Why are these chefs doing this to themselves? Adam said he always went for a good taste and because that apparently did not go well, it only got him to the final, in the final he throws it all in the wind and goes for refinement. Well, there you have it. He only has himself to blame. Final is not the right place for strange challenges, for a control freak to become spontaneous. Stick with what you are best at.
Why are these chefs doing this to themselves? Adam said he always went for a good taste and because that apparently did not go well, it only got him to the final, in the final he throws it all in the wind and goes for refinement. Well, there you have it. He only has himself to blame. Final is not the right place for strange challenges, for a control freak to become spontaneous. Stick with what you are best at.
I have to agree. Adam has been heavily featured and promoted on the show so has had a great platform to boost his career. Good luck to him and Scott. I thought Adam was the front-runner but never thought he had it in the bag, despite how his story was edited.
Hopefully (fingers and everything crossed) that's the last of Gregg we will have to ensure on the Professionals. There is no need for him, why are the BBC shelling out on a salary for him when they have cut back and cancelled excellent shows on BBC4:(
I don't get all the consternation about Steven winning.
He was the best on the day................by a long shot.
Adam has had moments of brilliance but his final three dishes were quite flawed. his dessert in particular is the weakest dessert he has plated up in the entire series.
Steven did a similar toffee apple the previous night and it looked way better, much more elements and different flavours.
Adam knew himself he had messed up.
I personally think he got a bit cocky in the last week and thought it was a forgone conclusion that he would win.
I think loosing will be humbling experience for him and strengthen him as a chef. He is extremely talented but I found it interesting that he said the when he started cheffing he was a brat talking back to the head chef etc, That's what I saw in the last few challenges, an inability to take criticism or to adapt.
Scott had a few good dishes throughout but I thought he was the weakest all week and his final menu was uninsipired. His starter was incredibly simple.
All three will go onto great things that is for sure.
What a wonderful series, I too hope they ditch Greg next series or at the very least, only have him in the opening rounds with Monica.
Why are these chefs doing this to themselves? Adam said he always went for a good taste and because that apparently did not go well, it only got him to the final, in the final he throws it all in the wind and goes for refinement. Well, there you have it. He only has himself to blame. Final is not the right place for strange challenges, for a control freak to become spontaneous. Stick with what you are best at.
Yes, I am gutted for Adam but he didn't seem to think through, or execute his final meal adequately.
His 3 courses were a lot more ambitious than S&S, but they just didn't come together at all, particularly on taste. You can tell by the way they edited MRJ's comments, that he considered Adam to be the superior chef but had simply not delivered. His comments about S&S were polite and no more.
I still think that the trip to Hysterical Frankies (or whatever it was called) really threw Adam's way of thinking. His style up until then had been a lot more understated though very skillful, letting the food do the talking as it should be. I am not a 3-Star Michelin chef far from it, but trust me, chucking sauces or pastry on a plate does not improve their flavour or texture.
I hope he is able to rediscover his own true way of cooking and go on to be a British culinary star of the future - he has the talent that is for sure.
Looking over yesterdays comments it seems to me emotion has got the betterment of sense and rational judgement in many of them.
Basically Adam produced cr&p food on the day and lost. All three judges, two expert chefs & one non expert "amateur" gastronome, agreed on the stand out performer on the day. As Gregg mentioned and the other two agreed, there was a clear winner - the decision was easy. This was no marginal decision.
Steven deserved to win - he produced a wonderfully balanced, interesting and fabulously tasting three course meal. What I have noticed about his development is the unique way he has presented and flavoured bland seeming vegetables. Cooking boring vegetables "different ways" to fantastic results. He is even able to cook boring stems of vegetables and add amazing flavour to them.
The way Steven has been able to turn ordinary ingredients into amazing combinations suggests that he will be able to produce great quality food for a reasonable budget. Isn't this what many wanted when they complained about the "bullship" Emperors New Clothes over expensive concept food from Massimo?
I couldn't give a flying pile of crock on what Steven did earlier in the developmental stages of the show (vanilla potatoes - am I bovvered?). That was all part of the learning & development process - he got through the earlier rounds because overall he was better than those he was directly competing against - durgh!
