Great British Menu

[LIZS]

Anyone watching ? Bbc2 7:30pm

Oh no. Missed it. Is t for the WI this time?

Yes, he did a savoury take on a Victoria sandwich!

Ah man, has it started this week or ages ago?

Today, not much promotion for it compared to Bake Off.

We actually watched it last night. Usually start a week + behind.
I agree the lack of coverage compared to Bake off etc doesn't help it.

I'm watching - I like this programme, didn't think much of any of last nights starters though. I think the brief is maybe not so well defined this year. I think if I was in the WI I wouldn't want to eat food disguised as Victoria sponges, scones etc, or everything to be covered in jam - that's a bit of an out dated view I'd say. I'm not a fan of things being served on miniature picnic tables, or in kilner jars etc either - I always think that is going to be really hard to achieve for a large number of people.

I like Jak though and hope she ups her game in the next rounds and gets through.

Finally watched the starters one.

need a bit of a catch up but love this show

Thank you for the tip! Hope it's on iPlayer.

Pleased to have found the thread for this, I love GBM.

I'm not sure I love the whole 'making savory food look like cake' vibe. I like my starter to be savory and cake to take of cake, damnit!

I'm in! It's my most fave cooking competition ever. No gimmicks, just cooking, judged by proppa cooks. Perfick!

Agreed, I don't like savories to look like cake, etc. Don't have a sweet tooth anyway and it's a big turn off for me.And why have anything, other than a sandwich, to look like one?

Seems that Jak's nerves are getting the better of her, well, either that or the whisky...

Love, as always, Prue Leith's necklaces.

That savoury Victoria sponge on a picnic bench was the best of a bad lot. The bread and soup thing looked positively gruesome and don't get me started on the congee!

I quite liked this initially but am getting quite tired of the format: all that stuff with the chef questioning what the contestants have done and them saying "Yes, that's absolutely what I wanted to achieve" or "No, it's not too sweet/salty/sharp/thick/thin" or whatever. And I'm particularly sick of people doing ridiculous things in boxes and other ludicrous containers, like those sweets in flower pots buried in arty flower arrangements. I actually thought the woman with the clootie dumplings should have had the courage of her convictions, binned the stupid whisky cloud thing and told the judge they were there to be judged on taste not artistic effects.

Loved it in the past but didn't enjoy it this week.
Maybe falling out of love with the format a bit. I just watch Fridays now.
Not a lot I really wanted to eat so far & a far cry from adding Maze & the hand & flowers to my bucket list after Jason Atherton & Tom Kerridge were first on

Agree re issues with format. There's just a bit too much "ooh look how mysterious we are" when talking with the chef judge during the week.

What I really like is the difference between the judging panel and judging chef.

I like Prue best of the judges.

Hi
I watch on and off. Think it's unfair that the Friday judges now look at the scores for the week, rather then going into it blind. I'm also a bit sick of the "menu" thing because actually each chef generally only gets one course through. I'm sure there have been times when say possibly the best starter of the competition doesn't get cooked because they don't like the rest of the menu. There again I suppose that's the competition format.

I watch on iplayer which helps a lot with fast forward through the guff.

It's too repetitive for 5 times a week and easy to fall behind. I might just do the last one each week. I also preferred it when the final judges didn't know who had cooked what dish. Surely no one who is not Scottish would want Cloutie pudding?!

Not sure they're getting the brief. So many momentous periods of history for women in last 100 years, yet such little heed being paid to it. Why shop bought pastry ?

Do they have help with the cooking? A commis chef or whatever it's called? Been wondering who the people you sometimes see in the background are.

Yes they have help with prep and shopping for ingredients etc. Sometimes you see familiar master chef faces in the background.

I agree. I kind of feel that what cold be a huge celebration of women and the huge contribution we have made to the past 100 years is being marginalised into jam and a nicely baked sponge...

Still, I am greedy and love food, so will continue to watch. Was pleased with the South West winner of the two finalists, though was disappointed Jude didn't get through - it's really about time the banquet menu reflected the huge diversity in British cuisine.

I'm getting very bored of the 'picnic' food - why have so many of them interpreted the brief this way? WI may be famous for its home baking etc but it doesn't mean they want to eat sausage rolls and pork pies at a banquet. I think its all a bit patronising. And is there anyone anywhere in the world that looks at a menu and thinks 'yum ! edible soil, can't get enough of that! ' ?

I agree that its disappointing how the brief keeps being interpreted as cake, allotments and chutney. Only last night I said to DD and DH that they should have had ALL women chefs or just made it an afternoon tea banquet

This week has been great- really good to see some different chefs. Michael O'Hare's food looked stunning - and I can't wait to see what the panel think of it tomorrow! I would have eaten any of the desserts tonight.