Great British Menu S18E18, London and South East Judging, Great British Menu full episode (2023)

Introduction

Great British Menu S18E18, London and South East Judging, Great British Menu full episode

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Great British Menu,
Great British Menu full episode,
Great British Menu 2023,
Great British Menu season 18,

Video

It's the battle for London and the southeast, and our two top scoring chefs, Avi and Robbie are competing for a place in the National Finals.

They'll need to bring their dishes to life, with fantastic, flavor and big characters from Mr Bean to The Gruffalo from Winnie the Pooh to Paddington.

If it's not top drawer, it won't get the top score so rastamas, it's your region this week is there.

Anyone in particular, you've got your eye on interesting, London, and the southeast saw four incredible chefs cook their hearts out for a place in the final two rock and roll three to cook, for the judges.

Today is the inventive Chef Patron.

Only food and courses in central London, returner, Robbie, Lorraine.

I just need to bring my a game today up the levels Carmen collected head chef at London's Pali Hill newcomer Avi shashidara.

I am confident about my food, so I'm gon na give it my best shot.

Today's winner goes through to the finals with a chance of getting to our banquet inspired by British animation and illustration.

Their food includes Odes to The Gruffalo Fantastic, Mr Fox and Alice in Wonderland.

They are phenomenal they're not.

I think this is completely banquet worthy but which chef will impress our judges in this.

The toughest of chefs competitions, the winner for London and the southeast is thank you.

100.

I want to win.

I want to get one of my dishes to the banquet so yeah.

I'M going to give it everything be a great achievement for me to represent London in the Southeast.

In the final I call London home, so I'm really excited about it.

Judging day, let's do Robbie, let's get cooking okay good night come on.

Let's go hello chefs good morning: wow.

Yes, I've gone full secrets for judging day so remember today, it's a completely clean slate.

You have four brand new pallets to impress yeah.

How do you feel very excited ready for action? Yes, we've both got some excellent dishes.

You'Re.

Both packed full of talent, so you can't really afford to put a tiny little step wrong, so I would suggest that you get your first jobs on right now, wishing you both loads of luck, all right! Thank you, energy with all six dishes to serve to the judges the chefs get ahead with the most time consuming jobs.

I've got to make a few doughs I'm going to make some garnishes gon na make some crackers, so I'm just uh getting on with it.

Avi starts with the dough for his Mangalore buns canape, as it needs time to rest.

Oh yeah, here we go somewhere whilst the Robbie is preparing golden beetroot for his main course really busy right there loads to do steaming into it.

I've done the sheets now beetroot.

I'M just tying them so that they stay intact and then I'll finish them off in the vinegar ready for the beef fat later then, it's on to the crab sauce, also for avi's canopy he's preparing a crab-free celeria version for Tom due to his shellfish allergy.

It's going to have a similar texture, just like white crab meat Robbie is also replacing the shellfish in his canopy with confi celeriac.

How you feeling about cooking for Tom Carriage? Does that intimidate you yeah? I mean a little bit intimidating Tom Carriage knows his food is looking for Perfection yeah, so we can't afford to make any mistakes today.

Absolutely I hope I've got all of mine out of my system yeah.

Maybe you might make some today with a total of three Michelin stars under his belt.

Tom Carriage won't be easy to impress and having taken his main course to the banquet twice.

He knows what it feels like to compete in this competition.

I remember those times competing in that kitchen and those nerves they really can get hold of you, particularly now, with two chests that have not got through to judge and chamber before.

It may well be a heavy weight on their shoulders.

The chefs concentrate on creating a good first impression with their canopies.

Are these shapes and deep fries the dough for his Mangalore buns? Whilst Robbie makes a start on the main element of his dish scallops, it seemed like it was a bit of a struggle to eat.

In one bites, I'm just reducing the side, slightly you're, looking good hello, love, glitzy outfit today.

Yes, how are you I'm all right? Thank you.

How's your week been interesting interesting.

I think it took the chefs a minute to settle into the kitchen they're, not that used to being in competition, but once their nerves kind of settled, we got some really good cooking, I'm quite looking forward to a trip to darkest Peru.

It's lovely hold on a minute: it's one of those chefs my mum, fish chips and beans.

That sounds like my teeth: 1983.

joining Tommy, the judging hot seats on Nisha, Katona and Ed Gamble.

Nisha is one of Britain's most successful.

Restaurateurs with her street food chain, mildly.

My view, London, is the world's kitchen, so I'm looking for really bold and arresting flavors and that bravery, it's Ed, a hugely popular food, podcast host very excited I'm from London.

Of course, that's where I really fell in love with animation and illustration so lovely to see some of my favorites represented here, pug wash poo nice that there's a Mr Bean Dish as well.

Big fan of Mr Bean huge fan hello good morning.

How are you morning Tom? Yes, why is that? I'M hoping there's going to be some really really good food, it's London and if it's happening in the world, it's happening in the Southeastern London.

So I'm looking for some really exciting flavors and I'm excited because I'm a London Boyer, proper Cockney, yes! Well, I'm excited because I also competed for London and Southeast Tom found a loophole when he's a GBM because he's not from London, he doesn't really cook in London.

London in the south east Marlow is in the Southeast, even though my accent is not hello, my loves.

How are you getting along yeah, good, good, all right? Well, the judges are starting to assemble fantastic guest judge today, who is from London, he's an extraordinary illustrator and author, so you really have to make sure you're getting those stories onto the plate all right, yeah.

I love both of your canopies Tommy loved, both of your canopies.

