The Restaurant (UK series 2)
Encyclopedia
The second series of The Restaurant
is a television series that aired in the United Kingdom
on BBC Two
in the autumn of 2008. Auditions took place in Manchester
and London
during March and April 2008. (The series aired in the United States on BBC America in early 2009 under the title "Last Restaurant Standing.")
Raymond Blanc
keeps his role in the series, and nine couples once again compete for the chance to open their own restaurant backed by Blanc.
In July 2009 the winners, Russell Clement & Michele English, launched their own venture The Cheerful Soul in the Hare and Hounds in Marlow, Buckinghamshire (the site of the restaurant of the runners-up, Alasdair Hooper & James Knight-Pacheco). On July 30, 2010 Russell and Michele announced (on their blog) that they were leaving The Cheerful Soul.
In 2009, the BBC announced that Alasdair & James would feature in a spin-off series, provisionally titled Plate Expectations, in early 2010. The series, which finally aired under the title Out of the Frying Pan, follows them as they launch their own event catering business.
: All couples were in the challenge in the first week; Raymond revealed that only 8 of the 9 couples would receive a restaurant.
: Raymond did not nominate a restaurant of the week in Week Five, as he thought that none of the restaurants met the required standard.
: None of the three restaurants were put directly through to the final as Raymond thought that each couple had its own strengths and weaknesses.
The Restaurant (UK TV Series)
The Restaurant was a British reality television series in which a group of couples competed for the chance to set up a restaurant financially backed and personally supported by French chef Raymond Blanc. The winning couple were given their own restaurant to run...
is a television series that aired in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
in the autumn of 2008. Auditions took place in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
during March and April 2008. (The series aired in the United States on BBC America in early 2009 under the title "Last Restaurant Standing.")
Raymond Blanc
Raymond Blanc
Raymond Blanc OBE is a French chef, born in Besançon, France. Today he is one of the Britain's most respected chefs. Blanc is the owner and chef at Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, a hotel-restaurant in Great Milton, Oxfordshire, England. The restaurant has two Michelin stars and scored 9/10 in the...
keeps his role in the series, and nine couples once again compete for the chance to open their own restaurant backed by Blanc.
In July 2009 the winners, Russell Clement & Michele English, launched their own venture The Cheerful Soul in the Hare and Hounds in Marlow, Buckinghamshire (the site of the restaurant of the runners-up, Alasdair Hooper & James Knight-Pacheco). On July 30, 2010 Russell and Michele announced (on their blog) that they were leaving The Cheerful Soul.
In 2009, the BBC announced that Alasdair & James would feature in a spin-off series, provisionally titled Plate Expectations, in early 2010. The series, which finally aired under the title Out of the Frying Pan, follows them as they launch their own event catering business.
Contestants
The contestants that took part in the series were (in reverse order of elimination):- Russell Clement & Michele English - a couple from EssexEssexEssex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
ran The Cheerful Soul in Northwood, MiddlesexMiddlesexMiddlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
. They already run a buffet business but aspire to open their own restaurant.
- Alasdair Hooper & James Knight-Pacheco (2nd Place) - friends from DevonDevonDevon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
ran The Gallery, near Marlow, BuckinghamshireMarlow, BuckinghamshireMarlow is a town and civil parish within Wycombe district in south Buckinghamshire, England...
. Alasdair works for Pizza ExpressPizza ExpressPizzaExpress is a restaurant group with over 400 restaurants across the United Kingdom and 40 overseas in China, Europe, Hong Kong, Japan and the Middle East. It was founded in 1965 by Peter Boizot.In Ireland, PizzaExpress trades under the name Milano....
as a waiterWaiterWaiting staff, wait staff, or waitstaff are those who work at a restaurant or a bar attending customers — supplying them with food and drink as requested. Traditionally, a male waiting tables is called a "waiter" and a female a "waitress" with the gender-neutral version being a "server"...
and James is a former chef de partie at The Square and Gordon RamsayGordon RamsayGordon James Ramsay, OBE is a Scottish chef, television personality and restaurateur. He has been awarded 13 Michelin stars....
at Claridge'sClaridge'sClaridge's is a luxury hotel in Mayfair, central London. It is located at the corner of Brook Street and Davies Street.-History:Claridge's is a traditional grand hotel. Its extensive and old connections with royalty have led to it being referred to as an "extension to Buckingham Palace"...
. They both aim to open a Michelin-starredMichelin GuideThe Michelin Guide is a series of annual guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries. The term normally refers to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant guide, which awards the Michelin stars...
restaurant. In 2010 James was working as a tutor at the AshburtonAshburton, DevonAshburton is a small town on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon, adjacent to the A38 Devon Expressway.It was formerly important as a stannary town , and remains the largest town within the National Park, with a population of around 3,500...
Cookery School.
- Tim & Lindsie Selby (3rd Place) - a married couple from KentKentKent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
ran True Provenance in BrentfordBrentfordBrentford is a suburban town in west London, England, and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located at the confluence of the River Thames and the River Brent, west-southwest of Charing Cross. Its former ceremonial county was Middlesex.-Toponymy:...
