I think as others have said the overall brief can suit some chefs more than others. Last year's theme was essentially 'street / party food' which sat very well with Aktar's self-taught style of cuisine. However this year's 'pushing the boundaries' brief will most likely favour chef's with a high level of technical ability such as AM last week and obviously DC this week is absolutely inspired.
I think unless he has some sort of disaster on Friday then its going to be more of a case which of his dishes will go to the banquet rather than whether DC will?!
I think you're spot on, Aktar is floundering badly and has missed the brief completely, he's not doing anything different, I'm sure it tates lovely, but he's doing what he always does. DC is on fire - really hope his chicken dish makes it through (so far, obviously loads of weeks to go and I do wonder about producing 100 odd on the day), also really hope some kind soul will deliver it to my office for lunch today.
It's only when you go through them all that you start remembering things
The first one I remember watching was series 3 at the Gherkin with Heston Blumenthal.
Here are a few records as such:
Chefs to cook for at least 2 banquets:
Richard Corrigan (s1 and s2)
Glyn Purnell (s3 and s4)
Kenny Atkinson (s4 and s5)
Tom Kerridge (s5 and s6)
^^ all of them cooked at 2 banquets, and all were back-to-back banquets as well.
Chefs to cook 2 courses for the same banquet:
Mark Hix (s2)
Jason Atherton (s3)
Chefs chosen to cook for the banquet on first attempt:
Richard Corrigan (s1)
Bryn Williams (s1)
Nick Nairn (s1)
Marcus Wareing (s1)
Sat Bains (s2)
Mark Hix (s2)
Jason Atherton (s3)
Stephen Terry (s3)
Glyn Purnell (s3)
Kenny Atkinson (s4)
Sean Rankin (s4)
Lisa Allen (s5)
Tom Kerridge (s5)
Niall McKena (s5)
Chris Fearon (s6)
Aktar Islam (s6)
Paul Ainsworth (s6)
So there's at least 2 people every year who go on to cook at the banquet during their first time as a competitor. That's pretty good imo.
Worst Chef ever to appear on GBM? My vote would go to Anthony Worral Thompson, who horribly burnt his main course in the first series. Quite a few chefs from that series seemed to be those who had done a lot of Tv work beforehand.
I liked that in the 2nd series the winners from the previous years heats all came back to defend their titles.
All three chefs are determined to knock out their rivals in the race to the banquet. Here it is the final chance to impress the veteran with their dessert dishes - whipped sea buckthorn with meringue and crispy rice, raspberry and tarragon roulade with cookie dough and tarragon oil, and dark chocolate with raspberry jelly and raspberry sorbet
...I think unless he has some sort of disaster on Friday then its going to be more of a case which of his dishes will go to the banquet rather than whether DC will?!
Even if DC didn't turn up he'd still go through ! Don't think we've ever had such a lead...
I DO think his dish was very interesting... and suitably gastronomic... but it is still chicken... Wouldn't it have seemed a bit more posh I mean gold medally if he used duck or game... But then maybe I'm missing the point here in that *fanfare* he is elevating the humble chicken into something... yadda yadda yadda. Except that his chicken weren't THAT humble as he'd "spent months" :rolleyes: tasting and choosing exactly the right free-range chook.... Would he get the same result if he's used the waterlogged chickens you get in yer cheapie supermarket :rolleyes:
For the first series, as each chef won a course, they were prevented from having a winning dish in a subsequent course. As this was changed from Series 2 onwards, I suspect there had been complaints from the GBP about the unfairness of that ruling... which is good coz Hix certainly produced two corkers... just loved his jelly ring thingie...
From S3, unsure why chefs were not defending their titles maybe simple unavailability or may have been the introduction of the 'mentor' situation. Maybe mentor-judges were introduced coz (a) it allowed THREE battling chefs and (b) no burnt dishes (yes AWT I mean you... can't stand 'im) and general other disasters are less likely to be put before the Friday judges.