In the semi - final paired round stage - both Adam & Steven produced high quality food - they couldn't be separated by the judges and they were both put through to the final.
In the first round of the final - the improvisation test - Adam was lucky to squeeze through to the final three. Both Steven & Scott produced the better food. Adam's dessert was not balanced.
Both Steven and Scott produced faultless food in the final yesterday - but Steven's dishes were the ones that excelled. It was a SIMPLE choice.
Didn't Adam say in an earlier round that he has only been back cooking for a year after taking a year out travelling the world to gain new culinary experiences? Wasn't it agreed that Adam, although he can produce stunning dishes, had a limited range and maturity that needed developing? Didn't Adam say that he felt he was in a learning and development stage and that in ten years time he was confident he would be a world leading finished article?
Look, all the finalists Adam, Scott and Steven are winners in terms of what they gained from this show - the show as an extremely intense learning experience - competing and sometimes working with exceptionally talented peers, working in the kitchens of brilliant and well established chefs, working with Michel Roux & Monica etc. They have also demonstrated their abilities and their potential to the leading chefs in the UK and elsewhere.
And those that say this show is a pretentious pile of crock and then demand that Gregg Wallace should be scrapped from his own show because he is too "common" - are inconsistent at best and hippocats at worst. I'm sure if their favourite chef had won - then suddenly this show would be seen through more favourable lenses.
Watching the Olympics - the person that wins the Gold medal is not necessarily the person who performed best in the first two rounds. Since the semi-finals Adam has either performed as well as the others or worse. However as already mentioned they have all improved.
Adam said that the most important experience he had on the show was working in Massimo's restaurant. That was the eye-opener for him that he really struggled with. There were many comments on this thread that criticised him for his openness - calling him a pompous emotionally repressed twit. However he did learn from that experience & that experience will make him an even better chef in the future.
Looking over yesterdays comments it seems to me emotion has got the betterment of sense and rational judgement in many of them.
Basically Adam produced cr&p food on the day and lost. All three judges, two expert chefs & one non expert "amateur" gastronome, agreed on the stand out performer on the day. As Gregg mentioned and the other two agreed, there was a clear winner - the decision was easy. This was no marginal decision.
Steven deserved to win - he produced a wonderfully balanced, interesting and fabulously tasting three course meal. What I have noticed about his development is the unique way he has presented and flavoured bland seeming vegetables. Cooking boring vegetables "different ways" to fantastic results. He is even able to cook boring stems of vegetables and add amazing flavour to them.
The way Steven has been able to turn ordinary ingredients into amazing combinations suggests that he will be able to produce great quality food for a reasonable budget. Isn't this what many wanted when they complained about the "bullship" Emperors New Clothes over expensive concept food from Massimo?
Excellent post!
Steven clearly has a magic touch with vegetables, which was great to see, and I think he deserved to win given what he produced on the day.
I agree with many posters that Adam seems to have been the outstanding contestant through the series, and even through most of the final.
However, if I was being charged £60+ for a meal at his high end restaurant ( which must be where he is heading), while I might hope for wow factor food, I would primarily want and expect superbly cooked food.
That his food was the most inventive is not really in doubt, but it seemed clear to me that the other 2 cooked pretty perfect food. Scott was slightly more conservative, as he has been throughout, but Stephen has raised his game and was not far off Adam in terms of appealing plates visually and from the judges reactions, cooked flawless food so was a deserving winner.
Perhaps MRJ looked at each chef as though they were cooking in La Gavroche. If so, then every service is produced under the same pressure as last night, when they knew they had to produce perfect food.
Would MRJ want his diners complaining about the food they are served? Adam's was the only food that would give diners cause for complaint, so even though it was just the final challenge, it was the ultimate test under pressure, and Adam just fell short.
I have no doubt that Adam's natural flair will see him enjoy a great career but he just needs to balance that flair to flawless cooking to be the complete package.
