Original subtitles

It's the battle for the South West,

and our two highest-scoring chefs, Nick and Andy, are competing

for a place in the national finals.

With some of Britain's most famous animations

originating from this region,

and an Oscar-winning judge to impress, the stakes are high.

Andi, Andi! Big problem.

I may have accidentally super sized Wallace's cheese.

It could overpower everything.

Oh!

Come with me, Rastamouse, if you want to live!

This week we've seen four of the very best from the South West

battle it out.

Game on, people.

Charlotte left after fish course,

and Amber was pipped to the post at the dessert.

It's chaos in here, so it has to be organised out here.

Now, the two left standing go head-to-head one last time

for a chance to cook at a banquet,

celebrating our success in animation and illustration.

Hello, Bird.

All because this year it's Paddington Bear's 65th birthday.

Newcomer to the competition Andy Tuck wants

to get his paws on the prize.

And returning chef Nick Beardshaw

will be showing his teeth to see if he can snap up the top spot.

That looks incredible, Nick.

Andy's dishes are all cooked over fire,

and celebrate illustrations of the Gruffalo

and the stop-motion craft of Creature Comforts...

My little boy would absolutely love this.

Yeah!

...whilst meticulous Nick is drawing inspiration from a Radio head album

and Banksy, amongst others.

What's he like?!

That's amazing!

Both chefs want top marks from veteran chef Michael O'Hare.

Ten.

I would give you an 11 if I could, but I can't.

Today, they are cooking for the judges with different

palates, but equally exacting standards.

This is genius, really.

So, which one of our talented chefs will be quickest on the draw

and get to finals week for the South West?

Going through to cook at the national finals is...

Nick's on fire at the moment. It's going to be neck and neck.

I'm so honoured to be in the kitchen with that guy.

To beat Andy today, I've got to be on my absolute A-game.

Every course has to be perfect.

Speaking of perfection,

our wonderful lead judge, Tom Kerridge, is Nick's boss.

That counts him out of being in the hot seat today,

but who could possibly replace him?

Our lead judge this week is a chef that competed in the first-ever

Great British Menu competition,

and cooked his dessert at the banquet.

You can't forget the Great British Menu kitchen.

It's ingrained in us.

With too many awards to mention,

and more than 35 years' experience in the hospitality industry,

Marcus Wareing is one of the most successful chefs in the country.

I want to be dazzled.

I want to be shown something new.

I want to have my taste buds dancing with excitement.

That's what I'm going to be looking for.

Hey, chefs! Hi. Hello!

How you doing? Very good.

So, the slate is completely wiped clean,

and you have four new palates to impress.

Now, Nick, because Tom Kerridge is your boss,

we have a special guest judge today.

Marcus Wareing.

O0! 0o!

That's the correct response, I would say.

All right, guys? Thank you. Thank you. Good luck.

I'll see you in a little bit. Thank you. All right.

The chefs will cook six courses each for the judges,

and they'll be tasted blind for fairness.

They're getting ahead with the jobs that require the most time.

Nick's first priority is his starter.

I'm just doing my carrot shells - sheeting my potatoes for that.

We've got loads to do, so I'm cracking on.

He preps the venison loin for his main course -

the centre of his Crocodile Wellington.

Is that heating up over there, Andy? Yeah, mate. Yep.

Meanwhile, Andy, whose dishes all have a fire or smoke element...

Careful!

...is spinning the plates of three courses,

starting with his fish.

I've got my bisque on.

Getting my puree on for my starter.

I've got potatoes to slice for my fondant.

Lots to do, but I'm glad I'm starting cooking.

His prawns go on to the fire for his bisque,

and he adds stock and red wine into the gravy for his main...

...and builds his potato fondant,

adding tallow, which is the rendered beef fat.

While the chefs crack on,

I'm off to meet Marcus.

Hello, hello.

So lovely to have you here! Nice to be here.

Bit full circle in some ways for you.

I've been a cook, I've been a veteran judge,

and now I'm here in the big seat.

And I have to say, you picked an excellent week

because the chefs have just been exceptional.

One of those weeks where you feel emotional in the kitchen.

Oh, really? Yeah!

What do you think about this brief - illustration and animation?

The creativity and the patience of animation

is the thing that you respect the most.

Food is similar

so it just, to me, sounds like a really perfect combination. Yeah.

Frustration being poured out, you know,

with passion and emotion. I completely agree with you,

and that really has happened this week.

I can't wait to get you into that chamber

and bring some opinions out of you... Oh, it won't take long.

Nick is making carrot shells for his starter,

rolling thinly sliced potato around cones,

and frying.

He's also making his carrot royale - a savoury custard -

but this time adding more thickening agent.

Just to make it set that a little bit more.

For his fish course, Nick adds lemongrass to stock and coconut milk

for his Thai-inspired veloute,

and sears the venison loin for his main.

I can never smell if I'm actually burning anything

when you've got your fire - I keep going, "What's burning?!"

Andy is marinating hen-of-the-wood mushrooms for his starter

and makes feuille de brick tartlet cases for his canape.

He blitzes chervil, root celeriac and almond milk

for his puree...

...and preps Penny Bun mushrooms.

So, how are you feeling?

Super excited to cook for Marcus, but a bit nervy, as well.

I mean, it's, you know, you can't get a higher-level guy, can you?

So... Yeah. "hopefully he likes what we put in front of him.

I'm just going to just concentrate on how I cook

throughout the week and, you know, see if my best is good enough.

I think that's the best way, isn't it? just focus on yourself.

You don't see him till the end anyway.

It's going to be an absolute hon our to cook for him. Yeah.

Joining Marcus in the judging hot seats

are our two regular illustrious judges.

One of Britain's most successful restaurateurs, Nisha Katona...

This is an exciting week. It's the South West, and we have two

of the most ambitious, capable chefs.

I'm looking for great produce and incredible flavour.

Ambitious and capable are two words that don't spring to mind

with comedian and hugely popular food podcast host Ed Gamble.

I love him, really!

Very excited that we don't have Tom this week.

Finally, a chance for me to kick back and relax, really enjoy myself.

Lovely to have Marcus in the judges' chamber, as well.

A proper chef with proper pedigree -

and hair.

Hello. Hello!

There's a new face there. Yes, Tom is not here today.

It's me. Ah! They've got rid of him. The BBC got my letters.

I'm sure he'll be back.

We've got him here in spirit, so...

