The correct two went through IMO. I didn't like Simon from the off, as he seemed to prefer style over substance. His addiction to competition cooking put me off too. He strikes me as the sort of person who in his youth would have got all of his scouts badges (in between being bullied), then graduated on to helping out St. John's Ambulance every weekend.
He started off full of it. But I have to say he took that low score of 5 the other day like a man - even though it virtually put him out of the competition. IE he didn't flounce out like a certain other chef!
He was also very gracious in defeat.
I like Nathan but that sweet of his was dire.
I have really enjoyed this week. I hope that Paul's chicken dish gets through to the final. I love chicken and feel that it is always descibed as not being fit for a banquet. (It has never been a main but anyone remember the starter 'Chicken-in-a-bag'? Crispy chicken skin is just so yummy and slightly naughty as we are always told to strip off chicken skin as it is full of fat! I loved the presentation, the wishbones (who doen't love the ritual, and secretly hoping that you win the 'wish), and the oyster even looked edible rather than a gooey mess. Looking forward to the judging tomorrow.
One thing occurs to me - Simon is patently a smart cookie and even though he took his elimination gracefully, you can bet he won't like it one bit. He does have an ego and it will be bruised. Now he knows what the ethos of the competition is, he'll want to come back and succeed.
I think it might be worth a sneaky bet on him getting a dish to the final banquet next year.
It's somethimg out of Jeux Sans Frontières where people dressed in 10 feet foam rubber chefs costumes try to push an inflatable boundary across a football field, whilst balancing a four course meal on their heads. Meanwhile opponents try to knock the meals of the heads with alginated pea purée spheres.
Groundbreaking: Boris Johnson in a pointy helmet is dropped from 30 feet onto the Olympic field. You can't get more Olympic ánd groundbreaking than that.
I look forward to it. And presumably they're all working in a Hay Infusion, having first foraged for all the ingredients on the Docklands Light Railway?
The problem with this show is that very often, a DISH that could have made the banquet is eliminated either on Thursday or Friday, but a MENU with no stand-out dish goes through to the next round.
IMO Simon's dessert could have made the banquet, but his lower scoring earlier curses put it out. Nathan didn't produce a single dish that I can imagine at the banquet, but his average score across the menu was higher.
I dont think simon ever had a chance of getting put through. His dishes were more to the brief than nathan and should have had that reflected in the scoring. On this program it seems like certain chefs are guaranteed good scores and others are not.
I feel like that 5 was purposely awarded to put him out of the competition and let the chefs that are established on GBM to be put through on thursday. Then they try and pretend its all to play for on the thursday. I felt like that when phil howard was put through it seemed like the scores were skewed to let him win
My daughter swims in the National Swimming League. In that league, one of the regions is "East Midlands". It has Cambridge, Peterborough and Lincoln in it :cool:
But then Norwich swim in the London region :eek:
Oh, except that the Norwich B team swims in East Midlands region :eek::eek:
Then again, maybe it’s the way they ‘teach’ geography these days :mad:
I do think it’s Paul FTW.
Awaiting next week with interest... I think we may be in for some twist on Monday... just saying...
Norwich is definitely in East Anglia! So is Morston (Galton Blackiston). But they never have an East Anglia heat in GBM, so East Midlands had to do. But it isn't right to call a heat that includes East Anglia "Central". East Anglia includes the eastern most point in the UK!
Agree, it is Paul's to lose I think.
What is this twist Halloweenbabe? That's the second time you have mentioned it. You are a tease!
After eight weeks of hard-fought culinary excellence, the Great British Menu 2012 enters its final week. The eight winners of the regional heats battle it out for a chance for their dish to be on the final banquet menu, where they will be cooking at a prestigious event hosted by Sir Steve Redgrave at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, with a glittering guest list of British Olympians past and present, including Roger Black, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and Dame Kelly Holmes.
In this programme, the finalists cook their starters, which will be tasted and scored by the Great British Menu judges and veteran judge Richard Corrigan.
But before they get into the kitchen, the finalists face a huge shock as the judges decide not all of the chefs should cook each day. Who will be knocked out of the running for the starter course? And how will the chefs react?
I look forward to it. And presumably they're all working in a Hay Infusion, having first foraged for all the ingredients on the Docklands Light Railway?
Most certainly they will. Nothing better than locally sourced inedibles adorning your frozen liver parfait. And how else do you expect them to elevate the humble mackerel to Mitsjelin-star level?
I like Nathan and Paul..and am glad they have gone through..
However Simon followed the brief that had been given and to be fair all 4 courses were more innovative "looking" than any...obviously can only go off what the chefs say on taste..but I wish there was a wild card as I wo9uld have liked to have seen his dishes at least enter the running..I didnt particuarly take to the guy but even Paul and nathan were astounded by some of his methods..which were spot on for the brief..another judge may have judged differently...as they have raved on and on about innovation and the brief..the one chef that follows it doesnt go through..
I like Nathan and Paul..and am glad they have gone through..