I DO wonder sometimes why they have never changed the Friday judges... although latterly they have allowed the mentor-judge into the judging chamber too. Not that I'm complaining as I like them all but there must be other food critics they could use... and no I don't mean nick one from MasterChef team Although if Jay wandered in I wouldn't complain
For the first series, as each chef won a course, they were prevented from having a winning dish in a subsequent course. As this was changed from Series 2 onwards, I suspect there had been complaints from the GBP about the unfairness of that ruling... which is good coz Hix certainly produced two corkers... just loved his jelly ring thingie...
From S3, unsure why chefs were not defending their titles maybe simple unavailability or may have been the introduction of the 'mentor' situation. Maybe mentor-judges were introduced coz (a) it allowed THREE battling chefs and (b) no burnt dishes (yes AWT I mean you... can't stand 'im) and general other disasters are less likely to be put before the Friday judges.
I DO wonder sometimes why they have never changed the Friday judges... although latterly they have allowed the mentor-judge into the judging chamber too. Not that I'm complaining as I like them all but there must be other food critics they could use... and no I don't mean nick one from MasterChef team Although if Jay wandered in I wouldn't complain
BIB1: This was on the Wikipedia page that I found all the stuff from so I did already know this but thanks anyway.
I think the guys from series 1 and 2 were more the "TV chef" types (pretty sure I've seen most if not all of them on Saturday Kitchen at some point, and of course Simon Rimmer on Sunday Brunch) - so maybe they intro'd the mentors as a way to get new chefs coming through? I think if they do do another series after this one (which I doubt, but maybe do something for the younger royals) then there should be another shake-up of sorts - from this year's crop a lot of them are former competitors or competed/won last year. There should be a limit on how many times you can enter imo.
I think the judges shouldn't be changed because we associate GBM with those judges, however, maybe have some other food critics in for the national finals?
Worst Chef ever to appear on GBM? My vote would go to Anthony Worral Thompson, who horribly burnt his main course in the first series. Quite a few chefs from that series seemed to be those who had done a lot of Tv work beforehand.
Agreed - AWT treated like Ready Steady Cook and didn't really bother - it was funny to watch him fail.
Other awards go to:
Most smug - Richard Corrigan - who won the title twice when all he did was poach salmon
Most petulant - a tie between Galton Blackiston and Gary Rhodes
Biggest miscarriage of justice - Atul Kochhar - back in the days when the public voted - and they didn't want a foreigner.
Cook I would most want to keep at home - many, many to choose from but I think the winner is.... Tom Kerridge
I DO wonder sometimes why they have never changed the Friday judges... although latterly they have allowed the mentor-judge into the judging chamber too. Not that I'm complaining as I like them all but there must be other food critics they could use... and no I don't mean nick one from MasterChef team Although if Jay wandered in I wouldn't complain
I always thought that they should have changed or added to the judging panel.
I'm glad they brought the chef into judging as it gives a different perspective but you still have restaurant owners/critics/chefs deciding what people in a steet party or the armed forces or an athlete what is best.
I think they should have a judge from the specialised area of the brief.
I think as others have said the overall brief can suit some chefs more than others. Last year's theme was essentially 'street / party food' which sat very well with Aktar's self-taught style of cuisine. However this year's 'pushing the boundaries' brief will most likely favour chef's with a high level of technical ability such as AM last week and obviously DC this week is absolutely inspired.
I think unless he has some sort of disaster on Friday then its going to be more of a case which of his dishes will go to the banquet rather than whether DC will?!
I've just seen from the website link posted by degsy that Daniel Clifford didn't compete last year.
I think you're spot on, Aktar is floundering badly and has missed the brief completely, he's not doing anything different, I'm sure it tates lovely, but he's doing what he always does. DC is on fire - really hope his chicken dish makes it through (so far, obviously loads of weeks to go and I do wonder about producing 100 odd on the day), also really hope some kind soul will deliver it to my office for lunch today.
Do like Paul and his dishes as well.
