Food Poker

Last updated

Food Poker
Presented by Matt Allwright
Narrated by Jeni Barnett
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes30
Production
Running time45 minutes
Production company Optomen
Original release
Network BBC Two
Release29 October (2007-10-29) –
7 December 2007 (2007-12-07)

Food Poker is a BBC tea-time television programme which fuses traditional culinary skills with poker. It is presented by Matt Allwright and voiced over by Jeni Barnett, each episode features four chefs. It was first broadcast on BBC Two between 29 October and 7 December 2007.

Contents

Format

The show involves chefs being dealt two food cards and can use up to three ingredients from five more 'shared ingredient' cards. The chefs then decide in secret what dish they will prepare and then choose either to 'pitch' their idea or 'fold', if they don't believe they can cook anything with the available ingredients. Those who pitch their ideas must do so to the Food Poker Panel, which consists of seven food experts. The panel then vote, using poker chips, for the two dishes they wish to see prepared. There are three rounds, the savoury cook-off, the sweet cook-off and the final showcase cook-off.

Once two chefs have been selected by the panel they have 20 minutes to cook their dishes, however they only have 15 minutes during the Sweet Cook-off. This time is very intense and competitive banter between chefs is commonplace. Once the chefs have cooked their dishes they are presented to the seven gourmets who then vote again for their preferred dish (no poker chips are used for this vote). Only the savoury and sweet cook-offs use this format. The showcase cook-off, which automatically features the two winners from the previous two cook-offs, has a different format.

The Showcase Cook-off

In this round the finalists are presented with a single card, which all can see: this ingredient must be the central feature of their dishes. They then have a choice from an array of other ingredient cards from a large selection; once a card has been selected it is not available to the other chef. Therefore, chefs can both take the ingredients they need and/or steal ingredients which they think will be most valuable to their opponents. They then have 20 minutes to prepare their dishes. The two cooked dishes are then presented to the two losing chefs who then vote for their favourite and ultimately the winner, in the event of a tie the winner is decided by presenter, Matt Allwright.

Regular contributing chefs

Reception

In a negative review, Veronica Lee of The Observer wrote, "In this new show, which looks like an undercooked version of Ready, Steady, Cook but without the wit, four chefs are dealt cards with foods and spices on them and they then 'compete' to come up with the best dish with these random ingredients. Sounds idiotic and is utterly pointless: Lord Reith must be spinning in his grave. Matt Allwright presents and at least has the good grace to look embarrassed." [1]

The Guardian 's John Robinson called the show, "Essentially Ready Steady Cook, but with a slightly bizarre light entertainment twist, this challenges not quite celebrity chefs to raise their media profiles while host Matt Allwright looks on ironically." [2] Patricia Wynn Davies of The Daily Telegraph lauded the show, writing, "Take Britain's latest craze and weave it in with TV's love affair with food programmes and you get something that’s actually quite good fun." [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Ready Steady Cook</i> BBC daytime TV cooking game show

Ready Steady Cook is a BBC daytime TV cooking game show. It debuted on 24 October 1994 and the last original edition was broadcast on 2 February 2010. The programme was hosted by Fern Britton from 1994 until 2000 when celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott became the new host. In August 2000, when Harriott took over, the duration of the programme was extended from 30 to 45 minutes.

<i>MasterChef</i> (British TV series) British cooking competition television show (1990–)

MasterChef is a British competitive cooking reality show produced by Endemol Shine UK and Banijay and broadcast in 60 countries around the world. The show initially ran from 1990 to 2001 and was revived in 2005 as MasterChef Goes Large. The revival featured a new format devised by Franc Roddam and John Silver, with Karen Ross producing. In 2008, the name was changed back to MasterChef but the format remained unchanged.

<i>Great British Menu</i> British cooking television series

Great British Menu is a BBC television series in which top British chefs compete for the chance to cook one course of a four-course banquet.

<i>The Next Iron Chef</i> American cooking competition show

The Next Iron Chef is a limited-run series on the Food Network that aired its fifth season in 2012. Each season is a stand-alone competition to select a chef to be designated an Iron Chef, who will appear on the Food Network program Iron Chef America.

Top Chef Junior is an American reality competition television series that serves as a spin-off of the popular Top Chef series. Ordered in 2008 for an eight-episode run on Bravo, the show had never aired, nor is it known if any episodes were produced at that time. However, nine years later, Top Chef Junior was mentioned as the marquee program for Universal Kids, an NBCUniversal-owned children's channel launched on September 9, 2017. Season 1 consisted of 14 episodes and feature 12 young chefs, aged 9–14. The winner receives $50,000 and the title of Top Chef Junior. The show is hosted by actress Vanessa Lachey, with Top Chef Masters and Top Chef Duels host Curtis Stone serving as its head judge. Top Chef Junior premiered on October 13, 2017. In November 2017 Top Chef Junior was renewed for a 2nd season, which premiered on September 8, 2018. It consists of 12 finalist chefs aged 9–14.

<i>Chopped</i> (TV series) American reality cooking television show

Chopped is an American reality-based cooking television game show series created by Michael Krupat, Dave Noll and Linda Lea. It is hosted by Ted Allen. The series pits four chefs against each other as they compete for a chance to win $10,000. The series debuted in 2009, and episodes air every Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on Food Network.