. Tim is a TGI Friday's operations manager and line cook who rose through the ranks to manage nine restaurants while Lindsie is an HR manager. They want to run an ethically sourced restaurant.
- Helen & Stephen Bryan (4th Place) - a married couple from CambridgeshireCambridgeshireCambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
ran Nel's in WendoverWendoverWendover is a market town that sits at the foot of the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England. It is also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district...
, BuckinghamshireBuckinghamshireBuckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
. Helen used to work in marketing but has some experience working in professional kitchens. Stephen is an ex-naval officer. They think they could be the new "FannyFanny CradockPhyllis Nan Sortain Pechey , better known as Fanny Cradock, was an English restaurant critic, television cook and writer who mostly worked with her then common-law husband Johnnie Cradock, adopting his surname long before they married. She was the daughter of the novelist and lyricist Archibald...
and JohnnieJohnnie CradockMajor John "Johnnie" Whitby Cradock was a cook, writer and broadcaster and the fourth husband of television cook and writer Fanny Cradock....
".
Following the series Steven has become a hotel manager. Helen is working in local government.
- Peter Dong & Laura Scale (5th) - a couple from South WalesSouth WalesSouth Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
ran The Welsh Wok, in Haddenham, BuckinghamshireHaddenham, BuckinghamshireHaddenham is a large village and is also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England. Its estimated population in 2011 is 8,385 It is about south-west of Aylesbury and north-east of Thame.-History:...
. Peter is a team manager with a blue chip company and Laura is a service manager who has always wanted to work in the hospitality industry.
- Chris & Caroline Hanson (6th) - a married couple from South YorkshireSouth YorkshireSouth Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
ran Ray White's in Weston-on-the-Green, BicesterBicesterBicester is a town and civil parish in the Cherwell district of northeastern Oxfordshire in England.This historic market centre is one of the fastest growing towns in Oxfordshire Development has been favoured by its proximity to junction 9 of the M40 motorway linking it to London, Birmingham and...
, OxfordshireOxfordshireOxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. Chris has been a chef at a pub for the past nine years and Caroline is an extended schools worker. Their restaurant aims to celebrate the best of British food.
Chris is now working the food festival circuit.
- Harriet & Mike Ashworth (7th) - a father and daughter pairing from SurreySurreySurrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
ran The Blue Goose in OxfordOxfordThe city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. Mike is owner and director of two recruitment businesses and Harriet is an event planner who has worked as a Crown CourtCrown CourtThe Crown Court of England and Wales is, together with the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal, one of the constituent parts of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
Clerk.
Harriet currently runs the kitchen at Public House
- Scott Sheppard & Richard Hammond (8th) - a couple from SussexSussexSussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
ran Sorbet and Seasons in SurbitonSurbitonSurbiton, a suburban area of London in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, is situated next to the River Thames, with a mixture of Art-Deco courts, more recent residential blocks and grand, spacious 19th century townhouses blending into a sea of semi-detached 20th century housing estates...
. Scott trained as a chefChefA chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
18 years ago, but is currently a manager in first and business class for an airline. Richard used to be an airline steward and is now the director of a soft drinks company.
- Annette Cockburn & Kashelle Taylor (9th - Weren't given a restaurant) - a mother and daughter team from South YorkshireSouth YorkshireSouth Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
planned on opening Caribbean Delights but were eliminated without being given a restaurant. Annette is a care worker and Kashelle is a freelance actress.
Week One
- In challenge: All couples
- Challenge: Signature Dish - In 3 groups of three, create a signature dish that was either a starter, main or dessert for their restaurant.
- Eliminated: Annette and Kashelle, for creating "Mango Whizz" - frozen Mango Pulp from a tin, putting little to no effort in to the challenge.
Week Two
- Task: Pay What It Is Worth - The customers could pay what they wanted for their meals.
- Restaurant of the week: Helen & Stephen
- In challenge: Harriet & Mike (put in the challenge on the second episode of Week One, for their poor opening night), Michele & Russell (for being disorganised with their booking on the night of the task) and Richard & Scott (for ignoring Raymond's advice to add either Sorbets or Seasonal food to their menu)
- Challenge: Motorway Service - Create five dishes for the public at a motorway service station
- Eliminated: Richard & Scott, for failing to market their food well in the challenge and poor presentation of the food itself.
Week Three
- Task: No Waste, No Loss - Given half a pig, minimise waste, maximise profit.
- Restaurant of the week: Michele & Russell
- In challenge: Alasdair & James (because James regards the kitchen as his sole responsibility), Chris & Caroline (for tasteless food) and Harriet & Mike (for Mike's lack of effort)
- Challenge: Oxford Formal Halls - cater for high and low table at three Oxford colleges.
- Eliminated: Harriet & Mike for Mike's lack of commitment.
Week Four
- Task: Flags of the World - the couples must adjust their menus to include the national cuisine of a foreign country, while maintaining their own concept and identity.
- Restaurant of the week: Michele & Russell
- In challenge: Chris & Caroline (for their evening being a disaster), Peter & Laura (for lack of control in the kitchen) and Tim & Lindsie (as their commitment was in question, particularly Lindsie's due to missing their one-year-old son).