I don't think Aktar missed the brief. He seems to have the same ideas and the same sort of trendy ingredients the others have used. Unfortunately for him, he doesn't do this style of cooking/food on a daily basis. So, he is out of his depth which is why he is failing.
Worst Chef ever to appear on GBM? My vote would go to Anthony Worral Thompson, who horribly burnt his main course in the first series. Quite a few chefs from that series seemed to be those who had done a lot of Tv work beforehand.
I liked that in the 2nd series the winners from the previous years heats all came back to defend their titles.
Probably the only way they could get it on air and get people to watch it.
Always love the dessert round. DC's pud DID look stunning.
Do wish they'd all stop banging on about technique. Who on earth chooses something to eat based on that (well maybe if you're eating at The Fat Duck . In a restaurant you may have a piccie (though usually not), but choose based on the combo of flavours you'll get on the plate!
Bugger the editorial bods. Always like to hear some Friday-judges sound bites and try to figure out which dish they're talking about... but they've just showed Prue being... erm... negative... about something when you could see a readily-identifiable plate... Cretins :(:(
I hate the way the viewing public are treated as though... we cannot follow a story so have to be told what's going to happen before the prog starts, told before and after adverts what's coming up as though we have the attention span of a gnat... and anything, anything at all that gives the game away
I don't think Aktar missed the brief. He seems to have the same ideas and the same sort of trendy ingredients the others have used. Unfortunately for him, he doesn't do this style of cooking/food on a daily basis. So, he is out of his depth which is why he is failing.
Yeah, I agree.
And it was a great effort for the dessert, I kept hoping he could pull it off because it looked great, but alas he didn't get it quite right.
Always love the dessert round. DC's pud DID look stunning.
Do wish they'd all stop banging on about technique. Who on earth chooses something to eat based on that (well maybe if you're eating at The Fat Duck . In a restaurant you may have a piccie (though usually not), but choose based on the combo of flavours you'll get on the plate!
I think technique is very important to this year's competition. An as a diner you can appreciate the technique of the chef when its served on a plate to you! I love going to a good restaurant and getting a fancy, beautiful looking dish and thinking I could never in a million years produce something as good as that.
I don't think Aktar missed the brief. He seems to have the same ideas and the same sort of trendy ingredients the others have used. Unfortunately for him, he doesn't do this style of cooking/food on a daily basis. So, he is out of his depth which is why he is failing.
Yeah, I mentioned earlier that I didn't think the brief suited Aktar in terms of his style and experience, not that he misread it. He's done his best though - his pudding would have been excellent if executed better.
Wonder if the BBC will still try to ham-up the tension tonight?
Agreed - AWT treated like Ready Steady Cook and didn't really bother - it was funny to watch him fail.
Other awards go to:
Most smug - Richard Corrigan - who won the title twice when all he did was poach salmon
Most petulant - a tie between Galton Blackiston and Gary Rhodes
Biggest miscarriage of justice - Atul Kochhar - back in the days when the public voted - and they didn't want a foreigner.
Cook I would most want to keep at home - many, many to choose from but I think the winner is.... Tom Kerridge
Most self-righteous and smug - Chris Horridge.
Person who should back away from Twitter - Johnny Mountain.
Always love the dessert round. DC's pud DID look stunning.
Do wish they'd all stop banging on about technique. Who on earth chooses something to eat based on that (well maybe if you're eating at The Fat Duck . In a restaurant you may have a piccie (though usually not), but choose based on the combo of flavours you'll get on the plate!
Bugger the editorial bods. Always like to hear some Friday-judges sound bites and try to figure out which dish they're talking about... but they've just showed Prue being... erm... negative... about something when you could see a readily-identifiable plate... Cretins :(:(
I hate the way the viewing public are treated as though... we cannot follow a story so have to be told what's going to happen before the prog starts, told before and after adverts what's coming up as though we have the attention span of a gnat... and anything, anything at all that gives the game away
And breathe....
