutes to the pass, Avi. Yeah.

Spicy squab is carved.

You happy with that? Yeah, I think so.

Nice and pink, Chef. It's a good portion, as well.

Next, the newly added deep-fried pigeon croquettes.

You're due at the pass, Avi,

but take the time that you need, please.

Yeah. I'm, like, one minute away.

Finally, rainbow carrots...

Smells lovely, doesn't it? Those look amazing.

...and a garnish of coriander.

That looks great. Service, please.

Done. THEY LAUGH

Phew! I'm sweating for the first time.

Thank you.

Just like that!

Look at that. Ooh!

That is amazing.

HE CHUCKLES

Good, right? It's just lush, isn't it?

The croquette's delicious. The croquette is fabulous.

It's a really good addition.

Honestly, it's making my mouth sing and dance.

Ooh! The croquette, it really has punched this dish up.

I like it, Avi. I love the way Avi cooks.

It's just so delicious. He really knows how to spice stuff.

Just there, isn't it? It is, yeah.

It's an odd taste, the squab.

I don't think it's my favourite thing.

Mm, the squab is just tame.

All that pigeon... Avi, you've made me like pigeon.

I was blown away.

Has he clone enough to address the initial worry

of it being too restauranty and not good enough for a banquet?

No. No. It's still too restauranty.

He's still two or three tweaks away from this being a perfect dish.

What he's done to it is magnificent.

I'd love to eat this again and again and again, but not at a banquet.

It's hot, hot.

Will's elaborate main, The Wishbone,

is inspired by the children's books and television series Funny bones.

"Tempered rack of venison, black garlic puree, beetroot puree,

"caramelised cauliflower puree, roasted cauliflower,

"venison faggots and glazed red cabbage,

"venison and herb marrow sauce..." Mm!

"..And Yorkshire park in with duck liver parfait."

Is there enough venison in this dish?

LAUGHTER

Will shows off his culinary skills with a complex cooking method

of alternating a seared venison rack

between a butter bath and a hot oven.

It should create a rare cook on the inside

and a perfect caramelisation on the outside.

Will gets on with frying Yorkshire park in,

a type of ginger cake, which is topped with duck liver parfait...

Too shaky!

...and beetroot ketchup.

Are you making any changes to this dish? I am not.

Well, Tom said he would like the park in slightly smaller,

so I've made it ever so slightly smaller.

I'll have his extra bits. How's that?

Because I was very happy with the size of the park in. Yeah.

Are you making any changes in the way this is going to be presented?

Yeah, it will be presented slightly differently,

but I'll keep it a surprise. Well, I can't wait to see it. Thank you.

Coming in, as well, Will. Where are you going?

I'm going to stick that there, look.

Will, like all the chefs,

is desperate to get a course on the banquet menu...

HE GRUNTS ..and the pressure...

BEEPING ..is starting to show.

TRAY CLANGS You all right?

I am sorry about that.

Yeah, the pressure is on.

You know, I'm running out of time, running out of dishes.

Will fries venison faggots in foaming butter,

which will be served on top of caramelised cabbage.

You've got four minutes, Will.

How's it going? Yeah. Yeah, good, thank you.

Cauliflower puree is topped with pumpkin seeds.

Anything you need, Chef?

Get my tweezers and just fill in the dots.

Over the whole thing, yeah?

Roasted cauliflower is plated...

...the park in toast is topped with oxalis leaves,

and venison and cherry blossom sauce is decanted.

You have three minutes. Yeah.

What are you putting on the plate now, Will?

Some black garlic puree I made and some smoked salt.

There were some really nice elements of the presentation,

but they were quite subtle, so we need something a bit more...

In-your-face, really. Yeah, yeah.

Ooh!

Will, is this the extra theatre you were telling me about? Yeah.

Those are some very cute Funny bones people. I like it.

As he portions the rack... Beautiful. Perfectly cooked.

...Will has concerns.

That is not looking good. Why?

Could have done with a bit more rest.

