The Restaurant (UK series 2)

Apprentice Candidates
canpage =
seriesname = "The Restaurant"
series = Series 2
previous = The Restaurant (UK series 1)



imagebg = black
caption = Contestants
col1 = Name
col2 = Left Show
can1 = Alasdair & James
can1-week =
can1-stat =
can2 = Helen & Stephen
can2-week =
can2-stat =
can3 = Lindsie & Tim
can3-week =
can3-stat =
can4 = Michele & Russell
can4-week =
can4-stat =
can5 = Laura & Peter
can5-week = Week 5
can5-stat = fired
can6 = Caroline & Chris
can6-week = Week 4
can6-stat = fired
can7 = Harriet & Mike
can7-week = Week 3
can7-stat = fired
can8 = Richard & Scott
can8-week = Week 2
can8-stat = fired
can9 = Annette & Kashelle
can9-week = Week 1
can9-stat = fired
legendhired =
legendrunner =
legendfired = Eliminated

The second series of "The Restaurant" is a television series currently airing in the United Kingdom on BBC Two at 8pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays. [ cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2008/01_january/28/restaurant.shtml |title=The Restaurant returns… |accessdate=2008-02-09 |date=2008-01-28 |publisher=BBC ] Auditions took place in Manchester and London during March and April 2008. [ cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/restaurant/ |title=Do you dream of running your own restaurant |accessdate=2008-02-09 |publisher=BBC ]

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.

Contestants

Chris & Caroline - a married couple from South Yorkshire ran "Ray White's" in Weston-on-the-Green, Bicester, Oxfordshire.cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/restaurant/restaurateurs/ |title=The Restaurateurs - Series 2 |accessdate=2008-09-22] [http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/2309753.county_restaurants_in_tv_contest/ County restaurants in TV contest] ] 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.cite web|url=http://www.bighospitality.co.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=2272&d=23&h=5&f=3 |title=New Restaurant recruits join Blanc for second series |accessdate=2008-09-22]

Helen & Stephen - a married couple from Cambridgeshire ran "Nel's" in Wendover, Buckinghamshire. 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 "Fanny and Johnny".

Alisdair & James - friends from Devon ran "The Gallery", near Marlow, Buckinghamshire. Alasdair works for Pizza Express as a waiter and James is a former chef de partie at The Square and Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's. They both aim to open a Michelin-starred restaurant.

Peter & Laura - a couple from South Wales ran "The Welsh Wok", in Haddenham, Buckinghamshire. [ [http://www.thametoday.co.uk/news/Haddenham-Restaurant-set-for-TV.4478947.jp Haddenham Restaurant set for TV stardom on BBC TV's The Restaurant] ] 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.

Tim & Lindsie - a married couple from Kent ran "True Provenance" in Brentford. [ [http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/521722 "The Restaurant", Series 2 - filming started?] ] [ [http://www.brentfordtw8.com/leisure/trueprovenance.htm True surprise as kimonos and pork belly form the order of the day] ] 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.

Russell & Michele - a couple from Essex ran "The Cheerful Soul" in Northwood, Middlesex. [ [http://blog.northwood.tc/2008/05/were-changing-a.html Northwood Town Crier] ] They already run a buffet business but aspire to open their own restaurant.

Harriet & Mike - a father and daughter pairing from Surrey ran "The Blue Goose" in Oxford. Mike is owner and director of two recruitment businesses and Harriet is an event planner who has worked as a Crown Court Clerk.

Scott & Richard - a couple from Sussex ran "Sorbet and Seasons" in Surbiton. [http://www.surreycomet.co.uk/news/surreycomet/3664964.Surbiton_restaurant_serves_up_reality_television/ Surbiton restaurant serves up reality television] ] Scott trained as a chef 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 & Kashelle - a mother and daughter team from South Yorkshire planned on opening "Caribbean Delights" but were eliminated without being given a restaurant. Annette is a care worker and Kashelle is a freelance actress.

Episodes

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: Alisdair & 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: Michelle & 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

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), Alistair & 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:
*In challenge:
*Challenge: Cook Book - The couples have to come up with cook books that promote their restaurant concepts.
*Eliminated:

Weekly Results

fnb|1All couples were in the challenge in the first week; Raymond revealed that only 8 of the 9 couples would receive a restaurant.
fnb|2Raymond did not nominate a restaurant of the week in Week Five, as he thought that none of the restaurants met the required standard.

The Restaurants

* Chris & Caroline's restaurant, "Ray White's" in Weston-on-the-Green, Bicester, Oxfordshire is the Ben Johnson pub.
* Helen & Stephen's restaurant, "Nel's" in Wendover, Buckinghamshire is usually Le Bistro. [http://www.bucksherald.co.uk/news/BBC-reality-TV-show-takes.4067822.jp Bucks Herald - BBC reality TV show takes over two more Aylesbury Vale restaurants] ]
* Peter & Laura's restaurant, "The Welsh Wok", in Haddenham, Buckinghamshire is usually The Green Dragon. [ [http://www.greendragonhaddenham.co.uk/ The Green Dragon] ]
* Tim & Lindsie's restaurant, "True Provenance" in Brentford at San Marco on Ferry Quays. [ [http://www.sanmarcoonthames.co.uk/index.htm San Marco] ]
* Russell & Michele's restaurant, "The Cheerful Soul" in Northwood, Middlesex is now Metro Piazza. [ [http://www.ecademy.com/module.php?mod=list&lid=140953 Athena Network Northwood] ]
* Harriet & Mike's restaurant, "The Blue Goose" in Oxford is in real life the Sahara in Blue Boar Street. [ [http://www.saharabars.co.uk/testOxford.htm Sahara Bars] ] [ [http://www.saharabars.co.uk/SaharaBBC2Info.pdf Sahara Bars - reopening] ]
* Scott & Richard's resaurant, "Sorbet and Seasons" in Surbiton is normally Da Lucio in Maple Road. [ [http://dalucio.local-restaurant.com/ Da Lucio] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/restaurant The Restaurant at BBC.co.uk]