gordon revisits momma cherri and is disappointed :( | Kitchen Nightmares UK

[Music] two years ago I came to Brighton to fix Sharita Jones's failing soul food restaurant and it became one of my biggest success stories now I'm back to check on his progress hi guys H look at you M Soul Food joint has certainly gone up in the world look at the size of that [ __ ] but it turns out bigger doesn't necessarily mean better where's our standards gone on what the [ __ ] are we doing has so in the bowl become mold in a bowl if this food isn't as good as the shack yeah your [ __ ] history Brighton London by the Sea loads of locals and a steady stream of hungry tourists nesting just a Stones throw away from the seafront is Mama Sherry's sold Food Shack offering Classics from America's Deep South oh nice nice nice the big Soul M AKA Sharita Jones has raised 33 foster children but running her first restaurant is proving a far bigger handful it's all going to just kind of go and fall apart so I don't want it to fall apart God it's definitely a Shack on the outside anyway [ __ ] up Caravan is this it shita Sharita Gordon good to see you nice to see you this is small and qu welcome it's quaint it's cozy I'll say it's like walking it's like walking into your front Lounge thank you and that's what it's supposed to be about because I tend to spend all my life here this has got to be my front room otherwise when do I get to kick my feet up so just after three and a half years despite throwing everything at this place place and working 7 days a week Sharita is still in serious debt to the tune of £65,000 and who's the chef I'm kind of the chef I come from a background of big mamas and all of them cook it's called stick to your ribs basically stick to your roots ribs oh Ribs Right To Your Roots to your ribs Mama Sher Shack seats 40 at an extremely intimate squeeze but I am not a w Indian but sadly for Sharita that's not often a problem as weekday trade is virtually non-existent it's great at the weekends but somehow we've discovered that we're in a hole we're just in this hole a financial hole that we can't claw our way out of have you made any money since you've been open nope not a penny not a single penny have we made since we've been opened it's hard to put our finger on why is it critical I mean how long how long can you continue staying like this truthfully truthfully I'd say 3 6 months maximum maximum no customers no money right it's time to check out the kitchen God Sharita calls herself the cook but Brian moyo is her head chef so who's in charge how you doing dude F thank you did you do this and all that and Paul and uh I try not to he don't go for cliche so are you the head chef or you the cook what are you um I'm confused well I was employed to Come As a head chef but because of uh problems with financing and things like that so don't let me stop it I took a a sit back so who who writes the menu uh shita has written everything she does everything basically you got a cushy job then really haven't you you could say that as a chef yes pretty chill yeah as a chef yes it's pretty sh but a head chef who doesn't write the menu and only works 35 hours a week next he'll be telling me he's forgotten how to cook here you go got some catfish gons with Hush Puppy in our homemade pineapple salsa it's actually quite nice very um very delicate fish and um it's nicely fried very light really nice thank you be back with your Ms sh it down my mom it God for M my plates piled high with a clumsy mess of ribs spicy chicken jumbal and corn and bean suckatash I hope he likes it [ __ ] hell those ribs so tender have to say it's thr on the plate with no real care but it tastes phenomenal this may be the first time I actually should go back to the kitchen with an empty plate um thank you bloody delicious thank you and you know what thank you I thought it was going to be really spicy but turned down and it was spot on and it actually made me feel like I was back at Mom's for the first time oh and having some home cooking it was very good get me crying there are things I would change okay F and I'm happy I'm happy to hear about that I can't take a picture of this place I know it sounds crazy I know it sounds crazy M your head M your head oh God I fed G Ramsey and he cleaned his place how the hell did you turn that thing off she doesn't shut up rabbit rabbit rabbit rabbit rabbit rabbit [ __ ] shita down home style should be a unique selling point but it ain't working I need to go back to the kitchen and find out why Friday and Sharita is tackling most of the day's preparation single-handedly in a desperate bid to save money part of this is you know you've got to get your hands dirty concerned marinating meat making dressings sauces and bacon are all crucial things to prepare in advance of a busy service and it's just shaking off the excess but deep frying chicken