I was amazed at the result. Adam seemed like a winner from the start, but then, during the finals week, Scott began to come up on the rails. I thought Steven was there to make up the numbers! But he came good on the night and deserved his win. I do wonder, though, if it's fair that the final judgement comes down to one meal.
Before the final week Adam was a clear winner ahead of the other two/three, although Stephen getting in the final with him should have been a warning he's a serious contender, too. I think a lot of us wanted Adam to win it. But in first three days Adam kept losing that advantage and finally lost to Stephen. I think there's still a bit of denial there for some of us Stephen has deservedly won, I think. He had the most interesting 'journey', too, even if it is not important in this programme, the result is. He might have won because Adam had decided to experiment at the wrong time, but that's not important either, Stephen did his best and it was good enough.
Would MRJ want his diners complaining about the food they are served? Adam's was the only food that would give diners cause for complaint, so even though it was just the final challenge, it was the ultimate test under pressure, and Adam just fell short.
I think that is an unfair assessment of Adam's final performance.
I don't think anyone would have complained about the quality of Adam's food - it is not as if he got anything technically wrong. It is just that he didn't live up to the high expectations that had been set for him (rightly or wrongly)
It is the problem when you are perceived as the one to beat - your favourite status means that you are only greater scrutiny. And that did appear to be what MRJ was saying (though you can never fully trust an edit...)
Steven peaked at the right time. And if all that matters is the final meal, he was the right winner.
I still want to eat Adam's food more than Steven's or Scott's. That is, for me, what matters. And to that end, thanks to someone providing the info as to where he is currently working, I have book-marked the restaurant and will make a booking for the New Year!
I think that is an unfair assessment of Adam's final performance.
I don't think anyone would have complained about the quality of Adam's food - it is not as if he got anything technically wrong. It is just that he didn't live up to the high expectations that had been set for him (rightly or wrongly)
The terrine was the wrong consistency and slightly unpleasant, The sauce on his main was incredibly bitter, and his dessert was too sweet and lacked texture and contrast, the cake was disappointing.
The terrine was the wrong consistency and slightly unpleasant, The sauce on his main was incredibly bitter, and his dessert was too sweet and lacked texture and contrast, the cake was disappointing.
That is a very selective use of the comments that came last night. MRJ did express reservations - but the others didn't share his concerns about many of those elements.
Food is a matter of taste - and we can't taste those dishes as prepared on that occasion.
I am not saying that Adam's food was flawless - but I think it is wrong to say that it was so bad that people would have complained.
That is a very selective use of the comments that came last night. MRJ did express reservations - but the others didn't share his concerns about many of those elements.
Food is a matter of taste - and we can't taste those dishes as prepared on that occasion.
I am not saying that Adam's food was flawless - but I think it is wrong to say that it was so bad that people would have complained.
You said he did not do anything technically wrong, i was just pointing out the technical issues that MRJ mentioned.
Who said his or anyone else's food was so bad that people would have complained??? ^_^
Adam cocked it up on the night and lost. I'm not sure there's anything more to add. Steven's victory was deserved even if Adam was perhaps the most consistent chef throughout the series. Monica and MRJ were clearly desperate for Adam to win but there was no way they could justify it after the final meals had been tested. Still, a great series, and Monica and MRJ are such fantastic presenters.
Adam cocked it up on the night and lost. I'm not sure there's anything more to add.
Agreed.......however, it does bring me back to the point I made last night. If they're going to have a multi-day final, then surely all sections should be scored and count towards the final decision. (would not make a difference to Adam not winning)
If the producers are determined to continue with the format of the final meal being the ultimate (and only) criteria, then cut out the other days and let's just go straight to the final cook off.
As it stands, the preceding days are a pointless exercise.
I think they were all very evenly matched this year. From the beginning Adam stood out, but in the past week or so for me he waned and started going downhill and last night he lost it for himself. I started finding him more and more arrogant. I was suprised at first it was Steven, but in hindsight he deserves it. But I'm sure all of them will do well on the back of this and I'm sure all of them will have offers of employment.
