Come Dine With Me: The Professionals programme information
Category: News ReleaseBritain’s favourite daytime cooking competition is back for a new series, and for the first time ever on Come Dine with Me it’ll be professional chefs battling it out in the kitchen.
All-new Come Dine With Me: The Professionals will celebrate the wonderful variety of restaurants and the amazing characters who work in them across the UK, with this series heading to Glasgow, Cardiff, Newcastle, Nottingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Birmingham, London and Manchester.
In each episode, three local restaurant duos will go head to head as they take it in turns to host the others for a three course dinner and prove they’ve got what it takes to win the £1,000 prize. At the end of each meal, the visiting restaurant pairs will score their host’s dinner out of 20, with the highest scorers overall scooping the prize.
There’ll be stunning cooking, hilarious hosting, no shortage of drama and some secret scoring as these restaurateurs do battle for the coveted cash prize.
Come Dine With Me: The Professionals starts Monday 27 June. Watch the series weekdays at 5pm on Channel 4 and watch free All 4
Episode 1 – Yorkshire
Monday 27 June
Today’s brand new Come Dine With Me: The Professionals heads to Yorkshire, where first to host are purveyors of posh nosh, Chef/Owner Ben and front of house Jo at their intimate dining restaurant The Barn.
Will their love fueled menu set the pulses racing for fellow guests Chef Brian and his business partner and other half Lisa of Disco Kitchen and Fint restaurant owner and Chef Simon with his manager Sakina.
Day two sees Brian and Lisa try and impress with their eclectic menu of French classics and a platter of street food treats? But will some kitchen friction spill over and spoil their night.
For the final night, it’s the turn of Scandi inspired restaurant Fint to put on a spread. But will some of the quirky vegan alternatives prove too leftfield for the others?
Episode 2 – Bristol
Tuesday 28 June
Today’s brand new Come Dine With Me Professionals heads to Bristol where our first hosts are Mexican restaurant Dalia Cucina owner/chef Kirsty and front of house Tamsin.
Battling them for the £1,000 prize are mother and daughter team Jeanette and Jaida from vegan Caribbean Fi Real who cry out for more flavour in the pork stew main. Head chef Neil and front of house Paulo from Mediterranean Bambalan find fault with the main too, but it’s energetic Tamsin who makes the most impact on the group and keeps the laughs going.
Day two sees Bambalan chef supremo Neil helped in the kitchen by Paulo, Their slick well-presented food gets the diners excited, but whilst the main is a hit, the hard base on the cheesecake is a let down.
Jeanette gets up and shows off her dancing skills, much to her daughter Jaida’s embarrassment while Paulo ends the meal with a Ukulele sing song, inviting the group to share their thoughts on the meal. Cue awkward on-the-spot disaster for Kirsty and a head in hands moment for poor Jaida.
The final night sees Fi Real hosting but after the success of the previous nights they have it all to do. Their lentil stew gets the evening off to a great start with positively rave reviews but the spicy jerk tofu main puts a dint in their chances.
A reggae boogie with other guests and kitchen staff getting involved but will it be enough to give them the edge and grab the grand?
Episode 3 – South Wales
Wednesday 29 June
Today’s brand new Come Dine With Me Professionals heads to South Wales, where Prego start the week with sibling duo Toni and Andrea aiming to provide a fully authentic Italian experience for their guests.
Martine and Lana from the Lamb and Flag have problems with the prawn starter, while Dan and Rhys from La Cocina Tapas pay compliments to the carbonara main. There’s a smashing singalong (in more ways than one) before a dessert debate over the tiramisu.
Dan and Rhys are hoping to see off the competition with their fresh Spanish servings on day two while Toni and Andrea are put off by the medium rare pork during the main however it’s Martine and Lana’s preferences across the night that put the hosts’ noses out of joint.
The culmination of the competition at the Lamb and Flag sees Martine and Lana serving posh pub grub to their guests. Dan and Rhys dish up some cutting comments over the goats cheese crumpet starter, before Toni and Andrea baulk at the burgers brought out for the main.
Toni takes centre stage during the week’s second singsong but the hosts week finishes with a whimper when they serve their waffles.
Have they done enough to take home this week’s wedge?
Episode 4 – East London
Thursday 30 June
Kicking off the competition in East London are Chef/Owner Nina and front of house Chloe of Jellyfish - Lebanese inspired street food served in one of the area’s most popular live music pubs.
