The Restaurant (British TV series)
| The Restaurant | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Reality television |
| Starring | Raymond Blanc |
| Theme music composer | Dru Masters |
| Country of origin |  United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 16 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC Two |
| Release | 29 August 2007 – present |
The Restaurant is a British reality television series that aired on BBC Two in 2007. It is similar in format to the successful reality TV show The Apprentice.
Nine couples with little or no restaurant experience compete in a series of challenges whilst running their own restaurants. Challenges are 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 winning couple will win the opportunity to set up a brand new restaurant, financially backed and personally supported by Raymond Blanc.
Each week Blanc sets a challenge (e.g. to try and make as much profit from cocktails or desserts). The couples then compete against each other with the aim to make their restaurant the most profitable. They are visited by Blanc's "inspectors" – restaurant industry experts Lee Cash, Sarah Willingham and John Lederer who report back to Blanc on the service, food and organisation of the restaurants. There is then a "boardroom" showdown whereby each couple is given individual (and private) feedback. All couples then attend together and the "Restaurant of the Week" award is presented. Blanc then decides which are the three lowest performing restaurants that will perform a further challenge the following day.
In the specific challenge, the three weakest couples choose helpers from amongst the already safe couples. They then compete again in a different task such as selling the most meals in an office cafeteria. The worst performing couple would then be eliminated after being told "I'm closing your restaurant".
The Restaurant is shown twice a week. On the first show of the week, all the couples compete against each other and on the second show the three lowest performing couples compete in a specifically designed challenge. At the end of this show, one set of couples is eliminated.
From 6th September The Restaurant - You're Fried! (a reference to the BBC's Apprentice spin off show The Apprentice - You're Fired!) began showing on BBC Three directly following the elimination show. The losing couple are interviewed in front of a studio audience.
Although the theme is written by Dru Masters, music by other artists is used during the broadcast, most prominent being Waltz No. 2 from Shostakovich's Jazz Suite and Showtime from the soundtrack to Magnolia composed by Jon Brion.
Series 1
Contestants
| Contestants | Restaurant | Location | Serving... | Eliminated | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris and Jade, hospitality workers | Studio New York | Oxford, Oxfordshire | Fine French dining using local produce | Week 1 | |
| Sam and Jacqui, jazz drummer and actress wife | The Ostrich | Fairford, Gloucestershire | American with jazz music | Week 2 | |
| Tom and Nicola, seed selling businesswoman and son | Monks | Shipton, Oxfordshire | Twenties colonial, locally sourced food | Week 3 | |
| Ed and Mike, brothers | The Treacle Well | Watlington, Oxfordshire | Simple traditional food | Week 4 | |
| Martin and Emma, prison chef and bingo caller | Bravo! | Banbury, Oxfordshire | Minimalism and warmth | Week 5 | |
| Grant and Laura, couple with newborn baby | Jaques Tamsons | Windsor, Berkshire | Modern Scottish-French fusion | ||
| Jeremy and Jane, Royal Marines chef and wife | 8 in the Country | "rural" Buckinghamshire | Modern and classy | ||
| Jess and Laura, twins and children's entertainers | Brown and Green | Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire | Home-grown organic | ||
| Lloyd and Adwoa, Ghana catering business | Spinach & Agushi | Englefield Green, Surrey | Modern Ghanaian |
Episodes
1) Restaurants opening weekend
2) Elimination challenge: Organizing a function
Restaurant of the week: Jeremy and Jane
Bottom 3: Chris and Jade (eliminated), Lloyd and Adwoa, Sam and Jacqui
3) Make profits from cocktails and desserts
4) Elimination challenge: Canteen catering
Restaurant of the week: Jess and Laura
Bottom 3: Sam and Jacqui (eliminated), Martin and Emma, Tom and Nicola
5) Cater for families, by creating marketing strategies and good suitable food
6) Elimination challenge: Evening of local food with a local history theme
Restaurant of the week: Lloyd and Adwoa
Bottom 3: Tom and Nicola (eliminated), Grant and Laura, Jeremy and Jane
7) Sell as may dishes as possible with Raymond's surprise ingredient, eel
8) Elimination challenge: Cater for a banquet at Blenheim Palace
Restaurant of the week: Jess and Laura
Bottom 3: Ed and Mike (eliminated), Martin and Emma, Lloyd and Adwoa
9) Create a distinctive brand that sells itself
10) Elimination challenge: Create ready meals for supermarkets
Restauraunt of the week: Grant and Laura
Bottom 3:Martin and Emma (eliminated), Jeremy and Jane, Jess and Laura