I think those final rounds are there to give them experiences they would not get elsewhere. Where else could they cook for the crazy Massimo or all those chefs? If something went terribly wrong they would consider it, but at this stage it's not expected.
Agreed.......however, it does bring me back to the point I made last night. If they're going to have a multi-day final, then surely all sections should be scored and count towards the final decision. (would not make a difference to Adam not winning)
If the producers are determined to continue with the format of the final meal being the ultimate (and only) criteria, then cut out the other days and let's just go straight to the final cook off.
As it stands, the preceding days are a pointless exercise.
Absolutely
I liked many of the changes for this year:
The increased use of Monica and MRJ
The decreased use of Mr Wallace - please dispense with his services completely for next year!
The scraps test - a great opportunity to assess skills in a new way
I would like to see more of them being taken out of their comfort zones and exploring different cuisines. It is all well and good focussing on European classics - but there is a lot more out there.
So perhaps reduce the first round tests and give more space for development through the semi-final stages where the chefs are giving more challenges.
Also... where are all the good women? I think it is a matter of regret that there were so few women involved at the competition. Did they not apply? Were those who did apply not of the right standard? It just seems incredible that only about 10% of the competitors were women and none of them progressed. Something the producers need to look at
I have lurked my way through the whole series, always expecting that Adam would be the winner. However it became obvious this week (to me as a diner) that Adam cooked for himself and not for the diner. Hence serving the tiny seafood dish to the chefs with no veg - just because he could. And the mountain of terrine yesterday would have been difficult to eat with just dry bread, no sauce and a few mingy pickles on the side. Perhaps he was more concerned with style over substance, whereas his competitors' dishes looked very moreish and inviting and BIG:D
I was amazed at the result. Adam seemed like a winner from the start, but then, during the finals week, Scott began to come up on the rails. I thought Steven was there to make up the numbers! But he came good on the night and deserved his win. I do wonder, though, if it's fair that the final judgement comes down to one meal.
Doesn't it happen all of that type of series? Even individual programmes seemed to be mainly decided on the final dish / bake / whatever. I seem to remember previous examples where a promising contestant has been eliminated because the judges' favourite did well on the final effort even though making a mess of the first two of the programme.
I was a little disappointed that two of the finalists reprised similar dishes to those they had already made. Scott made another consomme and Adam did another lobster/meat combo.
I did also wonder whether Adam's "heavy" cake was deliberate. I personally think there is a place for both light and airy cakes and dense/moist ones.
My OH spotted very early in the programme that the editing suggested Steven as the winnner and he was correct.
They obviously couldn't find anything negative to say about his dishes (although with Scott it was only the "unneccessary Pommes Anna" that let him down).
At the end of last week I was sure that Adam would win so, in some ways, it made it more interesting when Steven won instead.
I did think that Adam's comment at the end suggesting that he thought it was a two horse race between him and Steven was somewhat disrespectful to Scott but it might well have been taken out of context.
Comments
aww that's a lovely pic, thanks for sharing.
I have to agree. Adam has been heavily featured and promoted on the show so has had a great platform to boost his career. Good luck to him and Scott. I thought Adam was the front-runner but never thought he had it in the bag, despite how his story was edited.
Hopefully (fingers and everything crossed) that's the last of Gregg we will have to ensure on the Professionals. There is no need for him, why are the BBC shelling out on a salary for him when they have cut back and cancelled excellent shows on BBC4:(
He was the best on the day................by a long shot.
Adam has had moments of brilliance but his final three dishes were quite flawed. his dessert in particular is the weakest dessert he has plated up in the entire series.
Steven did a similar toffee apple the previous night and it looked way better, much more elements and different flavours.
Adam knew himself he had messed up.
I personally think he got a bit cocky in the last week and thought it was a forgone conclusion that he would win.
I think loosing will be humbling experience for him and strengthen him as a chef. He is extremely talented but I found it interesting that he said the when he started cheffing he was a brat talking back to the head chef etc, That's what I saw in the last few challenges, an inability to take criticism or to adapt.
Scott had a few good dishes throughout but I thought he was the weakest all week and his final menu was uninsipired. His starter was incredibly simple.
