Great British Menu Thread 2025 4 - The one with the Banquet!

[Sunbird24]

Last thread of this series…

Lisa Potts has barely aged. I'm from Birmingham and recognised her straightaway as the story stuck in my teenage head at the time.

I pray I don't!!!!

What a lovely supportive bunch they were - great week.

I made the Bananaman dessert!

So pleased for Amber.

At the risk of sounding like JD Vance, why couldn't Tom Kerridge make more of an effort to look a little bit smarter for such an auspicious occasion?

Is he trying to prove a point?

delighted for amber. you could tell from their reactions after eating it that people were stunned by it.

i think the main was chosen for its theme, which was obviously very touching. However, i think he may have lost many points because of the heat level.

sally will have wondered if hers would have scored better.

do we ever find out the final score per dish?

Amber must have had more than the fish and main combined. Good on her, I’d love to know how she ended up in education. What even is a ‘school chef’? Presumably not a dinner lady.

I just saw her on Saturday Kitchen.

She is basically a posh dinner lady in a posh school.Feeding 200 plus students their lunch every day. Classically trained for 10 years in top restaurants.

I lke her, well done. But, in my book she was the least deserving of the title. If I were Sally or Jean, I would be so upset. Sally tried to hide it.

Mchael O Hare looked resplendent, as always.

I think the award should just be Best Dish rather than Champion of Champions. Amber was consistently in the bottom two last week, she clearly wasn't the best chef, I felt disappointed for the other two who were consistently excellent

That’s a very fair point.

It would be interesting to know how points were awarded by the veterans who may have considered various factors when scoring.

No, it doesn't work like that. The total number of votes for a chef who enters more than one dish is not combined. Jean's fish course and his main were treated as two separate entries.

Nothing against Amber but this is the first year when I haven't quite agreed with the winner (even though some years I've agreed rather grumpily). It just shows that a weaker chef with one brilliant dish can beat chefs with consistent excellence. (Especially when the chef is doing the dessert course.) I can't help but feel this was the series of Sally and Jean (especially Sally) with a really weird ending.

The diners just tick the box of their favourite dish and the dish that gets the most ticks wins.

What I meant was, it would be interesting to know, taking just the veterans table, who would have won.

Each veteran guest would probably have been influenced by a number of factors, moreso perhaps than the other guests, when placing their ticks.

During the regionals and in finals week Tom and Lorna’s view were often at odds with Ed’s and the guests and no doubt their own chef skills, knowledge and experience would have impacted their scores.

Oh thank you. I thought it was just me!

When Michael of Hair was carving the fish I was getting pissed at his hair hanging everywhere!!!

Mammy Potter would like to thank you all for your care and concern. She was moved to a ward today. Oddly, St Helens ward!!! (I'm Helen!!!!)

Don't agree...she was at the bottom throughout the whole competizione...won because of a piddly (albeit tasty) little dessert
Compared to the 2 FULL COURSES made by Jean.....

I think Amber should have been the chef that dropped out for both of the wild card rounds. She was the weakest chef in every other round but did have a banger for deserters

i also think the champions of champions is the wrong title to be awarded

I agree. Buy I think desserts have an advantage all the time. They are the end of the meal. And our brains are inclined to feel that dessert is special because we don't eat it everyday with every meal.
Jean and Sally were the GOATS in this one.

I liked how Jean was so helpful to everyone. Whether it was cooking, dishing or giving hugs

Sending virtual flowers (and mushroom-free pudding) for Mammy Potter! 💐🌸🌺🌼🌻🌹

I’d take a hug from Jean, those arms look solid

He can hug me.

Agree, Jean’s main was always doomed for final vote because it was obvious some people weren’t going to cope with the heat. I think Sally should have won the main too.

It does feel wrong that Amber won that particular title, but I loved them all by the end of it, and she was such a trooper (trouper?🤔) running that service that I couldn’t help but be thrilled for her.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a supportive bunch as this finals week, the way Mark picked up when that ice cream machine went wrong was marvellous too.

Sallie’s new job

https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/25050595.cotswolds-pub-appoints-michelin-starred-chef-sally-abe/?ref=socialflow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2U0uY_lDiGLn8qGpsX9QLbKd1_E6xzfvy88vMdRMtIWDAGFu9xvP8LxG0_aem_26WSPsZf4XEzZZd7XinElw#

Apologies. Only seeing this now. Thank you. Small update. Not a very good one. Mam is back in hospital (she's been in once again last month). This time though she is under the palliative team. The doctors have given her days.

Thank you all for your support over the last few years.