It's so interesting to have you here.

Different voice, different attitude... A bit more professional.

Oh, I think Tom's doing all right. Tom's all right.

Welcome to Great British Menu. Thank you. It's been a long time.

OVEN TIMER BEEPS That you, Andy? Want me to grab anything?

Errn, yeah, please.

Looking good. Thank you.

The canape is the chefs' chance

to make a good first impression on their judges.

Nick cuts pickled apple into rounds

that will go with deep-fried pig's head.

So, I'm dropping pigs' heads...

FAT SIZZLES

Over on the other side of the kitchen,

Andy plates his tartlet cases...

Would you like the fryer turned down? I'm out now.

Yeah, please.

...and deep-fried shallots.

Helping the judges score the dishes this week

is animation royalty.

Winning an Oscar for Peter And The Wolf...

...and a Bafta for her animation Dog,

it's the tremendously talented Suzie Templeton.

Hello. Hi, welcome! Hi.

Take a seat, please. Thank you very much.

Welcome to the Great British Menu. Thank you.

Very excited to have you here.

It's such a pleasure to be here.

Are you ready? Are you hungry?

I am really hungry, actually. Good!

It's going to be an onslaught of good food. OK. We hope!

My advice would be to taste, don't eat,

because you can get very, very full. OK.

That's the best advice you can take.

But if you want to have the most fun, just gobble it all down.

All right, lovely sirs. We have three minutes

to the pass for these canapes. How are we getting on?

All good. Ready in...three?

Yeah, I'll be there.

Are you a big foodie, Suzie? I like my food.

Do you cook? I do cook.

What's your signature dish? Lasagne.

Don't rip anything off...

No, my wife, top drawer - she's great at lasagne.

It's a great meal.

What's the secret to her sauce?

I trained her.

LAUGHTER

You have one minute to the pass, lovelies.

Thank you.

Andy pipes a horseradish creme fraiche into his tart cases.

That your lovely short rib there, Andy?

Yeah. Looks fabulous.

How long will you be, Chef? I'm coming to plate right now.

Nick tops his crispy pig's head

with pickled apple and truffle mayonnaise.

30 seconds.

30 seconds is good for me.

Andy adds shallot rings,

and they both finish with grated truffle.

You are due at the pass now, gentlemen.

Wait...

Ready to send your first dishes?

Yes. Do it!

Like me to get the door? Yes, please.

Happy with those? Yes! Very happy. They look great.

Would you like one? I would love one, yeah.

Here we go.

Do share! Don't be taking it off.

I wasn't intending to.

This one here must be the smoked short rib

with horseradish and truffle.

Let's go for it. Go for it, Suzie.

Very deep flavours, aren't they?

It's beautifully cooked.

Seasoned beautifully well. The truffles are delicious.

The smoke is great, too.

What did you think of that one?

It's very rich, very meaty.

Delicious, kind of wonderful.

And what we've got here, we've got the crispy pig's head.

I was expecting something a bit more...fibrous,

but it was almost like a bechamel texture inside.

It's really good. Very good flavour.

That's the pig's head. It's just all fat.

No of fence to any pigs watching.

But it was that apple that gives you that lovely pop of freshness.

The apple with that...

I've never had anything like that before,

but it was really wonderful.

So, now we have to hold up the one that we liked the best.

I'm going to go apple and pig's head.

I actually think this was probably my favourite,

although I really like that, as well. For me, this one.

There you go. I'm the rebel again.

Is it possible that I can put an oven on steam, Andy?

There you go. Amazing. Thank you very much. All right.

Next up, it's the starter.

This year, our chefs have to make a plant-based dish.

Nick's potato cones and pomme souffle are cooked for his starter,

The Golden Carrot - inspired by Wallace 8; Gromit

and The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit

by Aardman Animations, based in the South West.

It's one of my favourite films.

It was seeing Wallace & Gromit that made me first interested

in animation in the first place. Wow.

So, yeah, it was just kind of all down to

Wallace & Gromit, actually.

What was it that captured your interest?

It's so beautifully made...

Hang in there, Gromit!

...and it's so unique, and it's so funny.

It's probably similar to cooking

in that you've got a whole clay of an animator's energy

going into a few seconds of animation, if you're lucky.

I was thinking as you were talking, a character saying something,

but it's not just coming from the mouth, it's the whole body movement

and what's going on around - the same as a dish.

Yeah. You can't just focus on one point.

You've got to look at the bigger picture,

so there is a similarity,

but I think your world is just a little bit slower than ours!

Yeah. You don't have Marcus screaming at you.

Hurry up! Get the animation on the pass!

Now, you got a seven for this dish.

Yeah. Michael sort of liked parts of it,

didn't like parts of it. Are you making any changes,

or are you sticking to your guns?

Just the Royale being a bit firmer.

Right. I think the fact that it's not a carrot I like...

Yeah. He knew that before he ate it.

Right. So the key difference is, I guess, the element of surprise,

which wasn't there with Michael O'Hare because he knew in advance

what it was going to be.

So let's see what the four new palates make of it.

Nick paints his carrots gold,

and mixes dill and lemon zest into his whipped vegan feta.

Three minutes to the pass, please, Nick. OK.

How's your Royale?

It's got a wobble.

It looks perfect.

He scatters edible soil - made with dehydrated black olives,

panko breadcrumbs and spices - onto his Carrot Royale.

Andy? Can you just gently spread what's on there?

You put on what you want, I'll spread it.

He pipes the vegan feta into pomme souffle and his carrot cones.

You have two minutes to the pass, Chef. Oui.

Do you want me to..."anti-pesto"?

Yes, please.

Andy plates Nick's "anti-pesto" -

a nod to Wallace and Gromit's anti-pest business.

Give it a really good stir before you do it.

Just so it all gets coated in that parsley oil.

It includes celery, capers and apple.

I like the way it slots together like that.

Like a little jigsaw.

I would offer to help, but that's too fiddly for me.

Yeah. If I was you, I wouldn't. They do break.

And you are due at the pass...now.

Let's go.

Service, please.

Yes! Looks stunning, mate. Great!

First full dish off the pass. Feel good?

Yeah. Look great. Yeah, happy.

The Golden Carrot. Crispy fried potato shell

filled with whipped feta, carrot royale,

edible soil, anti-pesto,

and brushed with gold powder.

Here we are.

Do you want to grab yours, Suzie?

Thank you very much.