However Simon followed the brief that had been given and to be fair all 4 courses were more innovative "looking" than any...obviously can only go off what the chefs say on taste..but I wish there was a wild card as I wo9uld have liked to have seen his dishes at least enter the running..I didnt particuarly take to the guy but even Paul and nathan were astounded by some of his methods..which were spot on for the brief..another judge may have judged differently...as they have raved on and on about innovation and the brief..the one chef that follows it doesnt go through..
The problem seemed to be that with his first two courses he sacrificed flavour in favour of technique, he admitted himself he wasn't happy with his fish course.
The problem seemed to be that with his first two courses he sacrificed flavour in favour of technique, he admitted himself he wasn't happy with his fish course.
Shame really because he used techniques most had never seen before..if the flavour had been there he could have done well.
I wondered that too. I think it should have been a 5. And I think Simon should have been a 10 - to be on a par with other scores this week.
Totally agree but it was never going to happen. Simon smashed the pudding round but half failed in the other three so I can kind of see and respect Tom's decision not to award those scores and send Simon though.
One thing occurs to me - Simon is patently a smart cookie and even though he took his elimination gracefully, you can bet he won't like it one bit. He does have an ego and it will be bruised. Now he knows what the ethos of the competition is, he'll want to come back and succeed.
I think it might be worth a sneaky bet on him getting a dish to the final banquet next year.
Yes definitely. I'd be very surprised if he didn't enter and equally surprised if he didn't do well.
Totally agree but it was never going to happen. Simon smashed the pudding round but half failed in the other three so I can kind of see and respect Tom's decision not to award those scores and send Simon though.
Much as I loved the look and idea of Simon's pudding, Nathan had beaten him in 3 out of 4 dishes and did deserve to go through
Much as I loved the look and idea of Simon's pudding, Nathan had beaten him in 3 out of 4 dishes and did deserve to go through
It's interesting, isn't it, that if they 2 film 2 courses a day that Simon's starter and fish were so off the mark but then his main and pud seemed so much better.
I was afeared for an he who must not be named moment but he just seemed to realise and accept he was the one who had misjudged what was expected and just tried to make a better showing for the dishes he had left.
He went through because his food was good and didn't rely on gimmicks to make it acceptable.
Which every chef, maybe apart from Terry, did. But some of them also tried new techniques, flavour combinations and presentation to try to give something different to the banquet rather than restaurant style dishes.
Norwich is definitely in East Anglia! So is Morston (Galton Blackiston). But they never have an East Anglia heat in GBM, so East Midlands had to do. But it isn't right to call a heat that includes East Anglia "Central". East Anglia includes the eastern most point in the UK!
Agree, it is Paul's to lose I think.
What is this twist Halloweenbabe? That's the second time you have mentioned it. You are a tease!
In the first two series the region was Midlands and the East of England.
Comments
He was also very gracious in defeat.
I like Nathan but that sweet of his was dire.
I wondered that too. I think it should have been a 5. And I think Simon should have been a 10 - to be on a par with other scores this week.
And that was never going to happen.
Chessie
I think it might be worth a sneaky bet on him getting a dish to the final banquet next year.
I look forward to it. And presumably they're all working in a Hay Infusion, having first foraged for all the ingredients on the Docklands Light Railway?
IMO Simon's dessert could have made the banquet, but his lower scoring earlier curses put it out. Nathan didn't produce a single dish that I can imagine at the banquet, but his average score across the menu was higher.
Norwich is definitely in East Anglia! So is Morston (Galton Blackiston). But they never have an East Anglia heat in GBM, so East Midlands had to do. But it isn't right to call a heat that includes East Anglia "Central". East Anglia includes the eastern most point in the UK!
Agree, it is Paul's to lose I think.
What is this twist Halloweenbabe? That's the second time you have mentioned it. You are a tease!
I've put the link and info in spoilers just in case anyone wants to be surprised
Wow! Thanks for that Mindyann.
Most certainly they will. Nothing better than locally sourced inedibles adorning your frozen liver parfait. And how else do you expect them to elevate the humble mackerel to Mitsjelin-star level?
BTW : Starts at 7pm and runs for an hour... PVRs at the ready
And starts tonight at 8pm (I think, check your EPGs)
Surely you mean there might be some friendly banter. :rolleyes:;)
However Simon followed the brief that had been given and to be fair all 4 courses were more innovative "looking" than any...obviously can only go off what the chefs say on taste..but I wish there was a wild card as I wo9uld have liked to have seen his dishes at least enter the running..I didnt particuarly take to the guy but even Paul and nathan were astounded by some of his methods..which were spot on for the brief..another judge may have judged differently...as they have raved on and on about innovation and the brief..the one chef that follows it doesnt go through..
The problem seemed to be that with his first two courses he sacrificed flavour in favour of technique, he admitted himself he wasn't happy with his fish course.
Shame really because he used techniques most had never seen before..if the flavour had been there he could have done well.
Totally agree but it was never going to happen. Simon smashed the pudding round but half failed in the other three so I can kind of see and respect Tom's decision not to award those scores and send Simon though.
Much as I loved the look and idea of Simon's pudding, Nathan had beaten him in 3 out of 4 dishes and did deserve to go through
It's interesting, isn't it, that if they 2 film 2 courses a day that Simon's starter and fish were so off the mark but then his main and pud seemed so much better.
I was afeared for an he who must not be named