Great British Menu Series 8

11213151718109

Comments

  • MishcollMishcoll Posts: 12,795
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Wonder if Aidan will change anything about his dessert tonight
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,535
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Looking forward to tonights but feel the personal connection with Aiden from the judges might make it a bit of a foregone conclusion. Would love to think it wasn't like that but I feel a bit of bias in the air
  • vixyvicvixyvic Posts: 13,438
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    milmol wrote: »
    Looking forward to tonights but feel the personal connection with Aiden from the judges might make it a bit of a foregone conclusion. Would love to think it wasn't like that but I feel a bit of bias in the air
    They are mentioning it quite a lot!
  • vixyvicvixyvic Posts: 13,438
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Baked bean bath looks fun!
  • jonbwfcjonbwfc Posts: 18,050
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Pun overload...
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,535
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    I've been watching this for long enough that it shouldn't annoy me but... AIDEN! LEAVE MARY ELLEN ALONE!!! :eek:
  • ellie-wellieellie-wellie Posts: 293
    Forum Member
    Aiden appears to be winding Mary Ellen up very successfully.
  • vixyvicvixyvic Posts: 13,438
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Oh dear soggy pastry :(
  • jonbwfcjonbwfc Posts: 18,050
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    So they even know what they scored? Not sure about that...
  • MishcollMishcoll Posts: 12,795
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    If Aidan goes through I think this main dish is stiff competition for Michaels main
  • ellie-wellieellie-wellie Posts: 293
    Forum Member
    Not sure I agree with the judges knowing the chefs' daily scores in advance.
  • ellie-wellieellie-wellie Posts: 293
    Forum Member
    They're gonna want Aiden's main course in the final.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,535
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Mary Ellen knows the outcome here I think ;)
  • MishcollMishcoll Posts: 12,795
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    He's going to :cry: either way
  • CherrybomberCherrybomber Posts: 3,743
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    milmol wrote: »
    Looking forward to tonights but feel the personal connection with Aiden from the judges might make it a bit of a foregone conclusion. Would love to think it wasn't like that but I feel a bit of bias in the air
    I think Aidens history was in his favour but I also think he did really 'win' the week.
    vixyvic wrote: »
    Baked bean bath looks fun!
    It looks unappetising but people seem to really like the flavours.
    Aiden appears to be winding Mary Ellen up very successfully.
    He is coming over like a mean school boy.
    Mishcoll wrote: »
    If Aidan goes through I think this main dish is stiff competition for Michaels main
    I think Michaels main was a more rounded meal.
    Not sure I agree with the judges knowing the chefs' daily scores in advance.
    I dont like them knowing the scores or the chefs, I much prefer the blind tasting.
    They're gonna want Aiden's main course in the final.
    Its just beef and baked potato, what am I missing? I really would not like that rack of bones as my plate.
    milmol wrote: »
    Mary Ellen knows the outcome here I think ;)
    She looked as if she knew from the outset, she has been very nice all through this.
    Mishcoll wrote: »
    He's going to :cry: either way

    And still I cant take to him, :(
    I must say that I think, overall his menu was better and more suited to preparing for a banquet so I am not complaining. :)

    Who is up next week and does anyone know when the event is?
  • kingofcakeskingofcakes Posts: 2,948
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    I =Who is up next week and does anyone know when the event is?

    North-East with Colin McGurran (who won the starter last year), Charlie Lakin and Steph Moon.
    Jason Atherton is judging
  • MishcollMishcoll Posts: 12,795
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Jason next week:)
  • ellie-wellieellie-wellie Posts: 293
    Forum Member
    Its just beef and baked potato, what am I missing? I really would not like that rack of bones as my plate.

    I agree. Studying the image of the meal when they were showing the judges' scores (9, 10, 9, 10), I looked just at the food and thought it didn't actually look that much or that fantastic (granted we can't taste it). Its wow factor seems more to be in the presentation. I prefer the look of Michael's main course last week, but felt that it didn't fulfil the brief. Looking forward to the North East's offerings next week.
  • jerseyporterjerseyporter Posts: 2,332
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Aiden is the spit of the dad of someone I used to teach - they're Liverpudlian as well, so maybe he has a brother I never knew about!

    Mary Ellen picked up on her main weakness herself - the comedy brief was lacking in two of her dishes, no matter how well cooked/presented. Like it or not (and I don't) it is the brief this year, and Aiden was closer to that in all aspects.