So, this is the anti-pesto?

It's vegan pesto, so it's called anti-pesto. It's very clever.

Yeah!

It's so light and crispy. It's SO light and crispy.

Really delicious.

Well, what's great and, you know, looking at the theme,

if we hadn't got the card, we'd think about Wallace & Gromit.

We think about that that carrot. You're right, yes.

Which is incredible, to achieve that with potato.

But a carrot.

I mean, this is genius, really.

What is this underneath?

It's a great question.

Carrot Royale. Which is a custard.

MARCUS: It's a set ingredient, set with egg.

Obviously, this is vegan, so it can't be.

So I'm eating this and I'm tasting, you know,

it's almost like it's got egg in it.

Yeah. Because it is beautifully set.

There's a huge amount of skill here.

It's complex, it's detailed, it's light, it's rich.

It's got a lot... It's got a lot of energy.

It's got a lot of vibes. A brilliant start.

With his main and dessert getting top scores earlier in the week,

Andy's under pressure to make the first half of the menu

just as high-scoring.

Hello, Andy. Hello. How are you, darling?

Good, thank you. Michael had some comments, some advice on the dish.

Are you paying him any heed? Definitely.

If Michael O'Hare gives you constructive criticism,

you take it on board.

So I'm going to pull back the chervil puree just a little bit,

more wood sorrel, just to zing it up a bit.

The seasoning on your Penny Buns?

Yeah, so I'm going to put salt over it to get a bit more

oomph into it. And that'll give you more mushroominess too. Yeah.

That's clever. Then I'm going to glaze it

with the birch sap syrup reduction that I do the hen-of-the-woods in.

Sounds like you've absolutely nailed these changes.

His sticky hen-of-the-woods mushrooms

go directly onto the coals,

basting with more birch syrup reduction as he goes.

Yes! That's what I wanted.

He dusts Penny Bun mushrooms in salt

before they get the same treatment.

Ah, they're better.

Oh, you little gem.

So, this is a dish inspired by The Gruffalo,

and what you may get to eat if you are having lunch with him.

Linked to the Gruffalo trails in Cornwall.

I love The Gruffalo.

So a bit of conjecture going on there.

Theme-wise.

Blows it open, really, doesn't it?

It's all about the fungus. Yeah, and just going,

"Cook what you want and say Gruffalo."

Credit to them for that, though.

But it's woodland, isn't it, where The Gruffalo's set?

Ready to plate next...

Oh, the woodland looks fabulous! She does, doesn't she?

...Andy pipes his wild chervil root puree -

only half as much as he did in the week.

OK, Andy, do you need me? Yes, please, chef.

Could you get a spoon, and just put a well

in the middle of the puree, please?

Wood sorrel oil is added into the puree well,

followed by the Penny Bun.

Oh, my goodness.

Look at those babies!

The equally sticky hen-of-the-woods piggyback the Penny Bun.

Three minutes to the pass, Chef. Perfect.

Thank you very much.

Then we've got the pickled girolles.

Deep-fried caribou moss is next.

Then we're going to put the cep tuille on the top.

And it's garnished with wild chervil and wood sorrel.

Andy, they look beautiful.

Right, guys, you need to be careful.

These are hot coals in here, so please go nice and gently.

Service!

She's got Gruffalo hands!

Right? Nice and steady. Thank you very much.

Take your time, guys.

It's like seeing a baby leave.

It is like seeing a baby! Yeah.

You're doing well, you're doing well. I love your gloves!

That's fabulous. Thank you.

Oh, I'm such a fan of Andy's dish.

I really hope the judges appreciate all of that detail.

The smell of the juniper, the beautiful woods.

It's a wonderful thing.

Wow, look at that. Beautiful.

That is proper woodland-floor stuff.

It's quite something when you smile before you even taste it, isn't it?

That's really good.

The chervil puree is really good. Nice and smooth.

Could have clone with just a pinch of salt.

You've got a nice variation of different mushrooms here,

but none of them are really standing out.

I think the hen-of-the-woods was delicious and meaty,

and it had the stickiness that was promised.

Might be because I'm a mushroom fan,

I felt like a child in a toy shop with each bit of that.

The caribou moss that's crispy - I've never had that before,

and it was delicious.

The ember-roasted Penny Bun was meaty, which is one thing,

but the flavour and the way that it's been dealt with,

I thought that was tremendous.

What did you think, Suzie?

SUZIE: I really loved it, actually.

I found it really interesting to sample each different thing.

The fact that one of the waiters had the hairy hands on, as well,

was a lovely touch.

They don't tell them that, you know.

They just apply for a job as a runner,

and next thing you know, they're a waiter wearing hairy hands!

I just think this dish lacks the wow factor.

Lifted the lid - it just lacked a little bit of sharpness for me.

But still, absolutely delicious.

It was delicious.

Suzie, I'm extremely emotional because, for me,

that's like having Brad Pitt in the judges' chamber.

So tell us about the characters.

So this is Peter's grandfather from Peter And The Wolf,

and this is Peter's grandfather's cat.

What are they made from?

Inside, he has a metal skeleton,

which is very finely engineered.

So, if you move his elbow, for example,

it will stay where you put it.

There are scenes in Peter And The Wolf where it's just very still

and you just see his face

and, you know, his eyes tear up,

and things like that. How do you do that?

OK, so I put glycerine in the eye

and you can animate the glycerine because it's really thick

and you can push it around and put it where you want it to be

within the eye.

It's been a long time since Antony Worrall Thompson's

been in the Great British Menu chamber.

Before he gets going on his fish dish,

Nick wraps his venison loin in sausage meat

for his Crocodile Wellington main course...

...and steams.

It's 20 minutes from now.

He preps the top of his album covers with edible film

that will melt when the sauce is poured over,

and then gets to work shucking his scallops.

Hello, my love. Hi!

Are they your scallops? Yes.

Wowzer. They look great, don't they? They're fabulous.

Remind me of the name of your dish.

It's called A Moon Shaped Pool,

and it's based on the Radio head album artwork by Stanley Don wood.

And there was magic.

You've got an eight for this dish.

I thought eight was a little harsh.

OK! I thought... I was really happy with it.

Yeah. It worked beautifully. It looked beautiful, it tasted great.

I think the one comment was that the scallop roe mayonnaise

was perhaps a little lost.

Yeah, so I might just add a little smoke to it,

just to kind of bring it a bit more to the forefront.

