The Restaurant | |
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![]() The title screen of The Restaurant | |
Genre | Reality television series |
Starring | Raymond Blanc |
Narrated by | Alex Jennings (2007) Barbara Flynn (2008) |
Theme music composer | Dru Masters |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of series | 3 |
No. of episodes | 30 |
Production | |
Running time | 60 minute episodes |
Release | |
Original network | BBC Two |
Picture format | PAL |
Original release | 29 August 2007 – 17 December 2009 |
External links | |
Website |
The Restaurant is a British reality television series in which a group of couples compete 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. For the winners of the first series the prize restaurant was in Oxfordshire, near to Blanc's own Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons. For the second series the prize restaurant was in Marlow, Buckinghamshire.
A restaurant, or an eatery, is a business which prepares and serves food and drinks to customers in exchange for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearance and offerings, including a wide variety of cuisines and service models ranging from inexpensive fast food restaurants and cafeterias, to mid-priced family restaurants, to high-priced luxury establishments.
France, officially the French Republic, is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast, Switzerland and Italy to the east, and Andorra and Spain to the south. The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The country's 18 integral regions span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres (248,573 sq mi) and a total population of 67.3 million. France, a sovereign state, is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris, the country's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre. Other major urban areas include Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Lille and Nice.
A chef is a trained professional cook who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term chef de cuisine, the director or head of a kitchen. Chefs can receive formal training from an institution, as well as by apprenticing with an experienced chef.
The first series aired on BBC Two on 29 August 2007 and a second series aired on 10 September 2008. The first series also had its own spin-off, The Restaurant: You're Fried! (a play on The Apprentice: You're Fired! ) which aired on BBC Three after the main programme. This did not return for either of the subsequent series. The third and final series was broadcast on 29 October 2009.
The first series of The Restaurant was broadcast in the United Kingdom from 29 August to 17 October in 2007. The programme aired on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 8 pm on BBC Two, over a total of fifteen episodes. It marked the start of a three-series run for the concept.
BBC Two is the second flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom, Isle of Man and Channel Islands. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tends to broadcast more "highbrow" programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio channels, it is funded by the television licence, and is therefore free of commercial advertising. It is a comparatively well-funded public-service network, regularly attaining a much higher audience share than most public-service networks worldwide.
The second series of The Restaurant is a television series that aired in the United Kingdom on BBC Two from 10 September to 29 October in 2008. Auditions took place in Manchester and London during March and April 2008.
In the US, the show was retitled Last Restaurant Standing by BBC America. The first series aired in spring 2008, the second in spring 2009, and the third in winter 2010. [1]
BBC America is an American pay television network that is jointly owned by BBC Studios and AMC Networks.
In July 2010, the BBC announced that the show has officially ended. [2]
Nine couples with little or no restaurant experience competed in a series of challenges whilst running their own restaurants. Challenges were set by Raymond Blanc, a successful French chef who owns a number of restaurants in the UK, most notably Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons. The couples lived together in a shared house during the eight-week series. [3]
Raymond Blanc OBE is a French chef. He is one of Britain's most respected chefs. Blanc is the chef patron 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 Good Food Guide. He is entirely self-taught, but has himself taught or employed other chefs including Heston Blumenthal, John Burton-Race, Michael Caines, Paul Liebrandt, and Marco Pierre White.
Each week, Blanc set a task, such as to make as much profit from selling cocktails or desserts. Each couple's restaurant was visited by Blanc's "inspectors" – restaurant industry experts David Moore and Sarah Willingham - who reported back to Blanc on the service, food and organisation of each. There was then a "boardroom" showdown in which each couple was given individual feedback. All couples were then called in together and the "Restaurant of the Week" award was presented to the couple deemed to have performed the best during the task. Blanc then named the three (or two in later episodes) poorest performing couples that would perform a further challenge. [3]
A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink, which is either a combination of spirits, or one or more spirits mixed with other ingredients such as fruit juice, flavored syrup, or cream. There are various types of cocktails, based on the number and kind of ingredients added. The origins of the cocktail are debated.
Dessert is a course that concludes a meal. The course usually consists of sweet foods, such as confections dishes or fruit, and possibly a beverage such as dessert wine or liqueur, however in the United States it may include coffee, cheeses, nuts, or other savory items regarded as a separate course elsewhere. In some parts of the world, such as much of central and western Africa, and most parts of China, there is no tradition of a dessert course to conclude a meal.
David Moore is a restaurateur based in the United Kingdom.
In the specific challenge, the three couples chose or were assigned helpers from amongst the other contestants. They then competed again in tasks such as selling the most meals in a cafeteria. The couple deemed to be the worst performing were eliminated by Blanc, with the line "I'm closing your restaurant".
For its first two series, The Restaurant was shown twice a week; the first being the task in which all couples took part, and the second being the challenge and subsequent elimination of one couple. In the third series, this was reduced to one episode a week.
The theme music was written by Dru Masters, [4] and other music used included "Waltz No. 2" from Shostakovich's Jazz Suite and '"Showtime" from the soundtrack to Magnolia composed by Jon Brion. Some music from the Amelie soundtrack was used the series. "Let's Groove Again" by Gonzales was used as the music for the programme's promotional trailer.