I hope that these judges too too, the guest judge helping to score the dishes today was illustrator of the year in 2022, he's Illustrated 12 books, including the acclaimed look up and authored to one of them.

An award-winning anthology of stories called Joyful, Joyful, he's passionate about creating characters who challenge race and gender stereotypes.

It's Dapo, adeola hello, good morning.

Welcome.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thanks very much for joining us.

Thank you for having me we're.

Gon na eat loads of food you up for that yeah.

Are you a foodie Depot? I think I am but I'm a creature of habits so, like I tend to just eat what I like and every so often I come across a new dish and I just add it to the list and you live in London.

I do yeah so all different styles, cultural backgrounds, there's so many different spaces to eat.

What kind of things do you light up? A huge fan of African dishes Nigerian food, especially because I am Nigerian - I love Caribbean food as well, and Chinese and Japanese food as well Fusion dishes, so you like Spice in a bit of heat and all of that all good stuff, all the good stuff right.

Two minutes, gentlemen: right made it lovely having you happy, I'm very happy with him the right size as well slightly big last time, I've eaten garnishes with deep, fried Curry, leaves, whilst Robbie has puff pastry and lovage Emulsion to the scallops.

Last minute, please yep, the skull of Mill, Foy is garnished with Apple Blossom and the Mangalore buns are finished off with a Sprinkle of grated bataga.

How you doing Robbie, I'm like 30 seconds away, I'm gon na be one minute.

Okay, you are due at the past gentlemen Tom service.

Please here we go.

Thank you.

First up, Robbie's scallop Mill Foy with a comfy celeriac version for Tom, I'm very nice, yeah, nice and fresh flavor's, not quite Punchy enough, but actually textually.

I thought it was great.

I quite like that delicate flavor and I like the I like the crunch of the apple and the crumbly pastry.

Well, it was delicious.

Then it's on to avi's Mangalore buns, with the crab sucker and another celeriac alternative.

Go that's delicious.

Some spice on that got that lovely Curry Leaf.

That's deep, fried on the top, so you've got that really haunting fragrance that persists and that acidity works so well with celera and the greater bataga I love bataga.

I can taste the acidity that Tom mentioned as well, and it's not overwhelming, like it's just nice and that other one was very, very fresh as well.

So now what we do is we hold up the plate that we, like the most, both very good.

I mean I haven't finished this one, but there's no sign that I don't like it the most there you go it's straight onto the starters and Robbie is serving first.

He fills the Moses with a spiced carrot, mixture ready to fry later, we're good.

So the first starter is called Fancy a little smackerel, a braised and glazed carrot with a carrot, Samosa and a carrot and coriander Cornetto, and it's inspired by e h, Shepherd's illustrations in A.A, milne's, Winnie the Pooh, particularly the vegetables in rabbit's garden and the Hundred Acre Wood Robbie scored a disappointing six for his plant-based starter.

After failing to impress veteran Tommy Banks.

Well, hey baked carrot was a little underwhelming yeah, it didn't quite hit the mark.

So what I'm going to do is I'm going to braise it in carrot, juice and a load of aromats, and I'm going to use the brazing liquor to make a glaze and just ramp up the flavor.

So it's got a nice Sheen around the outside raw charity.

Carrots, exactly are you making any other changes to the plate yeah, so I've parked the lollipop, so I'm gon na go with the Cornetto instead, today, it'll be a nice kind of palette.

That's a really nice idea, hoping this new edition will spot in the judging chamber.

Robbie shapes and baits his Cornetto cones and churns carrot, flavored sugar syrup to make sorbet carrots are good to go, I'm just going to torture them now, I'm going to glaze them and then I'm happy they're.

Looking better and they're more vibrant.

We love your work, is so different, so groundbreaking and important.

What brought you into illustrating in in the first place.

I didn't really see myself doing it as a career, but luckily enough, a friend of my Nathan um is the author of our book lookup.

He saw something that I didn't in terms of the potential for my work and came up with a great story, and I Illustrated it, and here we are, did you go to art college at the beginning and then move or was it just I'm self-taught? I did study graphic design in University, but it wasn't why I wanted to do a tour after the course.

I started to teach myself how to become an illustrator and roughly about 10 years later, I got published people always go with things like overnight success.

They came out of nowhere and you're like nope a decade.

Yeah I've been here a while yeah.

You have four minutes: Robbie yeah.

How are you doing uh, I'm all right, Robbie, plates the carrots and adds beads of carrot, puree before sprinkling puffed barley and pickled, baby onion petals? You got your lollipops today.

Now I'm doing a corner toe today.

How are they nice and crisp? Yeah, lovely and crispy? You've got one minute: Robbie yeah, you might be a minute over, perhaps possibly yeah, get it right.

Yep Robbie garnishes with salad Burnett a type of leaf, while the final few samosas are fried.

They go nice and crispy and plated so Robert.

You aren't you now yep.

The dish is dressed with chive oil and carrot.

Sorbet fills the crispy cones beautiful Robbie looks gorgeous okay service.

Please thank you, brilliant great presentation.

I think we need to go for the Cornetto first Samosa, it's not a bad pastry.

It's got a nice flavorful filling the filling was delicious, it's a little bit one-dimensional and I nearly broke my teeth on this up.

Puffed rice, the carrot itself.

I really liked, but the puff Barley's a real issue.

The carrot was it wasn't too crunchy.

It wasn't too soft.

It was perfect.

The biggest flaw in this dish, for me, is it's just a bit cold.

It's just not a warming start for me.

I struggled with the Cornetto it's a bit too sweet.

There's a natural sweetness in carrots.