Let's hope for the biggie, shall we? Thank you. Let's do it. Good luck.

He makes his black vinegar jelly shapes for the album cover

and blitzes the scallop roe with smoked oil for the mayonnaise,

adding hickory smoke extract.

Do you have any butter, Andy?

I've only got smoked butter over here. OK.

Cooking my scallops, but I just want to give them a good rest.

So it's the first fish dish now.

This is A Moon Shaped Pool -

a Thai-inspired sauce,

hand-dived scallops,

Exmoor caviar, scallop roe mayonnaise,

salty fingers,

finger lime, compressed marinated cucumber,

and black rice vinegar jelly.

I'm really excited about this.

It's rare that we get something that's blatantly Thai inspired,

so I'm very excited to see how they put those ingredients together.

Nick has finished off his scallops in the oven. Coming in.

Give them a nice rest.

He pipes his smoky scallop roe mayonnaise.

Do you want me to stick the salties to the mayo?

Please, and then go in between the cucumber... Yep, sure.

Andy plates salted fingers and the compressed marinated cucumber...

...and Nick slices and plates the scallops.

Happy with the scallops? Yeah, really happy.

Do you need sauce? Not quite yet.

Just keep that nice and hot so it definitely helps the jelly.

Yep.

He pipes on finger lime for added pop.

All right, Chef, we have two minutes to the pass.

How are you getting on? Not too bad, thank you.

Exmoor Caviar sits on top of the scallops.

Mate, this dish is looking stunning.

My favourite dish. I gave it a ten.

It's absolutely amazing.

He plates the jelly onto the edible film sheets

to replicate the album artwork.

You're due at the pass now, Chef.

Thank you.

OK, go for it, Andy.

Andy decants the Thai-inspired veloute.

This sauce smells amazing.

And Nick places the edible album covers on top of the dish.

So, pour all the sauce on, all over the gelatine bit,

and it should fall in there beautifully.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Goodness me.

We've got a little explanation here.

"Stanley Don wood took an experimental approach,

"leaving his canvas outdoors, open to the elements.

"So the wind and the rain impacted and altered the paints.

"This is reflected in the dish, as when the sauce melts the edible

"film, it creates patterns with the residue

"in an organic and unpredictable way."

They've really thought about this.

I agree.

That looked beautiful. Happy.

Really looked gorgeous. Yes, stunning. My favourite dish.

Even more sleek than last time.

It's the judging-day magic!

Look at that. Wow.

Is that a big smile?

It is a big smile!

I think this is absolutely inspired.

That melt-in-the-mouth scallop is to die for,

but the actual Thai flavour is perfectly balanced

so that you do not lose all the other ingredients.

Ancl they're all singing and dancing and working together.

I love the scallop roe mayonnaise, as well.

Oh, it's so delicious.

The tastes are spectacular.

I've got only one criticism.

You're having to sort of go over it to look at it.

Ancl food is visual, as well as about the flavour.

I quite like the leaning over and having to dig in

because you keep finding new things and there's new things to explore.

Is the finger lime the popping one? Yeah.

The little balls. For acidity. That's so lovely!

This is a dish that just keeps giving.

It's little, it's petite, it's precise, it's brilliant.

It's everything you want from, I don't know,

just being a judge on the Great British Menu - it really is.

Andy's working on the bisque for his fish course.

This, my darling... ls a gurnard.

A gurnard. Yeah.

Now, you've got an eight for this dish? Yeah, a little bit upset.

You wanted more? Yeah, I wanted more.

You're a high flyer, aren't you, darling?

So, what were the points? The bisque was a little flat in flavour...

Yeah. I made another bisque with langoustine and lobster stock. Yum.

And then, just using that to just balance my original bisque.

Nice. I'm not going to change the props,

because originally that lobster pot is designed

to go in judging chamber... Straight in, with everything in it.

"Roasted Gurnard, Ocean Dwellers, Ember Roasted Bisque,

"Chive Emulsion and Exmoor Caviar.

"A dish inspired by the book Gully,

"which was written and illustrated by South West author

"and fisherman's friend Jon Cleave."

Here we go. This is the book, here.

Gully. I can't say I'm aware of Gully as a character.

Interesting moustache.

That's based on what you used to look like, isn't it, Marcus?

I've had clays like that, yeah!

Right, gloves.

Andy starts prepping the star of the show,

the gurnard.

It's great for fish soup.

OK. Not generally seen much as a main element of a dish.

I'm curious to see how this is going to sit on the plate

because it's one of those Mediterranean-style flavour fish...

And they're butt ugly, as well.

They're a bit on the ugly side, yes.

Hence the reason that's going in the pot. Yeah.

There it is...

He de-bones, fillets...

...and fuels the fire.

Didn't have this hot enough last time,

so I'm going to get it raging.

His Ocean Dwellers of cockles, clams and mussels are prepped...

...and introduced to the heat.

Get those bubbling.

So, these ones take a little bit longer

because the shell's harder.

I'm just going to get them straight on the coals.

Cockles are de-shelled and pickled...

...and he also removes the shell from the other ocean dwellers

to make them easier to eat.

Do you need anything?

I'm just cooking this fish, mate.

Going to cook it all the way on there this time? Yeah.

How far away are you?

I reckon another two minutes in there.

Yeah.

You have four minutes, Chef.

So, more butter, Andy? Yeah.

Chuck the butter in at the last minute, get it nice and rich.

Is that something that Michael said? Yeah, and that's..

I mean, with the lobster stock, as well, it's absolutely beautiful.

Delicious, really nice.

Really good depth to it.

The gurnard is plated and surrounded by the ocean dwellers.

One minute to the pass, Chef.

Thank you very much.

Exmoor Caviar sits on top of the fish.

And then onto that, our sauce.

The bisque is decanted, and salty fingers plated.

So you're putting the oil in the sauce? Yeah.

When they pour it, it's just going to split out...

So it all sits on the top. Yes. Yeah, exactly.

Happy? Yeah, yeah. Really happy. Really happy.

Put these in here.

Service, please!

Just watch out for Gully - she pecks.

It's presented in a lobster pot with the sounds of the coast.

Oh! Oh, wow. GULL CRIES

Gosh. The smell of the sea.

Yeah.

It's very beautiful, isn't it, in its bowl?

I do quite like the link to the theme, as well.

Having the book here and seeing how the chef's connected it.

