They have ended up with an okay menu. I suppose everyone will be able to find something they liike on it. For me it would be the dessert. I was glad they picked that and not Aktar's which for some reason, the programme kept hyping. His lateness should go against him and in any case Colin's looks scrumptious. Where does he cook so I can go and get some? I thought they would have gone for the table barbecue thing.
Some odd opinions about Emily here. She seemed very admiring of the others' work and to be giving high marks to most other chefs' dishes.
No kitchen to cook in. What a ridiculous place to have a banquet.
I agree, absolutely ridiculous. I switched over to cricket for a while to avoid the usual " will they get it done on time" saga that they seem to want to manufacture every year.
All this will they won't they is stupid. This will have been planned months in advance.
Also, why is Fort, a food critic, acting like a kitchen fitter?
I loved it too! Such an uplifting programme . Plus Colin has one beautiful family!
I'm still convinced he's actually a kindly Squire from a Catherine Cookson book
Enjoyed that, but they really could have dropped some of the faux jeopardy bits (let's build the kitchen right here!) and let us hear from the veterans
I bet the chefs serve more during standard restraunt service
I think it was smaller because they didn't have the dozens of hangers-on they did in previous years! If the Olympics one had just been for Olympians, plus the judges and the winning chefs' partners, I reckon they could have held it in a squash court!
Of course the will they/won't they was completely artificial. I don't believe for one second that they took the chance of having a disaster for the banquet. With all the veterans there, and i suppose, also with the PM being present. But the veterans are more important
So they probably had an army of helpers ready to go at a moment's notice. Nobody with half an brain would say at a production meeting: 'we'll leave everything to the last moment and tell the chefs they have to do everything themselves, including building a brend new kitchen. And if the result is a massive cockup, well ,it's good telly isn't it?' Can you imagine the media trashing if that had happened?
I'm sure everything we saw happened and that the chefs weren't told of any backup plan. But there must have been people ready to help, and probably did. Ther must have been planB, all the way to planZ, which might have been calling for pizzas and ask to arrange the toppings as a Union Jack!
Anyway, i loved it. Anything with real heroes who made possible the live we enjoy today brings a warm emotion in my heart.
All the criticisms i have for the regular shows are forgotten on a night like this. As we've seen with the chefs. No more egos, just respect for the task.
Any ideas for next year's theme? June 16 2015 is the 100th of the foundation of the British Women's Institute. Hum?
Anyone else got any ideas?
I liked the look of the final menu - from day 1 I said Colin would do the pudding and Emily the fish. However I'm still a bit unclear how the main course met the brief or how it encapsulated the 'blitz spirit', other than being a sharing dish. I don't imagine veal was in plentiful supply during the war, and the presentation didn't create the 'story on the plate' the judges were always looking for. Seems a bit unfair to penalise most of the chefs in the heats for a lack of narrative, and then to put a dish through to the final presumably because of the taste.
I don't think Aktar deserved to go through on the basis that he was consistently late. Plus Colin's pudding had a visual impact and a meaning behind it that made it really worthy.
Compared with last year, the banquet was refreshingly straight-forward. Much less faux-panic, no hissy fits from the chefs and far fewer gushing celebrities. It was about the veterans, as it should be, and I did have a lump in my throat watching. The veterans judges were the real stars of this series - they were the ones who made it worth watching.
The chefs did very well and congrats to all involved in making it so special for the veterans.
Could I beg the producers to stop this nonsense year in year out of no proper kitchens for them to cook in?? They are either too small, or too far away from the banquet hall for the food to be hot or whatever. It is not dramatic, it is boring. And adding to the chef's stress instead of just letting them get on with cooking the best food that they can.
Also, watching James having to butcher the veal got me going as well. All this prep they have to do is ridiculous. It is not Masterchef, for gods sake, these are professional chefs. Why could they not have the veal delivered already butchered??
They could just have half an hour for the banquet show and cut out all the nonsense.
I think it was smaller because they didn't have the dozens of hangers-on they did in previous years! I!
They substituted the dozens of hangers-on in the biggest one they could get hold of. The ultimate hanger-on, David Cameron. I couldn´t stand his patronizing behavour when talking to the veterans. I bet some people were thinking... what is this /$&%$ doing here...
I liked the look of the final menu - from day 1 I said Colin would do the pudding and Emily the fish. However I'm still a bit unclear how the main course met the brief or how it encapsulated the 'blitz spirit', other than being a sharing dish
I agree. However it has been the dish most praised during the programme, and on a consistant level at a 10 mark. From judging chef, Cliford, to judges, guest judges, fellow chefs.. It really must taste fantastic.
As for the banquet. I felt it was rather small for the occassion. And although it was aired on the 6th, it must have taken place days before so in a way it loses a bit of sense of occassion.