The BBC announced the production of The Restaurant in October 2006, with chef and restaurateur Raymond Blanc named as the star of the series. [5] Blanc invested a six-figure sum of money into the programme, and was described as being "very excited" about the series. [6] The first series began airing on 29 August 2007 and drew to a close on 17 October 2007. The series saw married couple Jeremy and Jane Hooper win the chance to set up their own restaurant, Eight at the Thatch, in the Oxfordshire town Thame, which opened in November 2007. [7] After a period of maternity/paternity leave, Jeremy and Jane stepped down and left Eight at the Thatch, on 5 May, [8] [9] 2008 their brief tenure marked by reported rampant arguments and failure[ citation needed ].
On 28 January 2008 the BBC confirmed the return of the programme for a second series, which began airing on 10 September 2008. [10] It is reported in The Aylesbury Commuter newspaper (8/5/08) that two local restaurants, The Green Dragon in Haddenham and Le Bistro in Wendover are to feature in the next series, which commenced filming 21 May 2008. The Ben Johnson at Weston On The Green, near Oxford, also features in the next series. [11] The final episode of the second series was screened on 29 October 2008, in which finalists Michele and Russell competed against James Knight-Pacheco and Alasdair Hooper to provide a high class five-course meal to passengers on the Orient Express. The programme concluded as Raymond Blanc chose to start a new restaurant with winners Michele English and Russell Clement. [12]
A third series of The Restaurant aired on BBC2 and BBC HD in 2009 and was won by JJ Goodman and James Hopkins. The victory was surprising to some as JJ had no kitchen experience, being instead a mixologist. The BBC defended the decision stating "the judges liked their ability to think on their feet, their work ethic and their concept." [13] They beat runners up Christopher Hackett and Nathan Gooding in the final.
Chef! is a British situation comedy starring Lenny Henry that aired as twenty episodes over three series from 1993 to 1996 on the BBC. The show was created and primarily written by Peter Tilbury based on an idea from Lenny Henry and produced for the BBC by Henry's production company, Crucial Films.
The Good Food Guide is an annual guidebook to the best restaurants in the United Kingdom which has been published since 1951. It has been published by Waitrose since August 2013. It was previously published by Which?books.
My Restaurant Rules is an Australian reality television series that aired on the Seven Network.
James Martin is a British chef and television presenter, best known for his television work with the BBC and ITV.
Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons is a luxury hotel-restaurant in the village of Great Milton near Oxford, in Oxfordshire, England. It is located in an historic manor house near the church that was visited by Oliver Cromwell. which in March 2014 introduced a new brand name, Belmond. At this point the hotel changed its name to Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons. In December 2018 Belmond was acquired by LVMH.
Paul Heathcote MBE is a chef, restaurateur and food consultant who spent two years under the guidance of Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons. He has appeared on many UK food television shows. Paul is one of only two chefs in the North West of England ever to hold two Michelin Stars, which he held at his Longridge restaurant. He sold the last of his restaurant group in 2015 and at one period owned 15 restaurants as well as an events and contract catering business. Heathcote is a triple Catey winner and previous winner of the Egon Roney Chef of the Year. Heathcotes Outside catered for contracts at a number of sporting stadia including Liverpool Football Club, Preston North End, Warrington Rugby League, Sale Rugby Union Chester Race Course, and concerts Liverpool Echo Arena. The business was sold to Lindley in 2007 and he remained with the main board until its sale to Centerplate in 2013. Paul has returned into event catering with Heathcote&Co. Heathcote&Co continue to hold a contract to cater at Manchester International Festival MIF, the Macron Stadium home of Bolton Wanderers Football Club, 125 Bedroom Bolton Whites Hotel and workplace canteen Social Mess. Bolton Wanderers have been awarded gold for the best food and hospitality in any medium size stadium in the UK 2017 and third, bronze, in the country for 2017. Heathcote&Co had previously been awarded Silver in 2015 & 2016 by Stadium events and hospitality awards #SEHA . He is the author of two books Rhubarb & Black Pudding and HeatHCOTE at home.
Elisha Carter is a British chef who appeared in the BBC television series Great British Menu in 2008. He is Head Chef at The Landau restaurant located in The Langham, London.
The third and final series of The Restaurant is a television series that aired in the United Kingdom on BBC Two from 29 October to 17 December in 2009.
Éric Chavot is a French Michelin starred chef. He is working the head chef at the Bob Bob Cité and Bob Bob Ricard restaurants in London, as well as the consultant chef at the Royal Albert Hall's Coda restaurant. Born in Arcachon, Gironde, Chavot was trained at the Boucanier, then at the Patio.
David Goodridge, is the Chef de Cuisine of the venerable Gaddi's restaurant at the Peninsula Hong Kong hotel.
Alan Murchison is a Michelin-starred Scottish chef and restaurateur, living and working in England.
James Knight-Pacheco is a television personality who has appeared in cooking shows on the BBC. Knight-Pacheco and Alasdair Hooper were the runners-up in Raymond Blanc's BBC Two programme The Restaurant. Blanc offered them both a job at Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons. In 2010, Knight-Pacheco and Hooper hosted a BBC Two series on event catering Out of the Frying Pan.
Shaun Dickens is a chef who owns the Shaun Dickens at the Boathouse restaurant in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.
Thomas "Tommy" Banks is a British Michelin Star winning head chef. His restaurant, The Black Swan at Oldstead, was rated the best in the world in 2017 according to TripAdvisor.
Frances Atkins is a British chef. When she won a Michelin star at the Yorke Arms in 2003, she was the first female British chef to win a star.
Florence Knight is a British chef and newspaper columnist, best known for her work at the restaurant Polpetto in London. She has also written for both The Times and the Sunday Times.
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