And I like Gully. I like the look of Gully.

This does need seasoning.

I just get the feeling the chef's not tasted this.

Sadly, my first mouthful was a very gritty mussel.

I'll persevere because I'm a big, strong boy.

It's a great bisque - it's just seasoning.

Suzie, what do you think? Do you feel it's lacking a bit of salt?

I actually think this is delicious.

Maybe it's the first bisque I've ever had,

but that's really delicate.

I don't need more salt with this.

Really? I get what you're saying.

Making it bisque is...is a beautiful thing to be able to do.

If you get all the ingredients working together,

it starts to come to life.

It's not something that you can finish and just season at the end.

This, for me, doesn't have those flavours,

the seasoning that you need through the process.

It's such a complex soup to make.

It's just not been loved enough.

I love the texture of the gurnard - so meaty.

Mm, it's a great fish.

I enjoyed the cockles.

Special shout out to the cockles. Yep.

I love what this chef has clone with the bisque with the chervil -

visually, that was gorgeous, and also just in terms of the taste,

if you get a spoonful of that, it really does add something.

But I'm having to hunt out satisfaction.

It's rustic, it's rough,

and this is not a banquet dish.

It lacks the wow factor.

While our panel deliberates on their morning's fine dining,

I'm going to catch up with them to see if our regular judges

are being the perfect hosts.

Hello! Hi.

How are you, Suzie? I'm having a great time.

Are they treating you well? They are!

Is this one? Oh, I'm charming!

You are charming. Thank you. Has he tried to eat your food?

Charming and very hungry. That's the problem!

I will do that, sorry. What's the kitchen like?

What are the chefs like now? They're calm.

There's laser-like focus,

but they help each other out at the pass,

they support each other while the other one's doing the dish...

The reason I'm laughing is the Great British Menu kitchen

has without doubt changed. Yes!

When I was here, the chef on the other side

of the cooker was my enemy! Oh, really? And help? Help?!

No chance! Any standout dishes for anybody?

To be honest, it's been pretty good quality so far, I'd say,

but there was one dish that for me absolutely smashed out of the park.

Which one was that standout dish?

The scallop - the Radio head scallop.

On presentation, theming, and then flavour.

There's some lovely flavours, some great combinations,

but there are two dishes - one incredibly beautifully executed,

well, well cooked, beautifully seasoned,

and there's one that's just left a bad taste in my mouth.

Ah! That is a shame.

I really loved the mushroom dish.

You know, The Gruffalo. That big, fat Penny Bun in the middle

with the puree.

SUZIE: I know that you two don't agree with me,

but I really liked the bisque.

Oh, did you? Yeah.

That's not a popular opinion, but I loved it.

You don't have to agree with them! Don't worry about them.

You're the only one who's won an Oscar here, so...

You say whatever you like.

Very true, actually!

I've been practising my Oscar speech.

So it was ten.

Was it a thrilling moment for you?

Oh, well, it was unbelievable, really.

All of us believed that one of the other films had won.

Ancl then, when they called out my name, it was just really surreal.

What was better - winning an Oscar, or being in the Great British

Menu judges' chamber?

It's not over yet!

Yeah, yeah. We'll see.

So far, this is better than the Oscar, but it could go downhill.

I come bearing news from the judges' chamber.

And let me tell you, you boys are splitting that room.

They've all got favourite dishes, and they

come from both of you.

There's a lot of love for the food.

Great! This is good. Wow. Confident?

Yeah, yeah. Super confident. This is my dish.

That's what I like. Nick, feeling good?

Yeah, very good. Crack on, gentlemen.

I'm proud of both of you. It's beautiful. I'll be back soon.

Thank you. Cheers, Andi. See you in a bit.

Andy has his two best dishes to come,

and he's using the tallow his Tomahawks have been aged in

for 60 clays

to cook his onions.

Right, they're going in the oven.

He gets his Tomahawks on the fire,

portions his overnight-cooked swede

and glazes with birch sap syrup.

Andy's dish takes its title

from the words shouted in Aardman Animation's Early Man.

099v 099v 099v!

Oi, oi, oi. It's all happening.

You got a ten for this dish. Yeah.

I'm assuming, therefore, that no changes?

I have changed zero.

This main course is key for all the chefs

that come through this kitchen.

So, to score a ten must have felt good. It's amazing.

It's been seven years of my life just cooking on fire,

perfecting what I do,

and, yeah, it's stunning.

Ultimate validation of that hard work and focus, really. Yeah.

I wish you so much luck. I really, really do. Thank you, Andi.

It's such a beautiful dish.

I can't wait for them to try it. Cheers. Thank you very much.

He substitutes the heart of his onions for beef short rib,

and keeps an eye on his beefjus.

The potato fondant cooked in tallow is ready

and his Tomahawk is constantly being monitored.

So, what's so incredible about Peter and The Wolf, for instance,

is the expressions on the animals.

Were you a big animal lover?

I've always loved animals. I love watching them.

I can watch them all day,

and I love trying to figure out what they're thinking,

what they're doing, what they're feeling.

It's the eyes... Do you remember the eyes on the duck,

and the eyes on the bird?

Don't talk about the duck. It's heartbreaking.

Ancl the eyes in Peter, though.

I wanted them to be the same as the wolf

because I wanted to show that they're the same, actually.

They have this relationship, and they are the same underneath.

Trapped creatures wanting freedom, is that what it is?

I need you to tell me!

Honestly, I watch it every year.

I love it. I think it's absolutely incredible.

Andy's serving first,

and many of his elements have been kept warm and smoking over fire.

The Tomahawks go directly onto the coals to finish

and he quenelles the wild chervil chutney.

Is there anything you need me to do? Yeah. If I give you the veg,

can you put the veg on the plate and I'll carve the meat? Sure thing.

We're going to go swede, onion, potato. Yeah.

Swede there? Yep. Perfect.

Swede is plated.

Onion...

The beef-short-rib-stuffed onion is next,

while Andy carves the Tomahawk,

followed by the potato fondant.

Oh, my gosh. The smell!

Plates can go up, please. Plates can go up.

Right, just be careful, everyone.

Just I'm coming over with hot coals. Thank you.

Andy then positions the Tomahawk over embers

to drive home the Stone Age theme.

Look at that!

And the beefjus is decanted.

OK. Andy. Here we go. Thank you.

Right, service, please.

Thanks very much, guys. Take it steady, please.