    I've never really watched this before, so they're all new to me. I know Aiden has been in it before from the commentary, but I don't think they were biased to let him through regardless - he did deserve to go through on balance, though Mary Ellen was a very close second. I also thought Chris was hard done by in the heats - he should have had higher marks overall.

    Sean Rankin, one of our most 'famous' local Michelin-starred chefs did get through to the final one year on this didn't he? He's dined out locally on his treacle tart ever since, as far as I can tell, lol!

    Waiting for the 'south west' heats because they're featuring the 'Kingham Plough' - I grew up in Chipping Norton, which is only 4 miles from Kingham, and my Dad worked in Kingham for years and drank at the Plough when it was 'just' a pub when I was a child (we are talking in the 70s now, lol!) and my best friend lived in the village, so I'm going to get very homesick watching someone from Kingham, despite living in Jersey for half my 45 year long life now, because that area will always be 'home' for me :o:cry: But how the hell they can class Kingham as being in the south west is beyond me when it's only an hour from Birmingham on the M40... but there your are! :confused:
  • Mr_X_123Mr_X_123 Posts: 1,837
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    To be fair Aiden's main looked a killer dish. I'm not sure though quite how he won based on the rest of it.

    I'm not sure why Mary Ellen went so straight with her middle two dishes, that probably cost her.

    That beef though, it did look amazingly tasty and the potato rocks were genius.
  • CherrybomberCherrybomber Posts: 3,743
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    North-East with Colin McGurran (who won the starter last year), Charlie Lakin and Steph Moon.
    Jason Atherton is judging
    Thank you. I think I like Steph
    Mishcoll wrote: »
    Jason next week:)

    I dont think I like him much :(
  • CherrybomberCherrybomber Posts: 3,743
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    I agree. Studying the image of the meal when they were showing the judges' scores (9, 10, 9, 10), I looked just at the food and thought it didn't actually look that much or that fantastic (granted we can't taste it). Its wow factor seems more to be in the presentation. I prefer the look of Michael's main course last week, but felt that it didn't fulfil the brief. Looking forward to the North East's offerings next week.
    I accept it must taste good, for beef and spuds :)
    Mr_X_123 wrote: »
    To be fair Aiden's main looked a killer dish. I'm not sure though quite how he won based on the rest of it.

    I'm not sure why Mary Ellen went so straight with her middle two dishes, that probably cost her.

    That beef though, it did look amazingly tasty and the potato rocks were genius.

    I think Mary Ellen thought her first course was amusing and the rest was supposed to be serious food. She asked on the 2nd day if they both done something funny, as if she thought she's got that out of the way with her bath of beans.

    What makes you think Aidens main is killer, Im bothered that I cant see what makes it so great. :o
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,535
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Mr_X_123 wrote: »
    To be fair Aiden's main looked a killer dish. I'm not sure though quite how he won based on the rest of it.
    I'm not sure why Mary Ellen went so straight with her middle two dishes, that probably cost her.

    That beef though, it did look amazingly tasty and the potato rocks were genius.

    I think they were just so impressed by his main, and none of Mary Ellens dishes "wowed" them enough. I don't know why they don't show us all their scores... I could imagine Aiden's main being mega-scores, his other courses so-so, Mary-Ellen probably mostly 7s or 8s.
  • Mr_X_123Mr_X_123 Posts: 1,837
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    I accept it must taste good, for beef and spuds :)


    I think Mary Ellen thought her first course was amusing and the rest was supposed to be serious food. She asked on the 2nd day if they both done something funny, as if she thought she's got that out of the way with her bath of beans.

    What makes you think Aidens main is killer, Im bothered that I cant see what makes it so great. :o


    I just think his main looked very tasty. And the presentation was clever,

    Ultimately I think what the panel often want is clever twists on quite simple food.
  • oulandyoulandy Posts: 18,242
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Each week's outcome so far has been predictable. Mary Ellen is obviously very accomplished though and a thoroughly nice person. I was surprised that the judges now see the chef's scores. What's the idea? So that they are seen to be more in accord and not look silly, with someone getting a ten for a dish and not getting the same from the panel and not getting through to the banquet, as happened to Aiden last year? It seems they set out to fix that this year. It means that the panel judges are influenced to some degree by the chef's marks, rather than reaching a more independent view. Not saying Aiden didn't deserve to go through. They seem to like that kind of main that has a fairly plain bit of beef on a wooden board. It is annoying, though, not showing us all the panel's marks.
Sign In or Register to comment.