I haven't got a problem with Cornetto.

I think the flavor is lovely.

I mean they're sweet Tom.

That's surely got added sweetness to it.

I like the idea of the theme, the carrot and rabbit from Winnie the Pooh, but I'm not sure it's been quite realized in the in the presentation for his starter.

Avi is making a mint Chutney by blending fresh mint with chilies Ginger and lemon juice yeah.

It's good just trying to cruise through all my prep, so this is scrambled snake by the lake and it's puppy chat, delicious pumpkin, mint and Tamarind chutneys, chocolate, coconut yogurt, fresh tomato and pomegranate seeds.

And this is inspired by The Gruffalo, which is by Julia Donaldson and axel Scheffler.

You've got an eight for this dish.

Yes, it's a good school.

It's a good school, not good enough you'd, like more.

Of course, you'd, like more Abby Tommy was looking for a few more zingy flavors from vegetables or a burst of that flavor of pomegranate.

Every time he took a bite.

He also wanted a few more pumpkins in there, which I'm gon na add.

Are you giving them extras to play with themselves? Are you just gon na put it straight onto the plate? I think I'm just gon na put it on the plate, because I don't want them to imbalance.

The dish right keep control to make the snake from the title of his dish.

Avi puts spice dough into a wooden press and deep fries.

Chocolate is something that you would have with your tea: their deep fried gram, flour, crunchy worlds, basically slightly spiced and what a brilliant theme, though The Gruffalo fantastic book yeah.

Absolutely, where are you meeting him down by the lake and his favorite dish - is scramble snake you're? A very interesting person Misha because you quite often don't remember what we do here when it's happening, but you remember bits of The Gruffalo off by her.

I think that's a long-term memory issue that I don't have yeah Abby you've got six minutes to go how's it going yeah really good.

Thank you Andy.

I should be there on time.

He crumbles.

Probably Chuck crackers tops with plant-based yogurt and Tamarind chutney for a sweet, sweet, sour Edge.

Three minutes, heavy yep, mint, Chutney, cooked beetroot, tomato and pomegranate are next.

You reckon this is a better version than earlier on in the week yeah.

I'M just upping the quantity of the tomatoes yeah and more pumpkin, more beetroots.

It was a good feedback thought I should take it on board a garnish of coriander and wood sorrel.

Let's get the snakes on there service, please.

Ah age, amazing.

This is like a rainbow of flavors and textures.

It's so vibrant.

It's so alive.

It's great! It's a really tasty bit of cookie man.

I love it so you like it yeah.

It makes me smile inside.

It looks all soft and mushy like guacamole, almost um, and then it's just got this nice crunch to it.

It's nice sweetness as well.

It did just look like a bowl of guacamole and yet within it are a million flavors and a million textures and such excitement.

You know for for the palette, it's just fantastic.

This is what plant-based cookery should be about right.

It's not trying to do an impression of meat, it's its own thing and it's using the ingredients perfectly presentation boards I mean it feels very Autumn.

Has it got a connection to The Gruffalo kind of so knowing what I know about Axel's color palette? This is it right, interesting, yeah, the greens, the Browns, even the oranges, yeah yeah, maybe for some people at a banquet situation, you need to be a bit more on the nose more obvious.

Yeah cracking on with his fish calls Robbie scores his bass and places in a lemon and peppercorn brine beautiful.

So it's the first fish dish now and it's called fish meal and it's wild sea bass, Apple, Dashi, fermented, fennel, ravioli, apple and Exmore, caviar, salad and it's inspired by Captain pugwash and the episode fish meal where he was swallowed by a giant fish along with another.

Pirate and they fight it out to claim the treasure love.

Captain pug, wash Robbie trims the tail off the fish to use as a base for the fish moose, which will be the filling for his raviolo.

The seaweed cracker failed to impress during the week, but thinking on his feet, he's found a way of keeping those flavors on the plate.

I've just cut up some chives to go through my ravioli fill in I'm going to put a little bit of lemon zest and then some seaweed for it as well Tommy felt it well enough flavor.

I thought it's important to keep that element on the dish.

I'M just going to up the flavor profiles.

Did we have some interesting characters? There's some uh Urban uh myths that surround the names of the country? Yes, that's right, but they're.

Actually, they actually are not called that there was a rumor went around that the characters called that and now everyone's remembered that the characters were called that they were too yeah yeah Amy.

Should we write it with those characters.

Yeah you've got a seven for this one.

Robbie, yes, I think there's room for a few more points in that dish, yeah.

So a couple of tweaks and hopefully I'm gon na get there.

What's your biggest worry getting that fish right, getting a fish right, yeah I slightly overcooked it um.

So just that's! That's the key part Edition it's a fish meal, so it needs to be bang on yeah.

If I can now that, then we're on to a winner, wonderful Robbie, I hope this one works out really well, for you guys me too, the pasta, colored using cuttlefish ink is filled with the mousse I'll, be there in a minute.

To give you a hand if you need anything, oh my God, fermented fennel is plated alongside sea per slain.

Okay, Robert you've got three minutes.

My dear okay, it's gon na be a little over yeah.

I'M gon na be over.

The ravioli is blanched.

Robbie starts cooking.

The sea bass, but having overcooked it in the week he'll need to keep a close eye on it.

To avoid making the same mistake, one minute and you'll be here at the path Robbie, I'm gon na need another two minutes.

Please Abby finishes off the salad with apple pearls.

Do you want me to put some of the caviar on top? Yes, please, and the bass and ravioli are plated happy with your ravioli this time yeah.