Well clone, Andy. Fantastic. Happy? Yeah! Smells incredible.

And we've got a little treat as well. Is that for me?

Snacks!

Wow.

That's a Tomahawk steak!

This is when the blind tasting really falls away

because there's a chef with a definite identity here, isn't there?

Oggy 099v 099v-

No, don't finish that off, OK?

This dish is inspired

by Aardman Animation's Early Man,

where the Stone Age tribe

take on the Bronze Age in a football match.

The food celebrates the method of cooking

that the Stone Age were familiar with - fire.

I think that presentation is brilliant.

Oh, my God. It's just stunning.

I love it.

The rosemary and the fat hitting the coals, and the smell.

It's Stone Age, Flint stone heaven!

Oh, my goodness, I'm so excited, I don't know what to say.

Oh, my goodness me.

For me, the meat is exceptional.

I think the flavour on the meat, it melts in your mouth.

It's got just enough bite.

It's everything I would want from Tomahawk steak.

That onion with the short rib in it is just phenomenal.

For me, it's all exquisite.

But the standout piece is actually the swede.

It's great. Who would have thought?

I'm the son of a fruit and potato merchant.

I've eaten a lot of swede in my life,

but I've never eaten one as good as that.

It just tastes like Christmas and winter

and everything that is of the earth.

It's fantastic.

I absolutely love most of the elements on this.

I'm trying the chervil chutney.

I'm not loving it as much as I hoped I would.

I really feel that it tells the story of the caveman experience.

This is a sublime piece of cookery.

Every single element of this dish has been executed to perfection.

From the onion, the rib inside.

It's been beautifully braised.

It's sticky, it's sweet, it's delicious.

The potato is just like your best roast potatoes

that your nan used to cook for you.

But the beef and the sauce is melt in the mouth.

This is a triumph.

Look at them, they're like cave people.

They are, yeah. They are cave people, look at them! Yeah.

You'd think you've never been fed!

With a lot to live up to,

Nick is making pastry for his Crocodile Wellington,

adding green colouring,

and rolling,

whilst also keeping an eye on his dessert.

Got my pastry to do.

I'm making my cheesecakes for my hearts

to get them frozen,

and then I've got to build my crocodile.

I've got to make it snappy!

Various parts of the crocodile are moulded,

including sausage roll legs,

and the sausage meat-covered venison loin,

which has been wrapped in black pudding,

is ready for the pastry layer.

But, while distracted,

his artichokes and milk for his puree have boiled over.

He'll just have to hope it doesn't affect the taste.

Unflustered, he constructs his crocodile before glazing.

Oh, there she blows.

There she blows.

The jolly green glory that is the crocodile.

What's the most important thing in here?

The cooking of this venison inside?

I think so. All the layers being nice and even and sharp.

That cross-section has got to look beautiful,

as well as from the outside.

Ancl then it's got to eat beautifully as well.

It's not just about getting it to look like a crocodile.

Well, it's taking shape. I wish you so much luck.

Glory be to the green!

Into the oven she goes.

So, this is Savoury Crocodile -

venison loin Wellington

with sausage meat, pistachio, apricot and peppercorn farce,

black pudding, Jerusalem artichoke mash,

hispi cabbage, and gherkin gravy.

Ancl it's inspired by the illustration Quentin Blake drew

for Roald Dahl's 1979 Cook Book of an Edible Crocodile.

Quentin Blake, the absolute legend of children's illustration. Mm.

Gherkin gravy sounds like a Roald Dahl invention as well!

LAUGHTER

Nick blitzes his artichokes with mashed potato and butter.

Yes!

And hispi cabbage is charred.

Thank you very much.

His Crocodile Wellington is done,

and he bastes with a mix of gherkin gravy and colouring.

And eyes of quail's egg and olive are placed in their sockets.

I think it's the eyes that make him come alive.

Cashew nut teeth are stuck on with the puree.

All good? Yeah.

Oh, gravy.

Never smile at a crocodile.

Andy bastes the hispi cabbage in garlic butter.

Wow, this garlic butter smells amazing.

Luckily for you, I can't remember the rest of that song!

You have two minutes, Chef. Oui.

Diced gherkin and gherkin liquor is added to the gravy.

Gherkin gravy? Gherkin gravy.

Best gravy on the planet.

The cabbage is seasoned and plated, and gravy decanted...

Lovely. Thank you.

...and it's served with the artichoke puree.

Here we go. It's beautiful.

Savoury crocodile.

Savoury crocodile. Service!

Service! In a while, crocodile.

Oh, yes! It literally is a crocodile.

I love it. Wow.

That's fabulous. Absolutely love it!

Main course is done, boom! Woohoo! Next!

Would you like a leg? OK!

Look at the cut through on that.

There you go.

Oh, that's beautiful.

Looked amazing.

Green splendour.

I hope they love it.

If they don't love it, I'm going in there!

It's so fun. The whole thing is so fun!

It's a lovely, bouncy stuffing, isn't it?

It's not just an ancillary afterthought.

Every element of it is really wonderful.

Textures, flavours...

I think the idea is great. It's beautifully made.

I'm just struggling a little bit with the quantity of sausage meat,

and black pudding versus the venison.

The venison is slightly lost for me.

Yeah, there's some quantity issues with the venison,

but the venison that you do get is perfectly cooked

and absolutely delicious.

For me, the thing that I love the most on this plate

is actually the cabbage.

Ancl this - is this artichoke?

Jerusalem artichoke.

Those two things for me are sublime.

This is for eating, is that correct?

The pastry is really good.

It is green!

I don't like it. It's not a puff pastry.

It's a type of pastry that is there for the colour,

for the wrapping round.

Ancl so it lacks the lightness, the flakiness.

You need some sunglasses to eat it.

It's just a bit bright for me, but it is a crocodile.

Just to let you know, I'm here as the judge -

I'm having more of a laugh.

These two are like, "Oh, it's green, it's weird."

I'm here for a laugh.

And this... This is fun. It is fun.

People would remember this.

It's pre-dessert time and Andy is making marshmallow,

combining hot sugar, honey and water with egg whites.

Had a bit of an issue with my marshmallow earlier on in the week.

It didn't set in time, so I'm making this extra specially careful

so I don't muck it up.

He pipes it into moulds,

pushes set lemon curd cubes into the centre,

and they go into the freezer.