On the 6th though there has been another banquet in France in the Elysee Palace in order to honour the veterans, british and french with the Queen hosting it. It was on a much larger scale and perhaps had much more sense of occasion. I wonder if the BBC was aware of that and may have affected the number of guests that we saw, that may have been the reason. I wonder how the food was in that banquet though, it probably was a bit more conservative and classical being in France, yet I doubt it tasted as good as the ones cooked from GBM chefs.
Comments
Some odd opinions about Emily here. She seemed very admiring of the others' work and to be giving high marks to most other chefs' dishes.
I agree, absolutely ridiculous. I switched over to cricket for a while to avoid the usual " will they get it done on time" saga that they seem to want to manufacture every year.
I'm with you. I thought Emily was lovely and very kind about the other chefs. She is a star!
I really like her as well, lovely girl
They might as well have held it in an underground station. Pathetic.
Also, why is Fort, a food critic, acting like a kitchen fitter?
From the start of the series, if anyone saw the lack of organisation and everyone flapping about they'd give them a wide birth.
I know it's all done for telly tension but it comes across as amaturish.
Or they could ship in a couple of dozen catering students.
I bet the chefs serve more during standard restraunt service
I loved it too! Such an uplifting programme . Plus Colin has one beautiful family!
I'm still convinced he's actually a kindly Squire from a Catherine Cookson book
Enjoyed that, but they really could have dropped some of the faux jeopardy bits (let's build the kitchen right here!) and let us hear from the veterans
I think it was smaller because they didn't have the dozens of hangers-on they did in previous years! If the Olympics one had just been for Olympians, plus the judges and the winning chefs' partners, I reckon they could have held it in a squash court!
Hah! Not Thomas Mallen then! Yes AK that is it exactly! I can also see him as Rochester!
I didn't see black tights
So they probably had an army of helpers ready to go at a moment's notice. Nobody with half an brain would say at a production meeting: 'we'll leave everything to the last moment and tell the chefs they have to do everything themselves, including building a brend new kitchen. And if the result is a massive cockup, well ,it's good telly isn't it?' Can you imagine the media trashing if that had happened?
I'm sure everything we saw happened and that the chefs weren't told of any backup plan. But there must have been people ready to help, and probably did. Ther must have been planB, all the way to planZ, which might have been calling for pizzas and ask to arrange the toppings as a Union Jack!
Anyway, i loved it. Anything with real heroes who made possible the live we enjoy today brings a warm emotion in my heart.
All the criticisms i have for the regular shows are forgotten on a night like this. As we've seen with the chefs. No more egos, just respect for the task.
Any ideas for next year's theme? June 16 2015 is the 100th of the foundation of the British Women's Institute. Hum?
Anyone else got any ideas?
I don't think Aktar deserved to go through on the basis that he was consistently late. Plus Colin's pudding had a visual impact and a meaning behind it that made it really worthy.
Compared with last year, the banquet was refreshingly straight-forward. Much less faux-panic, no hissy fits from the chefs and far fewer gushing celebrities. It was about the veterans, as it should be, and I did have a lump in my throat watching. The veterans judges were the real stars of this series - they were the ones who made it worth watching.
Could I beg the producers to stop this nonsense year in year out of no proper kitchens for them to cook in?? They are either too small, or too far away from the banquet hall for the food to be hot or whatever. It is not dramatic, it is boring. And adding to the chef's stress instead of just letting them get on with cooking the best food that they can.
Also, watching James having to butcher the veal got me going as well. All this prep they have to do is ridiculous. It is not Masterchef, for gods sake, these are professional chefs. Why could they not have the veal delivered already butchered??
They could just have half an hour for the banquet show and cut out all the nonsense.
They substituted the dozens of hangers-on in the biggest one they could get hold of. The ultimate hanger-on, David Cameron. I couldn´t stand his patronizing behavour when talking to the veterans. I bet some people were thinking... what is this /$&%$ doing here...
I agree. However it has been the dish most praised during the programme, and on a consistant level at a 10 mark. From judging chef, Cliford, to judges, guest judges, fellow chefs.. It really must taste fantastic.
As for the banquet. I felt it was rather small for the occassion. And although it was aired on the 6th, it must have taken place days before so in a way it loses a bit of sense of occassion.
On the 6th though there has been another banquet in France in the Elysee Palace in order to honour the veterans, british and french with the Queen hosting it. It was on a much larger scale and perhaps had much more sense of occasion. I wonder if the BBC was aware of that and may have affected the number of guests that we saw, that may have been the reason. I wonder how the food was in that banquet though, it probably was a bit more conservative and classical being in France, yet I doubt it tasted as good as the ones cooked from GBM chefs.