I think I'm much happier to be honest with you mate.

Okay, you're two minutes over Robbie right.

It's served with apple Dashi alongside Dashi, looks great.

You happy yeah ready to go right, send it mine appears to get on fire whoa.

That is nuts.

I feel like I'm in a theme park that is so Ace.

Isn't it foreign a piece of that fennel? Yet that is so overpoweringly strong? It's actually quite offensive.

I got a bit of a fish before I got the fennel attacked my mouth and the fish is lovely and the dash is tasty.

The dash is really tasty.

It's not the same issue with this salad, I quite like the the Apple in it, and I like the caviar, obviously, but the leaves are just sort of dumped in there a bit.

If you get a spoon of it all together, the flavors actually combine really nicely, and then we get into the dish itself.

The fish is okay, the sauce, I think, is delicious, but then you're avoiding the fennel and that's not really.

Okay.

Fish was tasty.

Fennel was a kick in the teeth.

The ravioli was nice as well, but it was just kind of plain.

The ravioli, for me is one of the disappointing things.

The pasta is great.

It's got that cuttlefishing that's gone through it then.

Actually, when you eat it, the middle of it's really Bland.

There's nothing going on, and it's a shame because the box came, you opened it and it was exciting and it it felt that we're really into that brief.

But then the dish - just nothing, is tying in very well.

So as a pirate time, you don't approve as a pirate.

This is not pirate Worthy for his fish course.

Abby has made a significant change to his sea bass, I'm just taking off the skin because you know once it's steamed the feedback I got from Tommy was.

It was a bit soggy for him and I thought I should take that feedback on board.

So the next dish is fish chips and beans.

So it's a sea bass steamed in the banana leaf with Jerusalem, artichoke and potato shoestring chips, chickpea and fennel salad all served with soul, caddy inspired by the animated.

Mr Bean series, specifically the episode where Mr Bean has his chipetti, I'm a bit worried about Mr Bean connected with food because it doesn't normally go well for Mr Bean when this food involved does it no.

My favorite episode of Mr Bean is a steak tartar one.

When he orders that and then he has to hide it in the plant pot, so we can see where the fish and chips are in this.

But where are the beans? Is that the chickpea salad? I wonder I mean that's.

The only other place he's got to put it Avi is making it's made: coconut coriander, mint, lemon juice and ginger.

It's spooned onto fresh banana leaves and topped with bass fillets, so the Banana Leaf should have been softened.

Before I put the fish on top, it should have gone in the oven, so it's a bit more pliable, but unfortunately I forgot to do that in a rushed attempt to get around his mistake.

Avi blowtorches the edges of the leaves to soften them.

This was your lowest scoring dish.

Yes, you got six of this.

What were the issues that you had? So the beans element wasn't really coming through in the salad beans were getting lost, so I decided to change the whole element off the mung beans to Black chickpeas, which is nice, so I'm a huge fan of China.

Yes, that's it love the chickpeas with their skins.

On that's the only difference I really like it in a salad because it's got a really nice bite to it.

I love this New Edition.

Thank you so you're hoping to get more marks.

Yes, absolutely I think uh I've done enough.

Avi will have to hope.

The judges agree: he cooks, the chickpeas with mustard seasoned Curry leaves potatoes and Jerusalem.

Artichokes are deep, fried for the crisps.

Next, it's on to the soul.

Caddy, a traditional Indian, Savory digestive drink, which veteran Tommy Banks thought too salty.

Cooking vinegar is quite salty on its own, so I've reduced the quantity, but it still keeps its color and intensity.

So I've added a little bit more coconut milk and yogurt to it so Dapper.

The first book that you had published was look up.

Wasn't it? Oh? We've got it here, actually is it not? I just want to make sure technically you're right.

The first book I had published in the UK was look up um.

I had another book published in America, which was called the last last day of summer, written by Lamar Giles, but look up was the book that pretty much got me into the industry, because the main character here is a young black female yeah.

It wasn't something that was depicted that much especially in stem surrounding space.

We really Struck it lucky with um look up.

We were just making a book and for me I was just trying to come up with a fun character.

She's based on one of my nieces.

I'M not supposed to say this, but she's.

My favorite niece Abby still isn't happy with his Banana Leaf Parcels.

So he starts again.

I just thought I've got the time I may as well just do them.

You know I don't want to take any chances.

Al-Qadi is served in shot glasses and garnished with fresh coriander.

Fresh, lemon and green marinade are plated, followed by chopped fennel and chickpeas to finish off the new salad after you have four minutes to the Past you're happy with the changes that you made.

Debbie yeah really happy.

It looks slightly simpler, but it's got much more flavor to the salad.

I think you've added the lemon where'd.

You have yeah, it's a massive change on my dish.

I just thought it's nice.

If someone wants a little bit more acidity on their fish, what two minutes - yeah how's your fish, looking Avi, it's very nicely cooked this time.

I've cooked it only for five minutes.

It smells incredible mate.

The bass is topped with crispy potato and Jerusalem artichoke chips.

I'M gon na put some mint on this as well.

That's the last thing, the time Abby well done.

Thank you service.

Please! Thank you.

Wow, hey, steady you're! Getting ready put these on! Tell you what this is my kind of Tide to put on the only one.

I know how to do.

No, I, like it, I like it.

I went straight for the fennel salad.

You know like if you're worried about something you just got ta face your face.

Head on and it's delicious very nice I mean you could be on a kind of go and beat shot.

Couldn't you these are really South Indian flavors lots of coconut.

I think it's a personal thing, but I don't really like the it's all caddy yeah, I'm I'm with you on that.