On the other side of the kitchen, Nick's pannacotta

has come out of the freezer,

and he's prepping his ghostly characters for his pre-dessert

inspired by kids' classic, Trap Door.

How long are you going to be? I'm pretty much ready.

I need at least five. OK.

True to form, Andy brings the pyrotechnics...

Marshmallows are toasting!

...and Nick plates a lime jelly worm onto his pannacotta.

Little ghosty bits are being ghosty.

Andy's secret recipe of smoked rum old-fashioned

is poured into mugs, and, now he's done,

he helps Nick plate.

A meringue in that gap, if you can.

Marzipan monsters follow the skull meringues.

It's due on the pass, please, gentlemen.

Yes.

Put some eyes on the worm, and I'll do the creme fraiche.

And it's placed beneath a trap door.

Service, please.

Beautiful. OK.

Let's go. Yes!

Thank you so much.

So, we've got Yum Yum marshmallows,

which is a marshmallow with a lemon curd centre,

served with smoked rum old-fashioned. Result.

This dish is inspired by Horrid Henry and the episode

when he goes camping and toasts marshmallows in the forest.

That's a lot of marshmallow to eat. Mine's ice cold in the middle.

Is yours the same? Yeah. So it's almost Alaska. Mm.

Mm. Love an old-fashioned.

Can really taste the smoke.

Sweet and lovely. Very good. Mm.

That is delicious. Pre-dessert, that's a big drink to drink.

I didn't realise what this was, actually, and I took a big swig!

Did you? Thought it was a palate cleanser!

Horrid Henry was naughty, wasn't he?

That's naughty. Yeah, that's naughty.

And then we've got the trap door.

Passion fruit pannacotta, meringue,

creme fraiche, lime jelly and marzipan,

inspired by the children's claymation program me Trap Door,

which I love.

Oh!

Oh, I absolutely love that.

That's so good.

I feel like I'm eating it through a toilet seat.

You really get the whole vibe of the cartoon

just by lifting that up.

It doesn't half taste good.

It's fantastic, isn't it? Lovely, isn't it?

And it's really got that citrus zing

that was missing with the first one.

The pannacotta is good. The level of passion fruit is fresh.

That's great fun.

So let's hold up which one we preferred...

Ten minutes ago you had that up! It's been there for a while!

OK, that's unanimous.

So, this is our first dessert proper.

It's If I Have Too Much Chocolate.

It's a chocolate layered bone, smoked ice cream,

hazelnuts, birch sap and wild cherries,

inspired by Pickles the Guide Dog,

a character in animated series Creature Comforts,

made by Aardman Animations,

who loves chocolate so much that she has to stop herself

from eating too much.

You know, if I have too much chocolate, I get a bit fat

and I put on a lot of... I put on a lot of weight!

Love creature Comforts. I love the sound of those ingredients.

Smoked ice cream?

Yes!

One more to go. Come on.

Andy's tempering white chocolate,,

which is the outside layer of his dog bone.

We all good to go on this thing?

Yeah?

He pours his smoked ice cream mix into the machine

and pipes in chocolate feuilletine for the next layer of his bone.

Michael O'Hare absolutely loved this dish. Yup!

You've got a ten for it.

I'm assuming you're not making any changes?

I've just made the shell just like one mil thicker.

I know Michael said he thought the thickness was fine.

Yes. But I'm just going for a bit of safety.

I think I'm quite confident...

Quite confident? Very confident! Very confident!

That's what I want to hear, darling.

Andy pipes a caramel centre into the bones.

FREEZER BUZZER Ice cream? Hell, that's quick.

And his smoky ice cream is done.

Chocolate ganache is next into the bones.

A final layer of feuilletine seals it,

and they go into the blast freezer.

Now, as a student of the program me, I do know that

a couple of series ago, the winning dessert was a chocolate bone.

So, of course, big shoes to fill.

Big shoes to fill.

Can I ask, what is a chocolate bone?

I know a bone is and I know what chocolate is.

Well, imagine one made of the other.

And before you ask, no, I don't mean a chocolate made of bone.

It's the moment of truth for Andy's bones.

Right, this is where I need to concentrate as much as I can.

And they're coming out a lot better than they did midweek.

Oh! No cracks - came out perfectly.

So that's going to sit here, warming up. They're perfect.

Oh! But he doesn't seem to be as happy with his ice cream.

My hands are too warm, and it's melting the ice cream in the bag.

Oh, this freezer...

It freezes, then it doesn't freeze.

My bowls aren't cold enough so the ice cream's sliding everywhere.

So they go into the blast freezer to get the treatment.

Is Andy starting to feel the pressure?

A little bit nervous for dessert,

just because I'm really hot and ice cream is very soft

because obviously I want it to be a little soft serve.

It's literally like there's nothing in it between us.

So I want to get this...perfectly right.

Five minutes to the pass.

The ice cream comes out of the blast freezer

and he drizzles with birch sap syrup.

Nice. Happy?

Cocoa nibs are sprinkled.

This is all about flavour, this dish, so I'm pretty happy with it.

Looks great.

Dried cherries and hazelnuts finish it off.

Service, please.

Thank you.

Oh, Lordy!

Well clone. Thank you. Well clone!

Over to me. One down, one to go.

Thank you so much.

It's a bone.

It's a bone... And a collar!

A dog collar with no dog makes it feel like it's a memorial.

Seeing as I'm only on one visit, can I take that for my dog?

Yeah, of course.

Andy's refined that dish even more.

He's got the setting of his ice cream right,

he's got all the little doggy treats - it looks shiny, beautiful

and sharp.

I'm finding the ice cream just a bit grainy.

It's not smooth. It is grainy.

The bone's deliciously rich,

but I was expecting that crack of the chocolate.

Doesn't feel like it's been tempered properly. It's just a bit soft.

There's no snap, granted, but it is enormous.

It is massive. Yeah, that is a big bone.

I have to say, I couldn't eat all this. I couldn't eat all this.

It's not quite living up to its promise, I think.

I'm not tasting any smoke at all.

You've got rich chocolate, there's like a salted caramel in the centre.

You've got white chocolate, then you've got the ice cream

that's also sweet with the birch as well. Everything's so sweet.

I do love the inside of that bone. It is good.

I think it is really lovely and warming and delicious

and deep in its flavour. I agree.

It's absolutely delicious.

I also like the grainy ice cream.

Yeah. It tastes very home-made.

Like my mum might have made it.