What are you brushing on it? just some bone marrow

infused with some garlic and herbs.

Looks amazing. Yeah, it looks stunning.

Will, that looks absolutely beautiful.

Happy? Yeah. All right, you want to send it? Service, please.

I love the outfits.

HE LAUGHS Oh! Oh, great!

Some skeletons. Excellent!

Thank you very much. This is so great.

Thank you very, very much.

That was great! I love a costume!

Have you had some of this yet? Mm. Yeah. Very good.

You look very happy, Danielle. Mm!

Can't stop eating. Making my belly happy.

It's just incredible, incredible, incredible.

The faggot was quite nice. I had some venison. It was...OK.

Nothing blew my mind, really.

I also don't think the venison's quite cooked enough.

No, it's just... It's under.

It's beautifully cooked.

Really nice aroma from the herbs coming through.

The red cabbage is amazing, by the way.

All of the elements are really lovely,

but there's just lots of lovely elements

that I don't feel are necessarily together as one.

I felt like it needed some mash or something to kind of...

Yeah. Is that a...? That's a great thing to say, though.

Is that too restauranty? No.

Something has gone awry since last time.

I don't think he's necessarily done enough to make it a banquet dish.

I'm really happy with the first crocodile.

I'm just doing the second one now.

Nick's reptilian main -

Savoury Crocodile -

is a venison loin Wellington wrapped in green pastry,

and is inspired by the artwork of Quentin Blake.

Hopefully, it's recognisable,

straight away, who the illustrator is.

During the heats, veteran chef Michael O'Hare

scored him a perfect ten,

but guest head judge Marcus Wareing and the rest of the panel

felt there was room for improvement.

I'm listening to their feedback.

I'm going to increase the amount of venison

and decrease the amount of sausage meat.

I mean, I've got a dish on the banquet.

I've still got two dishes to showcase,

see if I can get another one. One just gives you the hunger for more.

Oh, yeah. Oh, look at that! Look at that fire! Yeah, yeah.

I love to see that look in your eye. It's excellent.

To accompany his snappy pair, Nick prepares an artichoke mash...

...grilled hispi cabbage...

...and a gherkin gravy.

Crocodile eyes are made using quail eggs and olives.

They're just the eyeballs. I just need four halves.

As Nick works in Tom's restaurant,

we are swapping places, just to make sure all is fair.

How are we, Chefs? We all right? Yeah, good.

This looks pretty impressive, Chef. Crocodile, innit? Crocodile, innit?

Hello! ALL: Hello. Nice to see you. How's it going, guys?

How's it been in the chamber?

It's been fun, adventurous, and very filling.

H E CH UCKLES Audacious.

Crocodile's ready to go up. How long, Nicholas?

One and a half. One and a half?

Fight, PM, can you go to the steamer

and pull out the bowl of artichoke mash?

Nick serves up grilled hispi cabbage

glazed with garlic butter and gherkin gravy.

Lovely!

It looks great fun.

Let's go, please, guys. Service.

Good luck, Chef. Thank you.

Hi, Chef. Hello. Oh, wow! How are we?

Look at that! That's a crocodile!

Crocodile Wellington.

Thank you. I'll leave you with the crocodile.

Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you, Chef. Thank you.

This crocodile is pretty tasty. ED CH UCKLES

Love how nicely the venison's cooked.

Love the cabbage and the artichoke puree.

It looks super fun, tastes really good.

On presentation, there's really not many dishes

that would better that today.

It's amazing. Knocks it out of the park.

Yeah, it really does. When you see Quentin Blake's illustration,

it looks just like it.

It's really, really very clever.

Very good fun. Makes you smile inside when you see it.

But then, actually, when you eat it, it's very, very serious cooking.

The gherkin gravy rocks.

Gherkin gravy - it's a thing, right? It's up there.

It's definitely up there. I love the cabbage.

Really delicious, the cabbage. Good chunk of cabbage, that.

My favourite part is the cabbage. Mine is, as well.