It's just not for my palette to be honest, yeah, I don't think it's my palette and I think it's a cognitive dissonance.

When I see that You're Expecting sweet right, yeah yeah, it looks like a strawberry milkshake, but the the dish itself is yeah, absolutely fantastic.

The soft fish and the delicate spice and then the the chips on top - and I love the you know exactly what the dishes theme done.

I love the hat with with the teddy wearing the Hat as well.

I think that's, that's a really lovely touch.

The chips aren't chipping for me like they're, not you know my chips, they're a bit more solid than this Tom's, not sure I don't know, I think it's delicious.

My fish is slightly overcooked, it's a shame Tom, because mine's cooked perfectly, but that just shows a bit of inconsistency and the dressing on the fish, for me is perhaps it's a little acidic it's a little over Punchy.

I mean part of the problem.

Is that I one of the first things I did is put some lemon on it? Oh Lord, so yeah, but then don't serve me the lemon okay.

So have I then over seasoned it because you've given me the lemon, maybe that's the Mr Bean mistake yeah.

You remember the episode of Mr Bean where we put the lemon on the fish and it didn't need it.

Oh real laugh, didn't we it's hilarious, please I'm getting a heads up on what the judges think of our London and Southeast chefs.

So far, hello, lovely people, hi Andy, all right mate.

How are you daffo? I'M fine.

Thank you, Andy! We're so excited to have you here.

Thank you for having me.

How are you, sir, all right? I've had some things that have been offensively bad and then Bland and then no did you have a starter that you really liked, and then I've had a starter that I've Loved, I think everything that's come out, has got a a certain degree of accomplishment about it.

You know and we're not getting those dishes where it kind of is disjointed and making no sense and anxiety which does happen.

Sometimes they are bold.

What are you looking for in terms of in storytelling? You want something interesting well, that was the chest because, like you're like, what's in it, you know and also with the theme with pug wash and all that you know Treasure Chest perfect yeah with The Gruffalo dish, the snake, I thought the presentation was brilliant because it Was very much in keeping with the color scheme from the book itself, the other judges didn't really think it was hitting the nail on the head and sometimes with illustration, you're not supposed to hit the nail on the head.

Less is more right.

That makes any sense.

It's time for the main course, whilst Robbie Great's purple, beetroot to his quinoa croquettes Avi, is making a sauce by reducing Masala wine and stock.

Well, I've just been in the judges chamber.

They really appreciate all the hard work and effort that's going into delivering.

All of these dishes, how are your energy levels? Uh took a bit of a dip after the fish course just because it was such a push, but it's back up now, because yeah Avi tosses your own mushrooms in butter, garlic and Thyme and chestnuts are simmered in Masala wine to accompany his main okay.

The first main course of the day - and it's called what's a squab and it's roasted Squad pigeon with Masala, sauce, crispy, pancetta, chestnuts, roasted Delicia, pumpkin sage and Quince jelly, and it's inspired by Burke's squab Farm in Wes, Anderson's, animated film, Fantastic, Mr Fox.

It's actually one of my favorite Roald Dahl books, but it's also one of my favorite animated movies as well.

It's brilliant! If any of you seen it.

Yes, you've stopped motion films, fantastic George Clooney's, Mr Fox.

You've got an eight for this yeah.

First, two courses you're reaching into your heritage.

This is reaching into your training.

Yes, what was Tommy's feedback? The skin wasn't crispy enough.

Maybe the lid could have done with a bit more cooking.

So that's exactly what I'm gon na.

Do it's a gorgeous dish? Yeah! It's so simple: I have to make sure every element's cooked perfectly Delicia.

Pumpkin is seasoned with sage.

Whilst another earthy aromatic spice stone flower has been delivered to the judging chamber.

What's the smell, this is fabulous.

If I'm not mistaken, this is stone.

Flower.

Yes, you're well educated man.

I know my snake, though, doesn't it what is a squab farmed pigeon? Oh, not a not one of the Trafalgar Square rats with wings should be lovely plump breasts, roasted beautifully nice and pink good fat covering super tasty.

That's a sexual B! Yes, a sexy pigeon like it Avi, fries pancetta, to add a salty texture to the dish.

The sage and Thyme stuffed squabs are lightly browned before being roasted.

So I've put the pigeon legs in the marsala sauce, so they cook a little bit more and almost confed, but not in oil.

In the sauce itself, I'm hoping for it to be really tender, four minutes, RV of yellow yep Bobby.

Can you pour that sauce into the jugs? Please wait how's the crown on that Squad.

Yeah, it's beautiful, very happy with it.

It smells incredible.

Got two minutes.

Have you yeah the first time I've seen Abby really pushed at the pass judging day has a way of doing that to shift next to his squab Avi plates the pumpkin and she rolled you'll do now Abby yeah, Quince, cheese, crispy, pancetta and Sage are added gorgeous And Fantastic, Mr Fox closhes finish it off service, please thank you.

I need to take it off yeah.

Thanks love that I love the music.

I love the smell.

I love the look of this to me so far.

The presentation's on point he's absolutely nailed it.

What do you recognize? It's a tasty dish, it's a classic classic flavors! I love the the squash on there and the crispy Sage leaves the pigeons cook nicely.

It doesn't blow me away.

Squash is delicious.

I love the the flavors um.

I love the gravy as well.

The mushrooms are lovely, everything else is nice, but I'm not a fan of pigeon.

It's a Wonderful autumnal dish.

Pigeon is beautifully cooked.

The flavors are great, the Crunch and the texture.

