Feast your eyes on this
THE posh, professional cousin of almost every other cookery contest, this is when the big guns come out to show us how it’s done.
And while soggy cakes and burnt custard is fun and games, there’s something fascinating about watching chefs whip up Michelin-level food. It’s like alchemy.
As this series starts, chef Andi
Oliver returns to host, and there’s an exciting new judging line-up and excellent theme.
Chefs Tom Kerridge and Nisha Katona and comedian and foodie Ed Gamble, who co-hosts hit podcast Off Menu, are the brand-new panel.
It’s a real shame that they don’t feature in this first episode – you’ll have to wait for later in this heat when they decide to grace us with their presence.
The theme is 100 years of British broadcasting, with the star prize being to cook a course at a celebratory banquet.
This means we will enjoy plenty of classic TV in food form. You will see everything from an Only Fools yellow van dessert, to a Fawlty Towers-inspired Waldorf salad and a chocolate Blue Peter time capsule.
Beginning with four chefs from the central region, Michelin-starred chef Aktar Islam takes on the judging. “I want dishes to entertain me and blow my mind with flavour,” he says.
The food look impressive. Two people interpret Dad’s Army, while a Blockbustersinspired dish is named “Can I have a P please Bob”. One smoky offering honours Peaky Blinders, and there’s an Ab Fab scallop dish too.
But for one chef, this is their season finale.