*HB goes off to find some consoling chocolate*
With a sprinkling of black olive dust and and a chilli smear
Totally agree with you about the editing.
I am also getting heartily sick of podium place/gold medal winning and any variation of 'excellence'. And we're only 2 regions down
I am also getting heartily sick of podium place/gold medal winning and any variation of 'excellence'. And we're only 2 regions down
... and if [when? ] anyone mentions 'ground breaking' and pushing the sodding boundaries again I shall be sorely tempted to chuck something at the TV. :mad:
... and if [when? ] anyone mentions 'ground breaking' and pushing the sodding boundaries again I shall be sorely tempted to chuck something at the TV. :mad:
Ive taken to putting the remote out of reach during the programme I'm dreading Richard Corrigan being the judge, he's such an old ham anyway it's going to be horrendous
Have to say, I'd have demolished DC's entire menu in a heartbeat
Thought I'd bump this thread. Its on soon everywhere apart from BBC 2 Wales. We get sport again. I didn't see it in the listings for over the weekend either. So i-player for me tomorrow me thinks or spoilers on here.
Comments
I think you're spot on, Aktar is floundering badly and has missed the brief completely, he's not doing anything different, I'm sure it tates lovely, but he's doing what he always does. DC is on fire - really hope his chicken dish makes it through (so far, obviously loads of weeks to go and I do wonder about producing 100 odd on the day), also really hope some kind soul will deliver it to my office for lunch today.
Do like Paul and his dishes as well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_British_Menu
It's only when you go through them all that you start remembering things
The first one I remember watching was series 3 at the Gherkin with Heston Blumenthal.
Here are a few records as such:
Chefs to cook for at least 2 banquets:
Richard Corrigan (s1 and s2)
Glyn Purnell (s3 and s4)
Kenny Atkinson (s4 and s5)
Tom Kerridge (s5 and s6)
^^ all of them cooked at 2 banquets, and all were back-to-back banquets as well.
Chefs to cook 2 courses for the same banquet:
Mark Hix (s2)
Jason Atherton (s3)
Chefs chosen to cook for the banquet on first attempt:
Richard Corrigan (s1)
Bryn Williams (s1)
Nick Nairn (s1)
Marcus Wareing (s1)
Sat Bains (s2)
Mark Hix (s2)
Jason Atherton (s3)
Stephen Terry (s3)
Glyn Purnell (s3)
Kenny Atkinson (s4)
Sean Rankin (s4)
Lisa Allen (s5)
Tom Kerridge (s5)
Niall McKena (s5)
Chris Fearon (s6)
Aktar Islam (s6)
Paul Ainsworth (s6)
So there's at least 2 people every year who go on to cook at the banquet during their first time as a competitor. That's pretty good imo.
I liked that in the 2nd series the winners from the previous years heats all came back to defend their titles.
Today's dishes
You beat me to it. (No probs mate).
Oh dear... someone hasn't watched the previous serieseses have they :eek: Meringue and sea buckthorn... dearie me...
Other than that... worth a watch I'd say.
Even if DC didn't turn up he'd still go through ! Don't think we've ever had such a lead...
I DO think his dish was very interesting... and suitably gastronomic... but it is still chicken... Wouldn't it have seemed a bit more posh I mean gold medally if he used duck or game... But then maybe I'm missing the point here in that *fanfare* he is elevating the humble chicken into something... yadda yadda yadda. Except that his chicken weren't THAT humble as he'd "spent months" :rolleyes: tasting and choosing exactly the right free-range chook.... Would he get the same result if he's used the waterlogged chickens you get in yer cheapie supermarket :rolleyes:
For the first series, as each chef won a course, they were prevented from having a winning dish in a subsequent course. As this was changed from Series 2 onwards, I suspect there had been complaints from the GBP about the unfairness of that ruling... which is good coz Hix certainly produced two corkers... just loved his jelly ring thingie...