wings 8 hours in advance of their first booking that can't be right so why' you cook them now because if you cook them off now and leave them to cool when the order comes in it's just a matter of picking out how many we need and they go back in and they come back up to a nice and they don't go try no no I'm beginning to suspect the good old home cooking isn't as wholesome as it could be they smell good most of it's coming from the freezer rather than the soul how many freezes have we got 13 13 Freez Freez [ __ ] me by the time Brian turns up there's not much left for him to do so you can't really feel like a a chef if you've got shita in the kitchen every morning cooking the food and you come in that's I'm saying send it in the sense that you're not actually really cooking you're just coming in and putting things together putting things together yes it's kind of hard yes have you lost motivation yes so if sherita's head Chef's gone off the boil I'm hoping her remaining crew of part-timers have a bit more spunk heading up front of house is Lauren she arrives 10 minutes late for the evening service 20-year-old ad seems to be more committed to his glamorous day job so why panel beating uh I don't know it's just finish at all four every day kitchen Porter Gavin lives next door but he appears to turn up when he feels like it and sh's librarian husband Phil hot foots it back from the day job to become basement ban and resident DJ he looks like you'll wash her uper no way he does that as well these and numerous other part-time staff are all members of M sher's big laidback family so when he's in the ship middle of service he slide them down like [ __ ] Michael Jackson yes oh [ __ ] now I hate to ruin a good party but if you want to run a successful business then the terms laid-back and professional just don't mix it's not just about how good the food tastes it's about how it [ __ ] gets there as well and that is crucial we can't wait to see this team of jokers in action all right so we get going cuz they're hungry immediately it's clear who's the mummer in this kitchen I'm getting you a chili pepper cuz you ain't no just the one can I take the seeds out at least Sharita talks to them like they're her children and she's the only one cooking anything from fresh I need to start cooking up these SE now okay shita all of the second uh party you're in all right okay two potatoes skins onion me cornbread two pieces can I get some jumble heated up please for Brian and AD it's just an elab Heating and plating up exercise mountings of messy food School dinner style a D minus must try harder that's hot gravy y yeah on hot turkey yep served on cold plates yep with cold salad yep what's he laughing at this is serious you weren't going to break sweat there were you oh you w yeah know he's about to kick off when there's twice as many Star as there need be this should be an absolute Breeze but she we just killing herself trying to do everything we got everything in the basement yeah everything's [Music] gone [ __ ] paying two fully qualified chefs to dress and send a plate of nachos come on that's a sure fine way to break a business [ __ ] up painful okay very very painful right tonight on several occasions you're standing here cooking away in a world of your own yeah and these guys standing there just almost playing with themselves because they're waiting for something from you if you are the head chef yes then you're going to have to start taking the rains yeah yeah I want to try and get through a busy night without pissing your pants with Laughter 2 hours pure concentration without laughing okay and I bet you can't do it I can do it are you [ __ ] smiling already if there was ever a case of too many cooks this is it one of them will have to go the pantsed already I said no smiling no laughing serious okay set a [ __ ] example and do not be scared to get rid of baggage Brighton's best kept secret mama Sherry Soul Food shack it's so well kept it's losing ,000 a week no one in 20 P 10 in the morning no by day three I've uncovered a couple of reasons why I know it's chilled but [ __ ] hell not as chilled as a snapper why is no one here this time in the morning it's ridiculous firstly the food's good but it could be so much better where's uh where's Brian let me give you a hand Brian yeah I have no idea you should be your soon secondly there are far too many staff and most of them aren't pulling their weight late this morning yes uh what you do to him when he's late nothing nothing I'm just going to wash up right now so you're washing up as well she's in she opens up brings all the supplies upstairs you should be ashamed of yourself ran sh's next task is to make a huge batch of macaroni cheese that will last her for two whole weeks just keep this going a this is coming up nicely hot from the stove her food is irresistible people will travel miles