Up against them for the £1,000 prize are meat loving Brazilian chef Eduardo and his Italian front of house sidekick Valentina from steakhouse, Omnino and football mad chef Victor and restaurant owner Ben of local Italian Bombetta.
Day two sees the Bombetta boys let the ingredients do the talking with simple Italian food cooked with love - but with Valentina, a real Italian, coming to visit, will it be enough to impress?
Finally it’s the turn of Omnino where it’s all about the meat for Eduardo and Valentina.
And while the stakes are high, will the scores for the steaks reach the lofty heights required to bag first place?
Episode 5 – Manchester
Friday 1 July
This week’s Manchester competition begins at Brewchimp Indian and Social club, where joint owners David and Raj are hoping to wow their guests with their Indian tapas street food.
David joins Chef Raj in the kitchen as they try to impress Alan and Michelle from One Plus Chinese Restaurant while owner Mark and Head Dawn from Wild West themed Old School BBQ bus are not shy in voicing their opinions and David reveals a little too much about himself around the table.
Day two sees Mark try and tantalise with their Texan themed menu. Raj questions the technicality of the dishes whilst Alan shows off his best Gangnam style impression. The evening ends with a good old fashioned hoedown but it’s not to everyone's liking.
Finally it’s the turn of Alan and Michelle from One Plus to impress with yet another BBQ. As Dave falls for a few knock knock jokes and Mark makes a curious confession, things seem to be going well. However, when the flames on the BBQ fail to reach the right temperature things look like they might unravel.
Have our hosts blown their chances or can they still salvage their night and be in with a chance of grabbing the £1000 prize money?
Episode 6 - Newcastle
Monday 4 July
Today’s brand new Come Dine With Me Professionals heads to Newcastle where opening the week are brothers and ‘customer service experts’ Razz and Boxa from Namaste Indian restaurant and Club Prosecco lounge.
Can Boxa’s cooking and Razz’s flirting win around their fellow guests, couple Aaron and Adam from American themed Pigalos and wind up merchants Anne and Gary from fish and chippy and restaurant, Balls of Prudhoe?
Day two sees Aaron and Adam host at their place where the word burger is banned and the meat is stacked high. But will their finger licking messy works of art survive the critique of their fellow guests?
Finally it’s Anne and Gary for whom hosting is key and while fish & chips are their bread and butter, tonight the proof will be in the pudding, the leek pudding.
Anne’s 52 years in the industry mean expectations are high, but can she hit the right notes with the food and an opera performance, which comes as a shock to some?
Episode 7 - Liverpool
Tuesday 5 July
In Liverpool, Italian Club Fish kick off the competition with married couple Rosaria and Maurizio providing their guests with a proper Italian night out.
Executive chef Dave and front of house Dimitri of Lu Ban enjoy the food but are after a little more wow factor and manager Vicky and chef Ashleigh from The Seafood Kitchen are keen to see how the fare on offer matches their own?
Day two has Seafood Kitchen stepping up to the plate. The scallop starter comes out slightly undercooked, but everyone is wowed by the seafood platter main. A conversation about who they would like to work with causes a divide between Rosaria and Maurizio while Dave and Dimitri wish they’d got to learn a bit more about their hosts.
Chinese restaurant Lu Ban is in the spotlight for the third and final night of the competition. Dave and Dimitri pull out all the stops hosting their guests at the chef’s table. The group are wowed by Dave’s tales of China but it’s also the third night of lobster! The hot and sour soup blows Rosaria’s mind, and the dessert is just a bit too sweet for husband Maurizio and Vicky and Ashleigh.
Everyone comes together when some Chinese lions turn up for a performance and they all agree it was pretty special but who has won the battle of the lobsters, and will it be enough to grab them the £1,000 prize?
Episode 8 - East London
Wednesday 6 July
In East London Filipino fusion restaurant, Rapsa, kick the competition off with owner Andrew and head chef Francis risking it all with a dish of Sisig or Pig’s head in English.
Outspoken Greek couple Nick and Elena who run Touch of Greek, are not shy in voicing their concerns about the food but chicken wing vendors Nick and Joe from the Orange Buffalo franchise keep the laughs coming with their energetic sense of humour.
