Serving up more drama
Smaller teams and bigger issues turn up the heat in the Family Food Fight arena as the competition steams up, writes Seanna Cronin
DYNAMIC duos are putting the fight in Family Food Fight, says host Matt Moran.
The award- winning chef and restaurateur returns alongside punk pastry queen Anna Polyviou and British food critic Tom Parker Bowles in season two of the reality cooking competition.
The food show has been given an overhaul, going from six teams of four to eight teams of two. The teams must draw on all of their family recipes and culinary know- how to advance towards the $ 100,000 grand prize.
“I think teams of two is a better fit,” Moran tells The Guide.
“You can get to know the family members a lot easier and more quickly. There’s still as much drama, actually there’s a lot more drama this year.
“They’re not just fighting within themselves. They’re very, very competitive this mob. There are fights between the families. It’s family versus family and it gets quite heated.”
This year’s families come from a variety of cultural backgrounds and even Moran was introduced to new and exciting flavours.
“We have an Afghani family this year,” he says. “I didn’t know much about Afghani food. These girls are pretty awesome when it comes to cooking. The flavours are a bit of Middle Eastern but Afghanistan is part of Asia, so it’s a really interesting cuisine. Some great food comes out of that kitchen.
“Last year we had some great food, but this year we have some fantastic cooks. There are a couple of boys who are barbecue kings. They ended up becoming the pasta princes and pastry queens. I don’t think they knew they had it in them.
“And we’ve got the Queensland sisters Bec and Nicole. Bec has a phenomenal knowledge of Asian food.”
In the new- look format, the teams must cook their way out of elimination, there are new off- site challenges and the three judges do more blind tastings.
Polyviou also sets a challenge each week, asking the teams to recreate one of her “deadly desserts”.
“There are quite a few massive changes that she brings to the table, which nearly break some of the contestants,” Moran says.
“But I had my hand in a chal- lenge or two. I wasn’t going to let her have all the fun.”
Hayden Quinn isn’t returning this year, leaving Moran, Polyviou and Parker Bowles to hash it out in the tasting room.
“When there’s only three of you, you have a bit more of a say,” Moran says.
“Tom and I also have a bit of banter that’s for sure.
“It’s much more dramatic this year, it ’s a bit quicker pace and I had a lot of fun making it.”