The char on it is absolutely delicious.

It just looks incredible, tastes incredible.

GBM banquet - that dish, for me, is that.

Last to fight for the hon our of cooking their main

to celebrate Paddington's 65th birthday

is Danielle with her Paddington-inspired Chinese feast.

Paddington's always been a part of my life.

I used to wear some wellies when I was younger

with Paddington all over them,

so to get this dish through would mean everything.

To make a dipping sauce for her spring rolls,

she roasts and blitzes fresh plums with salted plums and their juice.

So far, so good.

Runner-up earlier in the week for starters,

Danielle is confident that the high score achieved

by her main during the heats makes her dish a real contender.

Your chicken, is it the same? Yes, it is.

So, I'm cooking it exactly the same, really tender and soft. Poaching it?

Yes, but I have made a soy and maple glaze.

Ooh! But I've not had a chance to test it yet, which is a bit risky.

Probably the worst time to do a test on it. Indeed.

But, I mean, you're at Great British Menu. Why not? Don't want to be bored.

Danielle's handmade noodles were a big hit during the heats.

So, I'm just rolling out my noodle dough.

This is the process I can't rush.

Hoping for the same reaction today, she works on the accompanying sauce

by adding peanut butter to a pot of chicken stock and chilli.

OK, this is Danielle Heron, North West.

"Steamed chicken with a spring onion clipping sauce,

"gold bar spring rolls with a plum sauce,

"home-made noodles with chilli and peanuts

"and a selection of vegetables."

I can't wait.

With no less than eight elements to cook and serve...

So much, last time, I forgot.

...including pickled mushrooms, cabbage leaves and fried garlic...

...Danielle delegates in order to reach the pass on time.

I just want to fry them off, get them crispy on each side,

add a bit of butter, baste them. Sure. Thank you very much.

Avi, I've got my noodles to put in. OK.

Will also lends a hand by charring baby leeks on the barbecue.

Avi, would you be able to just torch that tray of cabbage, please?

Yeah.

You have four minutes, Danielle. Yes, Andi.

First on the plate, steamed chicken with a soy and maple glaze.

So, you went with your glaze on the chicken? I did, yeah.

I had a little taste test.

Yeah, it looks good.

Noodles are topped with ramson capers...

Broccoli's ready.

...broccoli and baby leeks are served...

Two minutes, then, yeah? Yes, Andi.

...spring rolls...

Looks great.

...are topped with gold leaf powder...

Then the spring rolls can just go in one of those bowls, as well, please.

What is that? Spring onion, ginger and oil.

Wowser!

...followed by dipping sauces of spring onion and plum.

Service, please.

That looked like a proper feast. Good.

And you don't even seem flustered. SHE CHUCKLES

Cos I had three very handy helpers.

Thank you. Ooh! Thank you very much.

I'm already feeling full of mirth and festivity

just watching Tom with the chopsticks.

Hello! Come in. Come in, my beauties.

I mean, it's delicious, isn't it? So many amazing elements to it.

The chicken's fantastically cooked.

I love that spring onion clipping sauce.

It's a very, very well clone and delicious meal.

And I love the plum sauce.

I think it's magic - spicy, sweet, sour.

I just love the kind of whole festive, celebratory nature

of this whole dish.

Those noodles are actually the most disappointing part for me

because they were magic the first time

and they are now just kind of stuck all together and a bit thick.

Yeah, they're cold and coagulated, aren't they? Yeah.

Delicious. Love the noodles. Love the char on the broccoli.

There's loads of different bits of acidity coming out

from different sauces and marinades.

There are many things to like here.

I love the spring roll particularly,

but I don't think this is the best...

...Chinese dish I've ever had.

It's a great dish when executed perfectly,

but you get a couple of bum notes in it

and it just softens...

It softens the smile just a touch.

I really enjoyed it. So juicy and tender.

It's really, really good. Flavour, as well.

Well done, mate. It was delish.