to taste it what do you think I like that yeah yeah very nice but like a lot of our home cooking this lot is destined for the freezer where its delicious texture and flavor will be lost forever well you cook beautifully yeah and I don't understand why you want to freeze it when it's so tasty well well I think I don't think I want it's not a case of wanting no I think you've got into a habit I've gotten a habit which is a lazy habit you're not lazy CU he works so bloody hard he's lazy it's a matter he's definitely lazy if you turn up for work half an hour late in my kitchen trust me you'd be home for the day looking for a new [ __ ] job to be honest it's no wonder Brian's lost heart the man's been working in a kitchen for as long as I have but to save money he's been sidelined I was gone by so much so he's rarely involved in actually making any of the food there is a kind of a method to my madness but you're throwing it together um it looks like I'm throwing it together but I throw it together the exact same way every single week so when you're not doing it who does it I'm doing it oh that's my point okay if shita was using Brian properly they could ditch the freezers once and for all and the macaroni and cheese is nearly there that looks delicious I think that should go to star food yeah I think so does look good doesn't it as it stands few customers will taste the food at its best sh has thrown away her unique selling [Music] point and boy does she need one it's uh 10 1 Saturday lunchtime and this place should be absolutely round and there's not a soul in [Music] there this is D Saturday and Sunday are your Prime days for business but like many failing restaurants sh is making some classic mistakes po man's me High yeah £8 yeah I know it's going to be good M it yet you go onto the menu here you've got main courses at 14 yeah £5 mhm why have they gone up so expensive um to pay my bills to be blunt it bank manager yeah um accountant and I was saying help me help me how do I do this they say you only got you got to raise your prices you got to raise your prices always the bank manager's solution put your prices and it was it was literally down to the bank manager well he's an [ __ ] oh good it's the business I want to look at restructuring the menu making it a little bit shorter okay tweaking the portion size all right having less come back 60% our bones come back but it's that 40% I want to work on the objective for every customer come through that door is to have a starter a Ms and a dessert okay you wait and see the turnover treble if you can squeeze three courses out of them okay but before we can squeeze anything out of anybody we need customers and if they're not coming to us we've got to take Mama sher's finger licking food to them so got the meatloaf oh my God got the ribs okay got the chicken that smells amazing oh smelling so good so good and who better to flaunt it than the mama herself don't be shy whoa I'm going to come to you since you're not coming to me this is all cooked fresh at Mama Cherry soul food sh just around the corner there pretty pretty good this particular food is called soul food okay cooked from the soul from the heart boy she's good a soul food evangelist and she's out to convert the whole of Brighton soul food can I hear you all say it all right just wind her up and let her go give me some more Wings all right don't forget this time it's on the house next time they're paying you y did you cook this yes I did I love it there's no doubt that Sharita is a terrific cook but she's employing Brian to do that job and I'm beginning to realize she's wasted in the kitchen what's it called just call me Mama thank you Mama you got it with Saturday night service about to begin it's time to get this Shack in order it's pretty obvious that the business is in D straights you know that's real it's real that's the truth yes it is watching you guys over the last couple of days you actually treat it like it's your [ __ ] home chilled relaxed and this lady here you talk to her almost as if it's your mom MH and that really has to stop if this is going to go any further and if it doesn't work not only you out of business and the livelihood has gone all of you guys are out of a [ __ ] job you've got no work so when it's that far down we really have to dig deep and come up with sensible ideas and tonight I'm going to ask you to stay out the kitchen okay you've got so much to sell yeah and you you're a [ __ ] good cook thank you so shita let him cook I'm going to let him I'm going let I am you have to pass the Rin over now and if you don't break away from this stove mhm I swear to God the business is going to close and let them do the job that you [ __ ] pay the money for okay yeah yep I'm going to go put some makeup on cuz I'm going downstairs shita Street hustling I secured a fully booked rest tonight if we're going