All three will go onto great things that is for sure.
What a wonderful series, I too hope they ditch Greg next series or at the very least, only have him in the opening rounds with Monica.
Yes, I am gutted for Adam but he didn't seem to think through, or execute his final meal adequately.
His 3 courses were a lot more ambitious than S&S, but they just didn't come together at all, particularly on taste. You can tell by the way they edited MRJ's comments, that he considered Adam to be the superior chef but had simply not delivered. His comments about S&S were polite and no more.
I still think that the trip to Hysterical Frankies (or whatever it was called) really threw Adam's way of thinking. His style up until then had been a lot more understated though very skillful, letting the food do the talking as it should be. I am not a 3-Star Michelin chef far from it, but trust me, chucking sauces or pastry on a plate does not improve their flavour or texture.
I hope he is able to rediscover his own true way of cooking and go on to be a British culinary star of the future - he has the talent that is for sure.
Basically Adam produced cr&p food on the day and lost. All three judges, two expert chefs & one non expert "amateur" gastronome, agreed on the stand out performer on the day. As Gregg mentioned and the other two agreed, there was a clear winner - the decision was easy. This was no marginal decision.
Steven deserved to win - he produced a wonderfully balanced, interesting and fabulously tasting three course meal. What I have noticed about his development is the unique way he has presented and flavoured bland seeming vegetables. Cooking boring vegetables "different ways" to fantastic results. He is even able to cook boring stems of vegetables and add amazing flavour to them.
The way Steven has been able to turn ordinary ingredients into amazing combinations suggests that he will be able to produce great quality food for a reasonable budget. Isn't this what many wanted when they complained about the "bullship" Emperors New Clothes over expensive concept food from Massimo?
I couldn't give a flying pile of crock on what Steven did earlier in the developmental stages of the show (vanilla potatoes - am I bovvered?). That was all part of the learning & development process - he got through the earlier rounds because overall he was better than those he was directly competing against - durgh!
In the semi - final paired round stage - both Adam & Steven produced high quality food - they couldn't be separated by the judges and they were both put through to the final.
In the first round of the final - the improvisation test - Adam was lucky to squeeze through to the final three. Both Steven & Scott produced the better food. Adam's dessert was not balanced.
Both Steven and Scott produced faultless food in the final yesterday - but Steven's dishes were the ones that excelled. It was a SIMPLE choice.
Didn't Adam say in an earlier round that he has only been back cooking for a year after taking a year out travelling the world to gain new culinary experiences? Wasn't it agreed that Adam, although he can produce stunning dishes, had a limited range and maturity that needed developing? Didn't Adam say that he felt he was in a learning and development stage and that in ten years time he was confident he would be a world leading finished article?
Look, all the finalists Adam, Scott and Steven are winners in terms of what they gained from this show - the show as an extremely intense learning experience - competing and sometimes working with exceptionally talented peers, working in the kitchens of brilliant and well established chefs, working with Michel Roux & Monica etc. They have also demonstrated their abilities and their potential to the leading chefs in the UK and elsewhere.
And those that say this show is a pretentious pile of crock and then demand that Gregg Wallace should be scrapped from his own show because he is too "common" - are inconsistent at best and hippocats at worst. I'm sure if their favourite chef had won - then suddenly this show would be seen through more favourable lenses.
Watching the Olympics - the person that wins the Gold medal is not necessarily the person who performed best in the first two rounds. Since the semi-finals Adam has either performed as well as the others or worse. However as already mentioned they have all improved.
Adam said that the most important experience he had on the show was working in Massimo's restaurant. That was the eye-opener for him that he really struggled with. There were many comments on this thread that criticised him for his openness - calling him a pompous emotionally repressed twit. However he did learn from that experience & that experience will make him an even better chef in the future.
Excellent post!
Steven clearly has a magic touch with vegetables, which was great to see, and I think he deserved to win given what he produced on the day.
However, if I was being charged £60+ for a meal at his high end restaurant ( which must be where he is heading), while I might hope for wow factor food, I would primarily want and expect superbly cooked food.