But overall, if you take that away, we've got here a fantastic pigeon dish that you could get in any top end: restaurant.

It needs something else.

It needs to have that that wow factor which doesn't necessarily wash it's beautiful, though oh, it's so good, but it's just not right for a banquet.

What we've got is some really well cooked elements bound together by a very nice sauce, but that's it.

I think we could have had some more things that transport us to Fox based things, maybe a recording of some high-pitched mating squares or something.

Maybe that was where it's going - oh Robbie's next, and do she achieves these slow, cooked short rib for his main from the water bath veteran Tommy School, the dish a disappointing six earlier in the week, so he needs to up his game today.

Robbie main course is how you feeling I'm really excited about this one.

I didn't get a great score for it made some uh rookie mistakes, yeah when I was uh finishing my dish, so I'm trying to eradicate all of those yeah.

This is darkest Peru, Peruvian spiced, sirloin of beef, short ribbon, marmalade sandwich beef dripping roasted golden beetroot, Amarillo, pepper, quinoa and beetroot, croquettes and arrivedere sauce, which is inspired by Paddington, Bear and his Peruvian Origins.

So let's talk about that beef? Have you changed your methodology? Yes, so I'm gon na cook it completely on the barbecue Tommy was absolutely right.

The texture wasn't right.

The Smoky flavored didn't perminate it so get that bar yes around the outside.

So what about that sandwich? We were all a bit sad about the sandwich because we were very excited about it very liquidy and it kind of fell apart a bit yeah.

Most importantly, I need to get my pan up to temperature so getting that temperature just right.

So it's golden exactly.

If I can get that right, I think you'll love it so far.

So good, you can see the length of the brief straight away just by reading it, the Peruvian ingredients and the marmalade sandwich also very on Trend.

Southern American cookery and spicing is, is bang on.

Isn't it also anything that just has beef dripping in the pie toy yeah, it's very brave! Isn't it to do for a main course a sandwich I was thinking that I was like.

Is it just gon na be sandwiched with like a rib sticking out? This is my short rib that I've been braising.

We've saw pepper a little bit of marmalade.

I finished it off with shallots some bills.

You a little bit of time, uh cooked it out taken off the bone.

I've flaked it down.

Now, I'm just going to press it between two trays, while the mixture sets Robbie's shapes and pennies quinoa crookettes Tommy's feedback in the week was that the marmalade flavor in the sandwiches was too subtle.

I'M just buttering my bread with marmalade slathering a lot more on this time to make sure that the flavor is more prominent.

The sandwiches are assembled ready to be fried later to create his Peruvian Aji Verde, sauce, Robbie mixes mustard egg, yolks lime juice and oil.

Before adding herbs golden beetroot spirals are cooked in beef dripping and following Tommy's advice, the beef sirloin is barbecued.

I love you, how are you doing how's that sandwich today, no dramas with a pan, No dramas with a pan so far my man famous last words, though right having fallen apart earlier in the week this time round, Robbie has decided to dry fry the sandwiches in A hot pan first and then cook them in butter for a crispier finish, I'm much happier with my sandwiches.

My beetroots are beautiful.

My beef has come off the barbecue, I'm just going to finish it in the oven, just to make sure it's cooked through beautifully Ravi.

Deep fries is croquettes and serves the Ahi Verde sauce.

You've got four minutes.

Robbie yep, before topping his sandwiches with marmalade gel, seems to be in a much better place.

I am indeed they are garnished with Peruvian Marigold.

Okay, it's coming up to the past when you're back, lovely and plated I've got a nice bark around the outside, see what we've dealing with on the inside is that the done as you'd like it? Yes, it's beautiful because they have a little longer rest, but the color's perfect.

The sirloin is plated alongside golden beetroot, your two on the pass now yep, followed by Amarillo, pepper crisps, service, please, okay, another bucket hat! It's less padding some more Festival when you wear it now that is a sort of bread to filling ratio.

I, like is fabulous, see that bread that's been fried the meat, the sweetness from the marmalade.

Absolutely everything you would want.

I think the beef is fabulous.

I really love this sauce as well.

Yeah, I'm struggling a little bit with the croquette.

I think the croquette needs the sauce.

It's just a bit dry! There's nothing to you! It's completely tasteless yeah, it's funny, because every other element is really crunchy in flavor.

Then all of a sudden you get to the croquette and it is pretty flavorless unless you dip it in the sauce.

My thing is: I've never had marmalade out of context, it's always in a sandwich pot of breakfast, but it's a habit like this is new to me and it definitely works with the beef everything just like it gives it that nice little Zing.

I love the way.

It's been presented and I love the links, the brief in in the ingredients themselves.

The cooking on the beef is beautiful as well.

It's not too rare.

It's close to medium, and I like that in terms of like, is it something for a banquet? I kind of think: is it Grand enough? That's the thing right, but I like it.

It's on to the Sweet part of the menu and the pre-desserts Avi makes pomegranate passion, fruit and Cherville sugar syrups for his shaved ice palette, cleanser entitled colorful snowman inspired by the animation of Raymond briggs's.

The Snowman Robbie works on his poppy seed tweel, which will be Bloom, shaped and topped with edible flowers to represent the children's animation series Fifi and the flower tots two minutes for the pre-dessert gentlemen: how are you getting on yeah? How are your tweels coming along there? Robbie yeah they're back on just need to get my final meringue into the bowls and how is the meringue? I hope it's frozen.

It's been in there for about 15 minutes hoping and Frozen two words that strike fear into my heart in this kitchen.

You are actually due on the pass now.