It's a good way of seeing it. Yeah.

We should put your mum through to the Great British Menu banquet.

For the last dish of the day,

meticulous chef Nick pours raspberry and rose puree into his frozen

cheesecake moulds, and places on the salted oat base.

I've got a bit more time now to temper my cheesecakes

than I did last time.

So I'm really hopeful that this time I can get it absolutely perfect.

Despite a slightly frozen cheesecake, Michael O'Hare

scored Nick's dessert nine in the week.

It's just execution on the temperature,

and hopefully it'll be right there.

No frozen middles in the judge's chamber. Exactly, yes.

Never hear the end of it, babe!

No!

Balloon Girl.

A glazed mascarpone, raspberry and rose cheesecake,

blackcurrant pate de fruits,

and a chocolate and raspberry torte.

This dish is inspired by Banksy's Balloon Girl,

and when it was shredded at auction,

then renamed Love in the Bin.

Nick plates his raspberry chocolate torte

into moulds of the girl holding the balloon...

...and his cheesecakes are adorned

with a raspberry and rose mirror glaze.

Very interested to see how the chef has recreated

such an iconic moment that involves quite a lot of movement...

Ancl shredding. ..in a cheesecake.

Channelling his inner Banksy,

Nick sprays his tortes, using a stencil.

Yes! And they're eased from their moulds

with surgeon-like precision.

Sometimes those little ones just need... Steady hands.

OK!

Rice paper topped with popping candy is stuck on with white chocolate

and cut to mimic the art being shredded.

Sorry, I'm going to just spin it a bit.

Yeah. Five minutes, Chef. Yes.

Go down...

Down... OK, that's fine.

Up a bit.

That's it, yep. Thank you.

He floats the cheesecake balloons into their position.

You're happy with the way it looks? Yeah, I'm very happy.

Yeah, it looks amazing.

I'm just going to spend a couple of minutes tidying.

Oh, they look gorgeous!

The balloon string pate de fruits complete the artwork.

OK, shall we do it? Yeah.

Service, please.

Thank you.

Well done! Oh, what a week. Amazing.

Absolutely amazing. Well done! Thank you!

Thank you.

Thank you.

I'm waiting for this to start shredding.

I just want to get my phone out and take a photo!

If it does that to me without even tasting it,

that's pretty impressive.

It's absolutely stunning.

It's beautiful, and the flavours for me are so unexpected.

Even the string is delicious. Mm!

It's amazing.

And then you've got the shredded paper bit at the bottom

with white chocolate popping candy on rice paper.

Yeah. It's good fun.

Got the beautiful raspberries and the rose.

Just cutting through the chocolate torte,

and then the popping candy and the paper. What a fun dessert.

Definitely banquet worthy. Yes.

You could see this at the banquet. You could. It's so playful,

interactive. It's beautiful.

I think my only note would be,

could it be a motorised frame

and the dessert goes through, and it all shreds into a bowl?

That's my only note.

If there's one dish out of today that I think just ticks the box,

it's this one.

Really? To replicate something from a piece of art

and put it into a dish and make it taste good as well as look good,

that's a skill.

That's a skill.

What a week. I mean, we got through it.

Yeah. Cooked the whole menu.

We can both hold our heads up high, whoever it is that goes through.

The judges have scored all the dishes,

and only one chef can go through to represent

the South-West in the finals.

Welcome, chefs, to the judges' chamber. How are you both doing?

Really good, thank you. Yeah, very good.

Chefs, what a fantastic clay.

Great menus, great stories.

I would like to know which one of the two of you cooked...

oggy 099v 099v-

That'll be me.

Outstanding. A ten for me.

Thank you, Chef.

The reason why I gave that dish a ten

is because I look at it and think, what would I do to make it better?

Nothing. Well clone, you.

It means a lot. Thank you very much, Chef.

Who cooked Balloon Girl?

That was me. Absolutely phenomenal.

It rocked us in here.

Every single element lived up to that amazing presentation.

That's exactly what this competition is all about.

You know, two titans like you battling out and producing dishes

with such dazzle and inspiration,

with a skill - you are both immense. Congratulations.

Thank you very much. Thank you.

As we didn't know who cooked which dish,

we've given our scores to Andi to tot up.

So, the winner of the South-West region,

and going through to cook at the national finals is...

TENSE PULSATING MUSIC

...Nick.

Congratulations. Well clone, mate.

Amazing.

Having been here before and got so close,

yeah, I'm absolutely thrilled.

Andy, don't be disheartened.

This is, without a doubt, one of the highest level

cooking competitions. You're certainly one to watch. Keep going.

Thank you. Never give up and make sure we see you back in the kitchen.

There's a lot more to come from me. Promise you. Good.

Nick, I bet you're quite relieved.

I am, in a way, yeah, but I wouldn't have been disappointed had I lost,

because I would have lost to someone so good.

Suzie, thank you for being such a wonderful...

What a pleasure. ..guest. It's been lovely to have you here.

Please come to the banquet.

We'd love to have you as a guest. Of course.

And Marcus, of course, thank you to you.

You've enjoyed being back at Great British Menu? It's been my pleasure.

It's been great to be back.

That banquet, if you get to it, is a very special occasion

and I really enjoyed it.

Guys, thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you very much.

Well done, both of you.

Consolation prize - Marcus Wareing gave me a ten.

I can... I can die a happy man.

It's been such a hard week.

And, you know, I've been through it once before.

Ancl to go through it again and get it over the line,

it feels absolutely fantastic.

I will be back,

and I will bring more fire, more smoke,

and I will get a dish at the banquet.

A great day. Did it feel like coming home? It did!

It was nice to be back.

Food - wow.

Two fabulous chefs.

Absolutely brilliant.

Why do you think it was Nick that triumphed?

I'd say consistency, I think, is what Nick had.

Nick's dessert for me,

I think that dish will be on your banquet.

Nick seems to have won all the courses,

except for that main, because that Oggy Oggy Oggy...

It was a masterpiece. It was beautiful.

Again, it ticked the brief,

and it's just a shame he fell short on some of his other dishes.

But this is a cook to watch.

He'll be back.

Chef! Congratulations. Andy!

Thank you. Mate, it's been an outstanding week.

It's been an absolute pleasure.

I'm so pleased for you. Thank you very much. You deserved it.

You have to get dish to the banquet! I'm gunning for it.

Cheers. Here's to you. Cheers. To the South West.