More than just desserts
SO,THIS is it.The final of FIVE-STAR KITCHEN: BRITAIN’S NEXT GREAT CHEF (Channel 4, 8pm). “Reasonably exciting” doesn’t even begin to describe it. “All right, jolly exciting indeed if you’re one of the finalists?” Yes, that comes a whole lot closer.
And the big prize awaiting the winner? Oh, for heaven’s sake, do I have to keep repeating myself? (I’m so sorry, do forgive me, I didn’t get much sleep last night).
The prize is a swanky restaurant, remember? Specifically, the swanky Palm Court restaurant at the swanky Langham Hotel in swanky London. Or at least the swanky keys to it, meaning the winner becomes its head chef.
So, OK, who are the three contestants left to battle it out?
Well, there’s 40-year-old Adria, a café owner (her food concept for this competition has been “vegetables as hero”).
Adria’s main worry going into the final, she tells us, is getting everything done on time.
Then there’s Dom, who’s also 40 and a private chef (his concept is “elevated Caribbean”). Dom feels he needs to demonstrate more leadership skills.
And finally there’s Jordan, a mere 29, who’s a head chef and restaurant owner (concept: “three distinct flavours”). Jordan says his biggest worry is people asking him what it was like to be married to Peter Andre.
Just kidding again. Sorry.
No, Jordan’s main concern, he says, is consistency.
So, OK, yes, three very talented chefs, three very different concepts (I particularly like the “vegetables as hero” thing, as it makes me think of a bag-snatcher being chased down the street by a have-a-go cauliflower) and three individual bags of nerves, standing before Michel Roux Jr and his expert advisors, Mike Reid and Ravneet Gill, all awaiting their final instructions.
For this deciding challenge, Michel announces, they’ll be running, for one night each – get this! – the swanky Palm Court restaurant at swanky London’s swanky Langham Hotel!
“But hang on a moment,” I hear you cry.
“Isn’t that the actual prize?”
Indeed it is.Which makes this a jolly clever twist, don’t you think?
What better way for Michel to decide which of them most deserves to run the restaurant than by watching each of them run the restaurant? Genius.
Of course, it also means that any one of them might decide they don’t actually fancy it after all.
It does look like a whole load of hassle.
My advice to them is: worry about that later.
Do your best, aim for that prestigious prize regardless, and if you do end up winning it, that’ll be the time to ask if you could have a nice set of saucepans instead.