Day two sees Nick and Joe try and impress their guests with their signature chicken wings and a whole host of house sauces. Despite his aversion to spice, Nick from Touch of Greek takes the Viper hot sauce challenge with some sweltering effects.
Finally, it’s the turn of Touch of Greek to show how to do it Mediterranean style. Nick produces the biggest prawns the Orange Buffalo boys have ever seen and Francis from Rapsa shows how to suck their brains out.
Everyone is overwhelmed by the amount of food on offer but they get a chance to work it off with some traditional Greek dancing. But will all this be enough to win the week and pocket the £1000 prize money?
Episode 9 - Nottingham
Thursday 7 July
Today’s Nottingham show kicks off at The Wine Room City where owner Peter and head chef Bee serve up a feast of international small plates. Our hosts go all out to impress all American Annie and Canadian Rena of Annie’s Burger Shack and Der and Bee of seafood restaurant The Lobster Pot. The starter goes well but serving up steak as medium rare is a risk as it’s not everyone’s preference and as the night draws to a close everyone’s competitive edge starts showing.
Day two sees Annie and Rena go for broke with a stateside supper. The laid-back dining and style of food isn’t popular with Bee and Peter, something that doesn’t go unnoticed by Der and Bee who find them quite particular. While the food doesn’t tickle everyone’s taste buds, Annie shares a list of famous musician fans who do love her grub and the group discover Annie’s own musical talents.
But it’s the controversial chat about the battle of the sexes in the kitchen that raises some eyebrows in dessert.
Finally, it’s Der and Bee’s turn to impress. Will their uber confident, competitive nature get the better of them? At the table the starter’s a hit but feedback on the main is mixed with Peter and Bee suggesting that the lobster is muscly and chewy.
Have our hosts done enough to be in with a chance of grabbing the £1000 prize money?
Episode 10 - Manchester
Friday 8 July
Today’s Manchester show kicks off with Hayden’s Kitchen at The Gallows in Milnrow, where husband and wife team David (chef) and Rachel (Front of House) are hoping to wow their guests with their posh pub grub.
The rival restaurateurs they’re out to impress are Saju and Ganga from Amma’s Canteen, and Jo and Mike from The Waterside. The group are soon swapping stories about the famous faces who have dined at their tables and Saju trumps everyone with a royal revelation to leave the others in awe.
Day two sees married couple Saju and Ganga tantalise with their authentic South Indian offerings, however the inclusion of cassava in their main course isn’t to everyone’s liking.
There’s further discomfort when Mike says Jo reminds him of a coconut and David choses to compare his wife Rachel to a sauteed prawn.
Finally, it’s Jo and Mike’s turn to impress with cocktails and gastro-pub cuisine from a canal-side in Eccles. The musical entertainment has the group on their feet, but the pork belly crackling gets a professional dissection leaving Mike somewhat miffed.
Have our hosts blown their chances, or have they done enough to be in with a chance of grabbing the £1000 prize money?
Episode 11 - Bristol
Monday 11 July
The Cloak and Dagger kick off the Bristol competition with Head chef Sebastian and general manager Alex showcasing their sustainable fine food. When Sebastian shares his experience of working in Michelin star restaurants, Rich and Kim from countryside pub The Boars Head are wowed and not sure they’ll ever be able to live up to his high standards.
Competitive cousins Shamil and Rodrigo who run The Coconut Tree still think they’re in with a chance though and the night comes to a hilarious end with Rich flaunting his fabulous fashion sense.
Day two sees Shamil and Rodrigo serve up a selection of authentic street food dishes using recipes handed down from their family. The starter sends Rich and Kim into a spin, Sebastian is blown away by the food and Shamil reveals a hidden talent at the table.
Finally it’s the turn of Rich and Kim to serve up some traditional food. Rich dons an outstanding final night outfit but will the night wow as much as his dress sense?
Around the table Rich and Kim reveal a candid conversation, Shamil is spooked by a story and everyone bonds over the bread and butter pudding. Will this be enough to pocket the £1000 prize?
Episode 12 - West Yorkshire
Tuesday 12 July
Today’s show is in West Yorkshire and first up are family Restaurant, The Quarry, with front of house manager Richard and chef John showcasing locally sourced British nosh.