That his food was the most inventive is not really in doubt, but it seemed clear to me that the other 2 cooked pretty perfect food. Scott was slightly more conservative, as he has been throughout, but Stephen has raised his game and was not far off Adam in terms of appealing plates visually and from the judges reactions, cooked flawless food so was a deserving winner.
Perhaps MRJ looked at each chef as though they were cooking in La Gavroche. If so, then every service is produced under the same pressure as last night, when they knew they had to produce perfect food.
Would MRJ want his diners complaining about the food they are served? Adam's was the only food that would give diners cause for complaint, so even though it was just the final challenge, it was the ultimate test under pressure, and Adam just fell short.
I have no doubt that Adam's natural flair will see him enjoy a great career but he just needs to balance that flair to flawless cooking to be the complete package.
I think that is an unfair assessment of Adam's final performance.
I don't think anyone would have complained about the quality of Adam's food - it is not as if he got anything technically wrong. It is just that he didn't live up to the high expectations that had been set for him (rightly or wrongly)
It is the problem when you are perceived as the one to beat - your favourite status means that you are only greater scrutiny. And that did appear to be what MRJ was saying (though you can never fully trust an edit...)
Steven peaked at the right time. And if all that matters is the final meal, he was the right winner.
I still want to eat Adam's food more than Steven's or Scott's. That is, for me, what matters. And to that end, thanks to someone providing the info as to where he is currently working, I have book-marked the restaurant and will make a booking for the New Year!
The terrine was the wrong consistency and slightly unpleasant, The sauce on his main was incredibly bitter, and his dessert was too sweet and lacked texture and contrast, the cake was disappointing.
That is a very selective use of the comments that came last night. MRJ did express reservations - but the others didn't share his concerns about many of those elements.
Food is a matter of taste - and we can't taste those dishes as prepared on that occasion.
I am not saying that Adam's food was flawless - but I think it is wrong to say that it was so bad that people would have complained.
You said he did not do anything technically wrong, i was just pointing out the technical issues that MRJ mentioned.
Who said his or anyone else's food was so bad that people would have complained??? ^_^
Thanks for the reply anyway. It's certainly an accent that's easy on the ear.
Agreed.......however, it does bring me back to the point I made last night. If they're going to have a multi-day final, then surely all sections should be scored and count towards the final decision. (would not make a difference to Adam not winning)
If the producers are determined to continue with the format of the final meal being the ultimate (and only) criteria, then cut out the other days and let's just go straight to the final cook off.
As it stands, the preceding days are a pointless exercise.
Absolutely
I liked many of the changes for this year:
The increased use of Monica and MRJ
The decreased use of Mr Wallace - please dispense with his services completely for next year!
The scraps test - a great opportunity to assess skills in a new way
I would like to see more of them being taken out of their comfort zones and exploring different cuisines. It is all well and good focussing on European classics - but there is a lot more out there.
So perhaps reduce the first round tests and give more space for development through the semi-final stages where the chefs are giving more challenges.
Also... where are all the good women? I think it is a matter of regret that there were so few women involved at the competition. Did they not apply? Were those who did apply not of the right standard? It just seems incredible that only about 10% of the competitors were women and none of them progressed. Something the producers need to look at
Doesn't it happen all of that type of series? Even individual programmes seemed to be mainly decided on the final dish / bake / whatever. I seem to remember previous examples where a promising contestant has been eliminated because the judges' favourite did well on the final effort even though making a mess of the first two of the programme.
I did also wonder whether Adam's "heavy" cake was deliberate. I personally think there is a place for both light and airy cakes and dense/moist ones.
My OH spotted very early in the programme that the editing suggested Steven as the winnner and he was correct.
They obviously couldn't find anything negative to say about his dishes (although with Scott it was only the "unneccessary Pommes Anna" that let him down).
At the end of last week I was sure that Adam would win so, in some ways, it made it more interesting when Steven won instead.
I did think that Adam's comment at the end suggesting that he thought it was a two horse race between him and Steven was somewhat disrespectful to Scott but it might well have been taken out of context.