So, she's gained focus in some areas -

you know, the sauces, she's executed brilliantly -

but that cabbage was actually offensive.

Remember doing this - this face?

HE LAUGHS

There has been some incredible cookery.

There's been some beautiful dishes, some of the simplest of things

that have just been done so, so well.

And those are the things that really make me smile.

You can see that their heart and soul is in the plate,

and it's down to the minutiae and the nuance,

and then it's to do with link to brief.

It's not just about delicious food.

Ancl that is the jeopardy of finals week.

Those moments that we have had today have just been magic -

the way they've managed to combine the taste of the dish,

the amazing skill and the brief.

And we've had more than one of those today,

which makes our job incredibly difficult.

This has been an extraordinary clay, and I really appreciate

being around people who can articulate about food,

and it's really taught me a lot.

And, boy, is my partner going to get some stick when I get home!

LAUGHTER

"Darling, this isn't quite doing it for me."

LAUGHTER

I'm a little bit nervous going into the judges' chamber

after my main course. There's a lot of great chefs in this competition.

I feel good after main course. I put up the best dish that I could.

Yesterday, I went out first. I don't want that to happen again.

It was a big clay, a tiring clay, so I'm glad it's over.

So, my top three is Avi, Tom and Adam.

Adam, Danielle, Tom.

It would be incredible for me to represent the Central region

and it would be even more incredible if it was the main course.

Avi's food, for me, is outstanding.

My top three are Will, Adam and Danielle.

My two favourite dishes today was Tom's and Will's dish, as well.

So good.

I think I'm in with a chance.

Hopefully, they loved it as much as I do.

Can't wait to see who gets it. There were some amazing dishes today.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE Well clone, Chefs.

Hey, Chefs. HE BLOWS AIR

Yeah, I can't do that either. LAUGHTER

How are you doing, beautiful people? Very good. Very good.

Incredible, herculean effort from all of you,

and really stunning work.

Honestly, we've had such a fantastic day

of dishes with technique, with skill.

You know, it's been exceptional cookery.

Such brilliant cooking, so much heart on the plate,

flavours popping off in your mouth.

You've clone a brilliant job. Thank you so much.

So, Tom, there were some fairly fierce dishes

coming out of that kitchen. How was it? Yeah, it was amazing.

We're just growing as a team and helping each other, working together,

but it's getting quite competitive in there at the same point.

Well, it is time to reveal the results.

So, in last place, I'm afraid, is...

...Mark. OK.

The heart on that dish was fantastic. It was amazing.

But all the other little bits, they just didn't seem to quite

come together for you today. OK, thank you.

There's one more chance to get on the banquet menu. Thanks.

The standard's so high,

so this hasn't been my clay today again.

Ancl in seventh place...

"it's Will.

This was a lovely dish, but the venison was undercooked.

Right. But, you know, you're here as one of the best chefs

in the country, so please march into the next challenge

like the warrior that you really are. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, Will. Thanks, dude.

Didn't expect that. Well, yeah.

Ancl in sixth place, it's...

...Avi. Avi, you came out swinging today.

That sauce that you added and the croquette were both fantastic,

but it just wasn't quite enough today

to come up against the rest of the field.

Right. Thank you.

Oh, wow. Guys.

Very surprised about you. Yeah. I loved your dish.

Ancl in fifth place is...

...Gemma. This was delicious.

I loved the pastry. I thought it was excellent.

The filling of the pie muffin, as I'm calling it, was...

It was incredibly unctuous and tasty. Thank you so much.

Thank you. Thank you so much, Gemma.

Who do you think's coming out next?

We'll see. I couldn't even tell you.

Oi-oi. ALL: Hello.

Serious, serious cooking today. That was unbelievable.

Ancl in fourth place...

...it's Danielle.

Danielle, that Chinese banquet was incredible.

It was delicious, immersive and courageous, above all things.

Well clone. Thank you very much. See you again. Thank you.

I'm very, very happy with that.