However, our hosts find some of the feedback served up by Winston and Kenny from Japanese street food restaurant Bento, hard to swallow. Later, Tammy and Holly from the West End House pub get the fright of their lives when the gang go on a ghost hunt and a surprise appearance by a local celebrity leaves one duo somewhat underwhelmed.
Day two sees the Bento boys transporting their guests for an evening of authentic Japanese street food. Things get a little hairy when Winston debuts his brand-new look, Holly gets a lecture on table manners from Richard and Tammy and the boys turn back time when they transform into Cher in the Karaoke room
Finally, it’s Tammy and daughter Holly’s turn to host. They’re hoping to impress with their belly busting pub grub but things don’t quite go to plan and a stray ingredient threatens to derail dessert.
At the table John from the Quarry recounts tales of tea and cake with a kid’s TV icon and after another major kitchen cock-up, the girls abandon their guests when the frank feedback becomes too much to handle.
Have our hosts blown their chances or can they still salvage their night and be in with a chance of grabbing the £1000 prize money?
Episode 13 - Birmingham
Wednesday 13 July
Bun and Co are kicking off the competition in Birmingham this week, where Head Chef Ruman and front of house manager Syeem are hoping their brand of Indian style fusion fast food will wow their guests. The boys have a great deal of banter and fellow restaurateurs Jojo and Toni from The Lion Sports Bar certainly enjoy the atmosphere. Though when Toni reveals her hatred of melted cheese, Paul and Liz from the Rafters are concerned for their menu.
Day two, and it’s the turn of Chef Paul and front of house manager Liz from The Rafters Café to try and impress. As a venue who throw themed parties, the duo plump for an Oktoberfest evening, adding some fun and frolics alongside their German food. But when Toni is encouraged to taste the cheesy starter, her reaction is no laughing matter, though the same can’t be said for Ruman’s attempt at yodelling, which has the group in hysterics.
Finally, it’s up to Jojo and Toni to host, serving up some Caribbean grub at their sports pub The Lion. Jojo’s been playing her cards close to her chest and the others are keen to see if she will deliver. Some kind words about her mutton curry see a sensitive Jojo fighting back the tears. Meanwhile Toni doesn’t hold back when she delivers some home truths to Ruman. Luckily, things end on a sweeter note as Paul and Liz literally lick their plates clean. But who has done enough to pocket the £1000 prize?
Episode 14 - Newcastle
Thursday 14 July
Today’s brand new Come Dine With Me Professionals sees Newcastle husband and wife duo Steph and Daimo kick the week off in their “Cricket club restaurant” Savoury Fix with a hefty menu of comfort food.
Owner of Asian Fusion restaurant River Beat, Andy and his front of house manager Charlie are not impressed with the fare on offer but it’s Andy’s provocative manner that grinds the gears of Marc and Mark from sea food restaurant, Caboose.
Day two sees the boys from Caboose, now christened Dapper and Jazzy, pull out all the stops in service and presentation. Andy and Charlie are impressed by the boys’ efforts but Daimon and Steph are overwhelmed by the “military”-style operation of the restaurant and Steph can’t get over her fear of seafood.
The third and final night sees Andy and Charlie finally put their money where their mouths are with their cuisine. But more seafood on menu and fragrant rice, concerns Steph and Daimo.
Dapper and Jazzy from Caboose are wondering whether the River Beat boys can live up to their high expectation, win the week and pocket the £1000 prize money?
Episode 15 - Liverpool
Friday 15 July
In Liverpool, Harringtons, a local Tapas restaurant (with an international twist) kick off the competition with mum and son duo James and Lisa with some good fun, family vibes and an eclectic mix of food.
Guests Andres and Dave will be measuring the fare against their own Spanish restaurant Esto Es Espana, while Jisha and Sabuji see many similarities with their own family run place Kerala Kitchen.
Day two sees Andres and Dave taking the reins and trying to impress with a perfect paella made by the King of Paella, no less. Although not everyone’s cup of tea, there’s plenty to please, including some very chatty prawns and a shared love of Liverpool.
Finally it’s the turn of Kerala Kitchen to show how they do it southern Indian style. With a first timer to curry in their midst, they’ve got their work cut out, but with the food being more about flavour than heat, it’s all to play for.
They deliver a performance of traditional Kathak dancing to help digest the meal, but will it be enough to bag the £1000 prize?
More to follow…
ENDS