- Challenge: Airline Food - The three couples in the challenge must serve the First Class passengers on a jumbo jet the best food they can muster.
- Eliminated: Chris & Caroline for poor quality food and tasting from Chris.
Week Five
- Task: Takeaway – Run a take-away business as well as catering for customers in the restaurant.
- Restaurant of the week: None — Raymond didn't think that any of the restaurants were up to scratch.
- In challenge: Peter & Laura (for Peter's lack of control in the kitchen), Alasdair & James (for being immature) and Helen & Stephen (for not taking advice)
- Challenge: The Dinner Party – Cooking meals for dinner parties in three private homes
- Eliminated: Peter & Laura
Week Six
- Task: Cookery Demonstration - Demonstrating cooking in public on the streets
- Restaurant of the week: Lindsie & Tim
- In challenge: Alasdair & James ("if you have any talent for business it is very well hidden"), Michele & Russell (for failing to meet Blanc's high expectations) and Helen & Stephen (because the last time they were put in the challenge the quality of Helen's food improved significantly).
- Challenge: Cook Book - The couples have to come up with cook books that promote their restaurant concepts.
- Eliminated: Helen & Stephen for not being as high a standard as the other couples
Week Seven
- Task: Tricky Customer - Raymond invites back the least satisfied customers from the couples' previous weeks of service, and adds some customers that require very special care, but only tells the restaurants this when it is time for them to take their bookings.
- Restaurant of the week: None
- In challenge: All three couples, as Raymond thought it was very close between all three couples, and all had their strengths and weaknesses.
- Challenge: Masterclasses - Instead of sending them out to a challenge, he hands the couples' front-of-house to David Moore to test while personally putting the couples' chefs through a much tougher cooking regime than they expected. Then Sarah WillinghamSarah WillinghamSarah Louise Willingham and is the daughter of a maths teacher, Judith, and businessman, Rhondda. Willingham has a younger brother, Alex...
tests the couples' business skills. After that they have to serve up what they have learned to some of the most discerning palates and fastidious managers in the trade. - Eliminated: Lindsie & Tim
Week Eight
- Task: First Class Service - The finallists must cater for a group of discerning guests on one of the world's most romantic railway journeys - The Orient ExpressOrient ExpressThe Orient Express is the name of a long-distance passenger train service originally operated by the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits. It ran from 1883 to 2009 and is not to be confused with the Venice-Simplon Orient Express train service, which continues to run.The route and rolling stock...
- Eliminated: Alasdair & James
- Winners of the Restaurant: Michele & Russell
Weekly Results
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: All couples were in the challenge in the first week; Raymond revealed that only 8 of the 9 couples would receive a restaurant.
: Raymond did not nominate a restaurant of the week in Week Five, as he thought that none of the restaurants met the required standard.
: None of the three restaurants were put directly through to the final as Raymond thought that each couple had its own strengths and weaknesses.
The Restaurants
- Chris & Caroline's restaurant, Ray White's in Weston-on-the-Green, BicesterBicesterBicester is a town and civil parish in the Cherwell district of northeastern Oxfordshire in England.This historic market centre is one of the fastest growing towns in Oxfordshire Development has been favoured by its proximity to junction 9 of the M40 motorway linking it to London, Birmingham and...
, OxfordshireOxfordshireOxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
is the Ben Johnson pub. - Helen & Stephen's restaurant, Nel's in WendoverWendoverWendover is a market town that sits at the foot of the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England. It is also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district...
, BuckinghamshireBuckinghamshireBuckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
is usually Le Bistro. - James & Alasdair's restaurant, The Gallery, near Marlow, BuckinghamshireMarlow, BuckinghamshireMarlow is a town and civil parish within Wycombe district in south Buckinghamshire, England...
is The Hare and Hounds on Henley Road. (Now the site of winners, Michelle and Russell's restaurant, The Cheerful Soul) - Peter & Laura's restaurant, The Welsh Wok, in Haddenham, BuckinghamshireHaddenham, BuckinghamshireHaddenham is a large village and is also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England. Its estimated population in 2011 is 8,385 It is about south-west of Aylesbury and north-east of Thame.-History:...
is usually The Green Dragon. - Tim & Lindsie's restaurant, True Provenance in BrentfordBrentfordBrentford is a suburban town in west London, England, and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located at the confluence of the River Thames and the River Brent, west-southwest of Charing Cross. Its former ceremonial county was Middlesex.-Toponymy:...
at San Marco on Ferry Quays. - Russell & Michele's restaurant, The Cheerful Soul in Northwood, MiddlesexMiddlesexMiddlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
is now Metro Piazza. - Harriet & Mike's restaurant, The Blue Goose in OxfordOxfordThe city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
was in real life the Sahara in Blue Boar Street. Now taken over and named The House. - Scott & Richard's restaurant, Sorbet and Seasons in SurbitonSurbitonSurbiton, a suburban area of London in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, is situated next to the River Thames, with a mixture of Art-Deco courts, more recent residential blocks and grand, spacious 19th century townhouses blending into a sea of semi-detached 20th century housing estates...
is normally Da Lucio in Maple Road.