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Alex Polizzi takes on the difficult challenge of finding head chefs for restaurants that have a desperate need to fill a vacancy.
2015
Alex starts her search at The Gilpin in the Lake District, whose family owners want to find a new executive head chef who will love the business as much as they do.
Alex continues to try and find an executive head chef for Lake District restaurant The Gilpin as three new candidates' butchery skills tested as they are presented with a traditional saddle of hogget.
There is just one place left in the final, and the pressure is on for the final three candidates to try and secure that place.
Three candidates have made it through to the final and are challenged is to come up with a three-course fine-dining menu for a restaurant full of regular and discerning diners.
Alex attempts to find a new head chef for Mario and Karen Constantinides, the owners of the Miners Arms gastropub in Whitecroft, Gloucestershire. The first three candidates are put to to the test.
Alex continues to try and find a head chef for the Miners Arms gastropub in Whitecroft, Gloucestershire. The next set of candidates are put to the test.
The candidates have to deal with wild boar for their skills test as they battle it out to try and secure the one place left in the final.
With the job of a head chef position on offer, the tension in the kitchen is high as the remaining candidates battle it out to try and secure the position.
Alex tackles Amélies, a harbour-side seafood restaurant in the picturesque town of Porthleven in Cornwall. Owner Sam Sheffield Dunstan gave up a high-flying career in London five years ago to fulfil a lifetime ambition of opening a restaurant. However, her dream is turning into a nightmare as she has failed to attract the right head chef to such a remote location. She's now turned to Alex in desperation to help find the right person. Over a week, Alex will offer up nine candidates to be put through a rigorous interview process. As well as testing their technical cooking skills, all candidates will have a face-to-face interview and a chance to cook a signature dish which shows off their culinary flair. But at the end of the week only one can get the job. The first three candidates are put through a gruelling hands-on interview process. First off, the candidates are given the local but little-used ingredient of spider crab to test their ability in getting to grips with tricky seafood. Experienced chef Aaron raises Sam's hackles with his over-familiarity, whereas laid-back surfer Tom needs to convince that he's as serious about the job as he is about the waves. Family man Martin warms all of their hearts with his enthusiasm and passion... but can he actually cook fish?
Alex Polizzi continues on her mission to help restaurants hire desperately needed head chefs. She continues with Amélies, a seafood restaurant in the Cornish coastal town of Porthleven, which after months of searching has failed to find the right chef to run the kitchen. In the first heat, the first successful candidate was put through to the final. Now the next three candidates are put through the grueling hands-on interview process. After failing to impress with a soggy starter, amiable Irishman Barry hopes to impress with a daring main course of hare and rainbow pasta. Can experienced chef Paul stop talking long enough to convince owner Sam he is the right fit for her restaurant, and will 20-year-old Chris's fearless decision to put a duo of lamb on a seafood restaurant menu prove to be his undoing?
Alex continues her mission at Amélies, a seafood restaurant in Cornwall whose owner has spent months looking unsuccessfully for someone to run her kitchen. Two successful candidates have been selected. Now the next three candidates are put through the gruelling hands-on interview process. This time, the candidates are faced with cooking fish in a wood-fired oven and all three chefs struggle with the heat and their timings. Portuguese fisherwoman Celia impresses with her cuttlefish stew but is her roasted octopus a step too far? Charming Frenchman Fabien fails to tell his sea bass from his sea bream but wows the judges with his main course. Robert proves to be cool in the kitchen but struggles to take criticism. There's only one place left in the final and the pressure is on.
It's the final at Amélies, a seafood restaurant in the Cornish coastal town of Porthleven. Over the week, Alex offered up nine candidates to be put through a rigorous interview process. Three were selected to go through to a final interview. Owner Sam is upset to discover that two finalists have decided her restaurant is too remote to continue with the interview process, so Alex jumps in to redo the shortlist. Their challenge is a tough one - to produce a three course wedding menu to be tested by a restaurant full of Sam's family and friends. They will also have to manage a brigade of chefs testing not only their cooking skills, but also their ability to run a kitchen. As service continues, the cracks begin to show with a disastrously burnt main course and an undercooked pear desert. It's all hands on deck if the hungry diners are going to be fed. The pressure begins to take its toll on Sam - should she make her decision based on her head or her heart? At the end of the night, one candidate will be selected to become the new head chef - and it's a tough decision.
Alex tackles Potli, an Indian market food restaurant in London's Hammersmith. Owners Jay and Uttam have endured an agonising six-month search for a new head chef to help take their first steps towards opening a small chain of restaurants. They've now turned to Alex for help to find the right person. Over a week, Alex will offer up nine candidates to be put through a rigorous interview process. As well as demonstrating their technical cooking skills, all candidates will have a face-to-face interview and a chance to cook a signature dish which shows off their culinary flair. But at the end of the week only one can get the job. The first three candidates are put through a gruelling hands-on interview process. In the first skill test, who can identify the fish and then make the right choice for starters? Will Skye's bohemian style be just what the restaurant is looking for, and will Saurabh's fine dining technique be inspired or a touch too much? At the end of the day, one chef will be selected to go through to a final interview at the end of the week.
Alex continues with Potli in the heart of Hammersmith, a restaurant serving Indian market food and in desperate need of a new head chef to help build the owners' dream of a restaurant chain. Yesterday's interview had an unexpected result and the pressure is on Alex to find an outstanding candidate. The next three candidates are put through the gruelling hands-on interview process. Who will identify the correct three nuts to make an authentic korma? Indian cuisine novice Stuart is full of surprises with his signature dish. Will Kuldeep's celebrity chef training be enough to demonstrate now is his time to shine? With expectations high, the chefs need to be as confident with their profit margins as with their cooking. Competition is tough, as only one will be selected to go through to the final interview at the end of the week.
Alex continues her mission with Potli, an Indian market restaurant in London's Hammersmith, whose owners are desperate to find a head chef to help realise their ambition of expanding a restaurant chain. Yesterday another successful candidate was selected. Here, the last three candidates are put through the gruelling hands-on interview process. The tandoor skill test puts chefs immediately under pressure to produce an authentic tandoori chicken. Can Bindi's infectious enthusiasm and years of home cooking fit into a professional kitchen or will her lack or restaurant know-how be her undoing? Mark is the most experienced candidate but has no professional experience of cooking Indian food - however, maybe his maverick fusion approach could be just what they need. And when it comes to costs, who will be bang on the money? There's only one place left in tomorrow's final and the pressure is on.
It's the final at Potli, a restaurant serving Indian market food in the heart of Hammersmith. Over the week, Alex has offered up nine candidates to be put through a rigorous interview process. It's now the final interview. With just two candidates having secured their places, it's back to the shortlist to give one chef a golden opportunity. Their challenge is the ultimate test - to produce an authentic three-course menu to be tested by a restaurant full of owners Jay and Uttam's toughest critics... their loyal regulars. The candidates also have to manage a brigade of chefs testing not only their cooking skills but also their ability to run a kitchen. When true expectations come to light, it calls for a tough early decision to be made. Will an Indian variation of fish and chips delight or dismay? Can an out-of-this-world dessert be enough to sweeten the deal? And can the chefs work together to run a smooth service and satisfy the owners and diners' demands? At the end of the night, one candidate will be selected to become the new head chef - and it's a tough decision.
Alex Polizzi
Herself - Presenter
