Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[Space Chick]

Glad you enjoyed it CW

[Rhapsody]

I caught it last night. What a hoot. I was entranced by the mother and son team where the son was barely coherent, I felt sorry for his mum she was let down by him rather- in the shot of them walking away I half expected her to lamp him.

The Gravadlax woman was an idiot. Why choose something that takes 3 days to make when you only have an hour in the kitchen? Then to buy supermarket salmon as if one of the finest chefs on the planet wouldnt notice

As for the two women making coconut mousse- were they auditioning for Jackass? The Cocktail Blondes said they wanted to revamp picnic food then served crumble

Entertaining! Cant wait for next week.

[Olly]

Very entertaining, although I was cringing as I watched - I don't think I have ever cooked with a fresh coconut, but I've always understood you use a skewer to get the milk out through the 'eyes' at one end - and as for opening a tin with a knife, well

 

I think the Nigerian ladies will make a good team. A lot of this isn't so much about the cooking, it's about how well they communicate and work together. I loved Raymond's comment that the pork Wellington had become 'Waterloo'! That couple rescued the situation quite well though. I think this is going to be compulsive watching again!

[PurpleTree]

Just watched it on iPlayer, never seen it before, but did really enjoy it. Those two guys with the picnic food were really annoying though, and I didn't like the coconut mousse mother and daughter from the start.

 

Will try and remember to watch it next week.

[chelsea]

I missed it.

 

I did have my mother filling me in this morning though and how everyone was equally annoying.

[sadietoo]

Is it just me or have these contestants been on another planet? Did they not watch the last series/bother to google Raymond Blanc and research what he represents???? How could you not have thought out your presentation speech to Raymond and the team? What a shame that the mother and son team had to go...she served up one of the best bits of food...but really shoddy preparation

 

The mother and daughter team had apparently never been in a kitchen before..what a shame they couldn't have bought something from Cook or M &S to serve Raymond?....reheating a ready meal seemed to me to be the nearest either of them had to any culinary skills...who in their right minds holds a knife like that!!! I didn't like them either from the moment I set eyes on them!

 

And how do you serve picnic food in a restaurant.?..the Aussie part of that team doesn't seem to have taken on board the UK Climate...

 

the Grav-ad-Lax woman got my vote for being the most irritating and I am surprised Raymond gave them a second chance

 

still it makes jolly good telly...and I can't wait for next week

[Chucky Mama]

How funny, the gravad......lax woman was a hoot. Fancy serving that up as a signature dish. It's like serving up a marmite sandwich Why hadn't they all got their recipes sorted and perfected before they went The couple with the knives where living in some sort of parallel universe I think. The cocktail waiters for me are as irritating as the twins off X factor. I cant really imagine any of them being able to open a restuarant. My 13 year old daughter knew how to stop a stock being too salty (apart from not buying it in a bag from Asda that it ). Cant wait for next Thursday!

[Egluntyne]

Delighted to see gravadlax woman and her tiresome husband go.

 

It will be the cocktail waiters next, I'm guessing.

[Olly]

I was surprised the cocktail guys didn't go, I thought they were much worse - and the gravadlax husband was actually very good on front-of-house.

 

The next weeks should be entertaining, though! Only a few of them seemed to have any grasp of things yesterday, and no one couple stands out as being strong.

[chelsea]

I wanted the cocktail chaps to go - they were so disorganised.

 

Annoying - when Sarah Willingham went into the Pizza kitchen to investigate with that tiny little white hat on top of her head and a full mane of long hair dangling down over her shoulders....what's the point?!!

 

Sorry, little things like that bug me...

[Lydia]

Our money was on the cocktail winkers to go too. I think their days are definitely numbered though.

 

The stand outs for me so far are the chap who's actually had a bit of catering training and knows how a kitchen works and the Nigerian ladies seem to cope OK.

[Purplemaniacs]

I thought the cocktail chaps would go. I agree with Olly I thought Mr Gravadlax was good at front-of-house, the customers seemed to like him but I didn't think much of Mrs Gravadlax.

 

Next week will be interesting.

 

Chrissie

[Chucky Mama]

I wanted the cocktail chaps to go - they were so disorganised.

 

Annoying - when Sarah Willingham went into the Pizza kitchen to investigate with that tiny little white hat on top of her head and a full mane of long hair dangling down over her shoulders....what's the point?!!

 

Sorry, little things like that bug me...

 

ditto on both points from me

[Lesley]

....and from me.....

 

I must admit though that I was glad gravadlax man went - he was dripping everywhere

[Egluntyne]

Very off putting.....and his pathetic speech the the starving throngs was cringeworthy.

[Chucky Mama]

was glad gravadlax man went - he was dripping everywhere

Yes he was doing a bit too much dripping for me to want to eat anything he was serving up. DD and I went for supper at the noodle place last night. Glad we didn't go when the cocktail boys were there though as I cant bear them and if the one front of house had crouched down like that at my table he might have go a jug of water poured over him. Was fun knowing how it all worked in terms of their timings etc though. Yummy noodles too.

[kannie]

Yes I agree: both about the characters involved and the insider view being interesting.

 

I've been to yo-sushi (and similar ventures) and am always drawn to the conveyor belt food. I wondered if it was a bit shallow of me not to have something more adventurous from the proper menu, but by the sound of it the whole business model relies on conveyor belt purchasers!

[Egluntyne]

Was surprised this week.

 

The losers weren't the worst in my book. There were a couple of others contenders this week that I would have preferred to see the back of.

[Olly]

I know - I thought the two girls weren't doing too badly, and the chef was so young, you had to admire her.

 

Do you suspect a bit of X-factor-jiggery-pokery here, they are keeping the vile and inefficient 'cocktail winkers' in (love that phrase, Lydia!) because they will crash dramatically as things get harder, and make good TV?

Call me cynical ...

[Egluntyne]

I think you are right.

 

It was amusing to see Nathan, who last week was saying things along the lines of 'this is so easy, we've got it in the bag' crash and burn this week. He made a total mess of his ront of house efforts, and as W said, what on warth was he wearing when he went out to tempt the folk of Bristol with tasty morsels?

[Lydia]

Just watched this as I was working Thursday night. The Cocktail Winkers should have gone (even Sarah was astounded at that decision!).

 

Hmm.....perhaps someone turned the girls gas off so the oven wouldn't work....

 

The estate agent woman who doesn't seem to like any sort of food with any taste is getting on my nerves. The bloke's OK but she's kind of in the wrong programme with that sort of closed mind.

[Chucky Mama]

Next week looks interesting.

[chelsea]

I agree the cocktail fellas should have gone...

 

I really like the ex-army chap and his mate.... I can't for the life of me think of the name of their restaurant... (I keep wanting to call it Burlington Berties )

[Space Chick]

I only caught up last night, but agree that the young girls shouldn't have gone.

 

The closed minded estate agent woman is really getting on my nerves now as are the cocktail winkers

 

Should be interesting this week.

[sadietoo]

What a pity that Bodger and Badger had to go...I thought the chef part of the two took it very well...cos clearly he was disappointed...I'd have had a hissy fit with the other guy if it had been me!!!!

 

Well the Cocktail Winkers live to fight another day..... they are absolutely charmed it seems!!!