Over eight weeks twenty four of the finest chefs in the country including many chefs from Great British Chefs site are competing in regional heats for the opportunity to create a four course menu at special banquet at the Royal Albert Hall to celebrate 25 years of Comic Relief's Red Nose Day.
Representing the North West we'll see returning contender Aiden Byrne from Church Green in Cheshire and the Craxton Wood restaurant near Cheshire. He'll be joined by newcomers to the show: Chris Holland from Alderley Edge Hotel and Mary-Ellen McTague from Aumbry in Prestwich.
As with previous years, the show follows the familiar format with the chefs cooking a starter, fish course, main course and dessert for a veteran judge who will select two chefs to cook their menu again on Friday's show for the judges Matthew Fort, Oliver Peyton & Prue Leith. On Friday the three judges will be joined by a comedian or comedy writer to see how funny the dishes really are.
This week's veteran judge and chef mentor is Phil Howard whose dish made it through to banquet last year, so he knows the standards required.
Monday's episode leads with starters. Possibly inspired by Chinese New Year celebrations Chris Holland is serving 'Oriental style beef broth with a twist'. Aiden Byrne is hoping his wittily titled dish Mad As a Box of Frogs will take the highest score. Mary-Ellen McTague's has a crab starter for Phil to judge.
Fish courses on Tuesday include dover sole, prawn cocktail and salmon.
On Wednesday the chefs will be tempting Phil with Long Horn Beef with Noodle Pot, A Tasting of Pork and it's good to see after Michael Smith's winning ways with goat in week two that it will be on the menu again this time prepared by Mary-Ellen McTague.
Thursday it's desserts and the menus include a pineapple dish from Aiden Byrne called The Sweet Burger, Chris Holland's Going Bananas Mary-Ellen McTague's unique take on a trifle called Chamomile Lawn.