Yeah, no worries, I'm ready when you are has meringue salted, yes, Avi bottles, the colorful sugar syrups, ready for the judges to pour themselves and Robbie's Gooseberry curd is topped with meringue and the flower tweel, let's go service.

Please, thank you, cheers Avi shaved ice with flavored sugar.

Syrups is first here Tom you, you have a go.

That was cool.

That was very good Western.

Thank you cowboy.

I love that sherville syrup.

I think it's absolutely fabulous.

The passion fruit is coming through for me.

Really it's super tasty, it's really sweet, but it's really refreshing and clean, and I just think what a great idea really really fun yeah.

I can't believe that I've been build over by a bowl of shaved ice.

It's a pretty dessert, it's sort of perfect for it.

It is next Robbie's poppy seed tweel with edible flowers, more fennel, Tom yeah.

Your face is my face.

It doesn't it's not here.

What's upset you about this Tom, I think it's the gooseberries, I like the gooseberries, oh they're, sharp.

I think the sweetness of that twill balances out how sharp those gooseberries are.

It certainly did not warrant a screwed up little baby.

Facetime 100 did the tweel is too sweet.

It's so far at one spectrum of sweetness and the gooseberries is so far at the other.

There isn't there's no way that it can be harmonious.

Well, this is my favorite yeah.

This is my favorite hold up your favorite from your favorite.

It's definitely Cheers Cheers Cheers how you doing Robbie the last stretch.

Yeah final push feeling good about it.

Ev yeah kind of let's see how it goes for his final course of the day.

Avi makes a batter for his flourless chocolate cake.

This is planet of the clangers, coconut rice, pudding, planets chocolate, cake, pistachio, praline and chocolate shards.

Do you remember the clangers? They went something like that.

It's like it's like a penny with someone like that.

Am I wrong? No, I don't think you are wrong, but also you know you look absolutely insane right now, yeah, ten ten! This is a wonderful dish, I'm assuming you're, not making any changes, no changes to this one.

I just need to get it right again.

I wish you lots of luck.

Thank you.

Let's get it.

Avi is filling Balloons with the coconut rice pudding before carefully flush freezing.

In liquid nitrogen to create a hard shell for his planet, foreign together, I'm quite excited to see that how are we feeling about rice pudding? I'M not a fan, I'll, be honest, like it's.

Just these little childhood trauma things like big fan of rice, pudding, yeah, pistachio, praline sounds pretty good.

I think that's going to make up for it in the chocolate shards.

I think the coconut rice pudding is going to be nice.

I think I think you'll be surprised.

Chocolate cake is served adorned with tempered chocolate, shards coated in rose, petals and gold leaf five minutes, Abby yeah.

How are those planets I think they're coming along fine? I just have to make sure I get them out with in one piece really seems to be a bit of a problem.

Molds are plated, looks incredible, you're happy that way they turned out.

Yeah really happy.

I think, by the time they get to the Past they'll be hopefully the perfect texture, I'm looking for yeah.

Is it just your praline on the Finish, praline and rose petals? Oh look at that service please! Well now we can say if your impressions - oh my God, you've broken yours Tommy though yep how'd you like that rice pudding, awesome! Amazing seriously! I didn't know rice pudding could be this smooth.

You know it's kept its form as well, and so the outside is slightly more congealed and it's got a lovely chew to it.

Flavor is fabulous and the cake complements it very well, because it's not too rich, I mean it's almost a mousse, really isn't it.

The cake is just there's a skill set in this.

That's great there's pastry technique.

That's really really good! I think it's amazing and actually I think, the chocolate Cake's great, but my only problem is, I think I've got two desserts, but they don't necessarily tie you together.

If you eat the chocolate cake, it's powerful, it's thick, it's heavy and it's very, very dark.

And then you go back to the rice pudding and you can't taste anything you put them together and they are phenomenal.

They're not, and I think they are overpowers it.

I think this is done, my bad.

I think this is completely banquet worthy.

This is not banquet.

We not agree with that.

It's like we've walked around a buffet and an amazing buffet in a beautiful hotel and gone that pudding is incredible, and that is incredible.

I'M going to put them both on my plate.

I love it yeah.

I know you love above they're, both brilliant.

Oh, It's.

The final dish of the day and Robbie is whipping up a romantic chocolate delight dedicated to his wife, pushing nice, the final furlong foreign.

So this next dessert is my Queen of Hearts.

It's a heart-shaped cherry and chocolate layered gateau with cherry gel tempered white chocolate served with a cherry sour cocktail, and it's inspired by John tenniel's.

Illustrations of Alice in Wonderland Robbie previously scored an eight for his dessert.

His highest score of the week, but he's making some changes to try and snag that elusive ten.

So his feedback was that the Cherry Center was just a little bit too cold and I completely agreed yeah just need to get it out of the blast chiller and sprayed with enough time to let it come up to temperature.

Tommy had other advice for you, though, didn't he, he suggested another component part yeah, so I've added a little bit of kirsh into my cherry gel into the center, just to give it more of that black forest gateau kind of feel to it.

Robbie's gato comprises layers of chocolate, mousse Cherry gel chocolate, cake and foyer teen we're away Black Forest gateau, one of the most classic desserts around chocolate and Cherry.

You get that right, it's magic and then Cherry gel and tempering of chocolate.

There's a few areas here where we can see some real sort of skill, I'm trying to Envision what the Alice in Wonderland inspiration is going to look like in terms of the presentation yeah.

This is a real opportunity for the presentation.

Isn't it yeah it's about? 30.

