A real game of two halves this season – the format whittles down 2 cohorts before bringing them together for a further winnowing, and I’ve never seen such an outrageously talented group in one half, and then a more “survival
MasterChef 2024
The bespectacled ogre and his scrotum-faced keeper drag another batch of hopefuls through the repetitive competitive kitchen-based challenge, this year spicing things up by bringing back a busload of near-misses from last season. Was that for variety, or because there
Great British Menu 2024
The great marathon of high-end culinary art returns – proving once again that the standard of cooking in some parts of the country is far, far higher than others. Although that dubious regionality still shines through. This year’s crop were
Great British Menu 2023
We signed on for the high-end culinary ultra-marathon that is Great British Menu, and once again were astonished at the variance in quality levels and kitchen skill between the different regions. Also baffling was the way in which contestants were
Masterchef: The Professionals (2022 / Season 15)
My favourite cooking show. Judged by my favourite chef. What’s not to love? The skills tests this year were pretty brutal, and the departure of Monica Galletti was ably covered by Anna Haugh, who’s forged a formidable place for herself
Great British Menu 2022
The best way to consume this, I think, is to have it on in the background & dip in and out periodically – otherwise you’d lose your mind. Notionally interesting due to the regional heats/finals nature of the contest, the
Masterchef: The Professionals – 2021 / Season 14
Possibly the most appealing aspect of this cooking competition programme is that everybody in it is competent. The field of entries for “The Professionals” has clearly been sifted thoroughly before we get to the first round – and though the
Masterchef: The Professionals (2020)
I normally can’t be arsed with any kind of “reality TV”, because people are knobs (this is based on years of attempts to see wtf people saw in Big Brother, and failing to get it)… but this one seemed different
The Great British Bake Off – Season 11
It’s plausible that I’ve seen more than just Season 11 of GBBO this year – Liz has undergone rather a deep dive on the franchise, following my presenting her with a Kitchen Aid last Christmas… so I suppose I’ve been