From S3, unsure why chefs were not defending their titles maybe simple unavailability or may have been the introduction of the 'mentor' situation. Maybe mentor-judges were introduced coz (a) it allowed THREE battling chefs and (b) no burnt dishes (yes AWT I mean you... can't stand 'im) and general other disasters are less likely to be put before the Friday judges.
I DO wonder sometimes why they have never changed the Friday judges... although latterly they have allowed the mentor-judge into the judging chamber too. Not that I'm complaining as I like them all but there must be other food critics they could use... and no I don't mean nick one from MasterChef team
BIB1: This was on the Wikipedia page that I found all the stuff from
I think the guys from series 1 and 2 were more the "TV chef" types (pretty sure I've seen most if not all of them on Saturday Kitchen at some point, and of course Simon Rimmer on Sunday Brunch) - so maybe they intro'd the mentors as a way to get new chefs coming through? I think if they do do another series after this one (which I doubt, but maybe do something for the younger royals) then there should be another shake-up of sorts - from this year's crop a lot of them are former competitors or competed/won last year. There should be a limit on how many times you can enter imo.
I think the judges shouldn't be changed because we associate GBM with those judges, however, maybe have some other food critics in for the national finals?
Agreed - AWT treated like Ready Steady Cook and didn't really bother - it was funny to watch him fail.
Other awards go to:
Most smug - Richard Corrigan - who won the title twice when all he did was poach salmon
Most petulant - a tie between Galton Blackiston and Gary Rhodes
Biggest miscarriage of justice - Atul Kochhar - back in the days when the public voted - and they didn't want a foreigner.
Cook I would most want to keep at home - many, many to choose from but I think the winner is.... Tom Kerridge
I'm glad they brought the chef into judging as it gives a different perspective but you still have restaurant owners/critics/chefs deciding what people in a steet party or the armed forces or an athlete what is best.
I think they should have a judge from the specialised area of the brief.
I've just seen from the website link posted by degsy that Daniel Clifford didn't compete last year.
I don't think Aktar missed the brief. He seems to have the same ideas and the same sort of trendy ingredients the others have used. Unfortunately for him, he doesn't do this style of cooking/food on a daily basis. So, he is out of his depth which is why he is failing.
Probably the only way they could get it on air and get people to watch it.
Do wish they'd all stop banging on about technique. Who on earth chooses something to eat based on that (well maybe if you're eating at The Fat Duck
Bugger the editorial bods. Always like to hear some Friday-judges sound bites and try to figure out which dish they're talking about... but they've just showed Prue being... erm... negative... about something when you could see a readily-identifiable plate...
I hate the way the viewing public are treated as though... we cannot follow a story so have to be told what's going to happen before the prog starts, told before and after adverts what's coming up as though we have the attention span of a gnat... and anything, anything at all that gives the game away
And breathe....
*HB goes off to find some consoling chocolate*
Yeah, I agree.
And it was a great effort for the dessert, I kept hoping he could pull it off because it looked great, but alas he didn't get it quite right.
I think technique is very important to this year's competition. An as a diner you can appreciate the technique of the chef when its served on a plate to you! I love going to a good restaurant and getting a fancy, beautiful looking dish and thinking I could never in a million years produce something as good as that.
Yeah, I mentioned earlier that I didn't think the brief suited Aktar in terms of his style and experience, not that he misread it. He's done his best though - his pudding would have been excellent if executed better.
Wonder if the BBC will still try to ham-up the tension tonight?
Most self-righteous and smug - Chris Horridge.
Person who should back away from Twitter - Johnny Mountain.
With a sprinkling of black olive dust and and a chilli smear
Totally agree with you about the editing.
I am also getting heartily sick of podium place/gold medal winning and any variation of 'excellence'. And we're only 2 regions down
... and if [when? ] anyone mentions 'ground breaking' and pushing the sodding boundaries again I shall be sorely tempted to chuck something at the TV. :mad:
Ive taken to putting the remote out of reach during the programme
Have to say, I'd have demolished DC's entire menu in a heartbeat