31 right now, you're trying to keep it really thin or yeah as thin as possible.

Mate yeah just make like a edible playing card s.

The molds come out of the freezer, but Robbie is struggling.

Let's go back in then with them right a little bit over time.

My mooses haven't quite Frozen.

Yet in the blast you last I'm gon na give him another five minutes, while he waits for the chocolate Hearts to set Robbie shakes Cherry sour cocktails, you're right Robbie.

My chocolate's stuck right, they haven't come out.

I'M gon na have to uh freeze these and remold them.

Try not to let it totally throw you Robbie.

I know it's really hard.

Yeah Robbie cracks on with his white chocolate playing cards with time already up.

He attempts to salvage the Broken Hearts by shaping them with a cookie cutter.

He dips them in white chocolate and covers them with a red velvet spray they're served alongside the cherry sours and finished with cherry gel kind of hurt to be an effort for Robbie to get something onto the plate.

He feels he can present to the judges.

A little bit of heartbreaking to get them cards back out, please yep, and then we got well at the moment.

You're eight minutes over okay, coming to the passing.

So all right, my dear you ready to sense yeah, let's go service, please all right! Okay, no worries! Thank you.

This is not at all.

I expected no Robbie cheers.

You know.

I have seen some of the top chefs that have been to this kitchen in that position with that blastula.

So it's like a night yeah.

What can you do? What can you do? Mine'S? A slightly malformed, I honestly I'm looking at this and I am going someone's had a nightmare here, yeah I actually without having any clue of.

What's going on in that kitchen, I feel a little bit heartbroken nice Cherry gel.

The application is nice as well, but I'm not getting the gato experience that I thought I would be getting it's kind of split.

The fats have gone from whatever the gato is at the bottom.

The shape is all gone.

How do you find your drink? It's not! The best but like I just like sour tastes, so I could just keep drinking very yeah.

There's no balance in that cocktail at all.

No such a shame, because there are some really nice flavors within the elements, but they're lost within the chaos of anxiety.

That is this dessert.

This is the problem where it catches chefs out so many times with desserts.

If you've got the foundation of something that needs to be Frozen and if you've not got that initial part of it right, then you're always chasing your tail.

It's like one horrible car crash right at the beginning that the continues and continues and continues.

You can't stop apart from put something on a plate that you think, looks nice and send it out and then probably break down in tears.

So it's been a push all day: I've given it.

My all um didn't end the way I would have liked it to.

However, it's been a hell of a ride.

Man, it's been a hell of a competition.

Today was icing on the cake.

We can only hope for the best now.

Hopefully, we've made London in the Southeast, proud all right, let's see what the judges have to say now.

Let's do this.

You too good luck, mate! Thank you! The schools are in welcome chefs.

How are you both doing? I'M good but exhausted, it's been quite the week.

Yeah well done guys getting to the end of the week, and I know from experience how exhausting it is.

So you must be pleased to have got to this point.

We've had some incredibly beautifully balanced dishes, which is why I need to ask who cooked scrambled snake by the lake.

That was me what a dish it was highlight for me: magical rainbow dish of delights, nine out of ten, I scored it was crisp.

It was crunchy.

The textures, the flavors so imbalanced and it was beautiful.

It was an amazing bit of cookery amazing.

Thank you who cooked darkest Peru.

Yes, fantastic dish.

Again, there were so many wonderful elements on that.

The short rib sandwich, I think, was a highlight of the day.

For me, there was so much to enjoy in that dish.

Well done, oh thanks.

Listen, as we didn't know you can tell who cooked which dish we've given our scores to Andy, to add up so the winner for London and the southeast and going through to cook at the National Finals is Avi.

Thank you.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

Thank you for me.

At least two very, very strong dishes there as a first time, competitor incredibly composed cooking, well done well done! Thank you and Abby.

If I can say I give you a starter at 10.

was incredible, and it just shows that you are a flavor magician.

Well, honestly, Robbie well done and listen when it comes to that dessert.

I could tell straight away that it was a car crash.

It was a nightmare going on, but honestly I had exactly the same problem when I competed in a Great British menu.

I honestly felt your pain in there, so I'm really sorry Chief, but you've got Sir George and Chambers are well done for the other Edition and the main course was fantastic.

I appreciate that.

Thank you very much.

Therefore, it's been lovely having you here.

Thank you.

Have you had a good time had a great time, stuffed absolutely stuffed.

I hope you'll join us at the banquet.

I'd love to please do chefs.

Thank you for all your heartfelt effort and your endurance.

In this case.

Absolutely please go.

Take a well-earned rest put your feet up.

Congratulations to you, my love and commiserations to you.

Thank you guys.

Yes, yes did it.

I gave my all and I managed to impress the judges.

So it's been a long week and I'm you know it was totally worth it really disappointed that I didn't deliver on my dessert um.

But you know it's been a great day.

It's been a tiring day, probably deserved by Avi he's been strong all week yeah.

I feel really uh.

You know amazing.

I've come this far.

I definitely want to go to the banquet.

Well, I don't know about the chefs, but I'm exhausted.

I bet I was a proper roller coaster in there because we've had some great dishes.

Some lovely flavors Lots going on Avi took an early lead with his impressive starter.

Robbie scored higher with his much improved main course, but the wheels came off for Robbie with his dessert.

From an Abby's point of view, I mean there's a couple of absolutely banging dishes.

They'Re.

Incredibly, exciting! Well done mate! Congratulations! Thank you! It's been consistent all week, man.

I really hope that you get addition to banquet.

Thank you.

Cheers buddy foreign