Some of those dishes that ended up lower than me,

I actually rated higher than me, so that was a crazy feeling.

Oh! Hello. You all right?

How are you? Good, yeah. Yeah?

Ancl in third place, it's...

...Nick.

Nick, it was such an amazing dish.

I mean, the impact that it has

when it comes into the dining room is outstanding.

I think we were all blown away by that.

Ancl gherkin gravy... Gherkin gravy! Come on!

I'm getting "gherkin gravy" tattooed on my chest.

That was just... It's a revelation, so well clone, Chef.

Cool. Thank you. Well done, Nick.

Brilliant, brilliant work again, of course.

Thank you, Nick. Thank you, Chef.

I think next through the door will be Nick.

Yes, I think so. Yeah, I think Nick.

There he is. How are we doing? Well clone, Chef. Good.

Yeah, amazing. Happy. Super happy.

And, I mean, 80 crocodiles wouldn't have been fun.

LAUGHTER Two was bad enough.

So, that brings us down to the two of you - Tom and Adam.

I mean, Adam, hello again.

LAUGHTER

To be fair, I would rather come third cos this is horrible.

LAUGHTER And how are you feeling, Tom?

I can barely speak, to be honest. It's literally here. OK.

It does all come down to points,

and I can tell you now that, again, it was so, so close.

There was just two points in it.

There can, of course, only be one winner,

so I can tell you now that cooking the main course at the banquet

celebrating British animation and illustration

for Paddington's 65th birthday,

with a perfect score of four tens, is...

...Tom.

Well clone, mate. Thank you so much.

That dish, honestly, it blew us away.

For me, as a chef, it was everything that I absolutely love and adore,

the ability to get the simple thing so perfectly well

and make it the most fantastic dish.

Absolutely well deserved four tens. Congratulations, Chef.

Chef, thank you. Brilliant cooking. Thank you so much.

And, Adam, it was an incredible dish,

and you got two tens.

So rarely does this chamber see chefs with

the kind of skill that you have in flavour,

but also the creativity.

You are truly gifted. Thank you very much.

Yeah, you're both absolutely outstanding.

But, Tom, I've dreamed about having a cow pie forever.

I mean, the look on Lenny's face when the cow pie came out...

When the cow pie came out,

I literally started doing the cow pie song...

LAUGHTER ..and there isn't one.

LAUGHTER

Well done, Tom. Thank you so much. Absolutely brilliant.

You are both rock stars. Thank you very much. Thank you so much.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

I can't believe that. That is unbelievable.

Absolutely unbelievable.

I can't believe I've made the main course at Great British Menu.

It's just the most surreal feeling, and, yeah, I'm privileged, honoured,

and I've enjoyed every second of this journey.

Oh, there they are. There they are.

Oh! Hello, guys.

# I've got the main course! #

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE Oh, mate, well clone!

Today was a hard, hard battle.

I gave it everything, but Tom nailed it with his pie. Well clone.

Well, that's the main course wrapped up.

Tomorrow, the chefs compete for the final course

and the most magical course - dessert.

Who will be the final chef to win a place

cooking at our prestigious banquet?

Cheers, mate. Congratulations. Cheers!

Oh, Lordy! Well done!

How are you feeling? Yeah, incredible.

Really? Absolutely... Yeah, incredible.

It's a brilliant, brilliant, brilliant dish. Thank you so much.

But congratulations, all of you.

Spectacular cooking, seriously.

Well done, guys. What a crew!

Well clone, well clone, well clone. Cheers.

I want to tell everybody. I'm going to call my wife straight away,

you know, my dad, cos he had such an amazing involvement

in the dish itself,

and my mum, daughter. Everyone. Everyone.

Tomorrow, it's the last chance saloon

for the finalists.

High five. No, thank you. SHE LAUGHS

The chefs are going for broke...

This makes me seriously worried.

It's going to be a disaster, you know?

...to try and bag the one remaining course on the banquet menu.

I feel drunk on sugar right now. LAUGHTER