The fifth season of the American reality television series The Next Food Network Star premiered on Sunday, June 7, 2009. Food Network executives, Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson, were joined by Bobby Flay as the Selection Committee for this season, which was filmed early 2009 in New York, New York and Miami, Florida.

The sixth season of the American reality television series The Next Food Network Star premiered on Sunday, June 6, 2010. Food Network executives, Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson, were joined again by Bobby Flay as the judges for this season. In addition, Giada De Laurentiis will serve as an on-set mentor. The series was filmed in Los Angeles, California and New York, New York. Winner Aarti Sequeira went on to host her show Aarti Party, which premiered on August 22, 2010. Runner-up Tom Pizzica was also hired to host a travel food show Outrageous Food, which began airing in November 2010.

MasterChef: The Professionals is a BBC television competitive cooking show which aired on BBC Two from 2008 to 2019, and on BBC One since 2020. It is a spin-off from the main MasterChef series, for professional working chefs. Introduced in 2008, Gregg Wallace and India Fisher reprised their roles as co-judge and voiceover respectively. Michel Roux Jr., a two-Michelin-star chef, assisted, from 2009, by his sous-chef Monica Galetti. Since 2011, Sean Pertwee has taken over Fisher's role as voiceover.

The second season of the Australian competitive cooking competition show My Kitchen Rules premiered on the Seven Network on 31 January 2011.

<i>MasterChef China</i> Chinese television cooking reality show

MasterChef China is a Chinese television cooking reality show and a spin-off from the original British MasterChef in 1990. The show is sponsored by Joyoung and Zwiliing. Contestants from all over China have competed on the show. It is a stage where ordinary people can realize their culinary dreams and show their love for food and cooking. What the contestants are faced with are weekly eliminations as well as team challenges. Fairmont Peace Hotel Executive Chef Steven Liu, popular host and "Professional Eater" Cao Kefan and the musician Jonathan Lee Tsung-sheng serve as the main judges of MasterChef China. The first season aired on 29 July 2012 Dragon TV.

The ninth season of the American reality television series Food Network Star premiered Sunday, June 2, 2013.

Chopped Canada is a Canadian reality cooking television series based on the US series Chopped. The program pits four chefs against each other as they compete to win $10,000 and the title of Chopped Canada Champion. It first aired on January 2, 2014 and last aired on February 11, 2017. In May 2017, the show's producers announced that Food Network Canada had cancelled the show.

<i>Kitchen Casino</i> American TV series or program

Kitchen Casino was a reality cooking television show hosted by Bill Rancic that premiered on April 7, 2014, on Food Network. Similar to short-form cooking reality shows, it features four chefs challenged to cook gourmet dishes to be judged by two guest celebrities. The chefs participate in four "casino-themed" rounds of play in order to win a possible final prize of $30,000.

<i>Guys Grocery Games</i> American reality cooking show

Guy's Grocery Games is an American reality-based cooking television game show hosted by Guy Fieri on Food Network. Each episode features four chefs competing in a three-round elimination contest, cooking food with ingredients found in a supermarket grocery store as Guy Fieri poses unusual challenges to them. The winning chef of the episode can collect up to $20,000 in a shopping spree bonus round. The show often features chefs from Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, another show hosted by Fieri. The show Dessert Games was a short-lived spin-off.

<i>Go Fridge</i> Chinese TV series or program

Go Fridge, also known as Play, Fridge, is a Chinese cooking show produced by Tencent Video. The rights were bought from South Korean television series Please Take Care of My Refrigerator.

<i>Iron Chef Gauntlet</i> American cooking competition show

Iron Chef Gauntlet is a television series on Food Network that began airing on April 16, 2017. The series is a reboot of the Iron Chef and Iron Chef America series that gained popularity on Food Network and is hosted by Alton Brown, who also takes over as the series' Chairman. Seven chefs from around the country battle each other in an elimination contest, with the last chef remaining then facing a "gauntlet" challenge of defeating three other Iron Chefs in order to earn the title of Iron Chef. In the first season, the Iron Chefs forming the Gauntlet were Bobby Flay, Masaharu Morimoto, and Michael Symon. The second season of Iron Chef Gauntlet began airing April 4, 2018 and was scheduled for six episodes. The Gauntlet Iron Chefs for the second season were Alex Guarnaschelli, Gauntlet season one winner Stephanie Izard, and Michael Symon.

MasterChef Thailand is a Thai competitive reality TV series. MasterChef premiered on Channel 7 on June 4, 2017.

MasterChef Paraguay is a Paraguayan competitive cooking reality show, based on the original British series of MasterChef, open to amateur and home chefs. Produced by Chena TV, it debuted on April 3, 2018 on Telefuturo.

<i>Supermarket Stakeout</i> American food reality television series

Supermarket Stakeout is an American cooking competition television series that airs on Food Network. It is presented by Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli.

References

  1. ↑ Lee, Veronica (8 October 2007). "Food Poker". The Observer . p. 6. ProQuest   250614615.
  2. ↑ Robinson, John (27 October 2007). "The Guide: TV & Radio: Television: Monday 29: pick of the day: Food Poker 4.30pm, BBC2". The Guardian . p. 69. ProQuest   246679053.
  3. ↑ Davies, Patricia Wynn (29 October 2007). "Today's TV & radio choices". The Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on 17 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.