to get through it we need to get this kitchen working like efficient well oiled machine are you doing the now yeah Fant Time to whip up a bit of professionalism into these boys Gavin can you tell those starters and food downstairs yeah standing there doing nothing five there you go five thank you can we standing there open up your eyes yeah and get him [ __ ] working okay you're running this place tonight you know that I'm going to prove to her downstairs that you can do it and not just to her but to yourself and me I said no smiling no laughing serious okay yes yeah let's go still smiling now good evening have you had a chance to look at the Vu downstairs shita slip effortlessly into the role of the hostess with the mostess any of you eat macaroni and cheese I'm telling it's fantastic gon graded my cheese Brian's taking his first decision as a head chef pre-cooked buffalo wings are off the menu from now on they're being cooked to order y chicken's been cooked from fresh nice youve already place is turned around in 20 minutes well almost the rest of the food's going out just as shita has always done it hot food cold plates uninspiring salads for that that's shocking and you're breaking meatloaf what time we close tonight you laugh um but let's not try to run before we can walk can I get this one as soon as it's going oven cheese how long time 3 minutes 3 minutes there we are I'll take that thank bye okay see you all right there you go the resturant is full but now she's front of house sh is using every trick in the book to boost business 5 minutes you go right next door to my friendly PB there you go and I will uh see you in five see you in five okay thank you okay Brian two hours in and the food's not going out quick enough sh's faith in Brian is dwindling fast these guys have been in a long time I got kids down there yeah but the stars have just gone STS okay what happened there with those starters those starters they're done so already in the leftt yeah there there Ed what these STS what on police table these ones no I'm bur them now oh [ __ ] I just told her they're gone man for Brian 3 years of living in a culinary coma is a hard habit to break he's beginning to lose it they came in before five other tables they still waiting on their starters and sherita's constant interruptions aren't exactly helping come on Brian don't lose it now yeah no what else on this table I need to see what's on it you got you got hot wings and barbecue chicken wings I've got the hot wings I need whatever else is there cuz they are getting restless oh dear all they order that's it send it away I am so sorry I'll tell you what the problem was with fresh food yeah you can't expect the food to just jump on your plate just like that we can explain that to her after chicken takes a good 14 20 minutes to make sure that you know you don't kill anyone okay has that pig Peet go on cuz it needs to go on now cuz it takes the time yeah every minute you're in here we're losing money [ __ ] hell so what do you think of that meat Lo good thank you didn't I tell you didn't I tell you I thought the kitchen got a really good start you were slightly nervous being down there because you were sort of not spying on them but coming up agitated yeah yeah you lost it Brian a little bit yes a little bit and things just got a little bit on you said something interesting though yeah sh has to understand it's going to take 3 or 4 minutes longer because I'm cooking from raw and the benefit is is the customer but I think this guy yeah with the help of AD can get faster much much faster I mean how would you sum up you're in the dining room tonight it felt good because I'm telling you for three and a half years being here it was the first Saturday night that I have spent downstairs they've seen you you know that's the face they want to see when they come they see Mama downstairs I'm going to be cracking the whip a lot harder it's your business of course you know and that's what I was thinking you know I got to crack it let's go okay thank you good thank you guys let me go down here and finish seeing cuz I got a few more desserts to sell yeah if Brian's going to win sherita's respect as her head chef he needs to become more involved in preparing the food as well as cooking it number 13 lucky for some but since his alss were cut he's been dropped in a catch 22 situation where's little lady on hey Brian's been left holding the baby it became a because CLA had to go to work yeah and we had to find a way of meeting uh the the bill at the end of the month yeah you know and that's why uh I can't to do Tuesdays and Wednesdays the whole thing is just confused yeah you know as Brian's involvement with the food has diminished so too has his confidence the first time he made meatloaf 2 years ago it was a disaster so we're going to prove that Brian can not only do it but do it better but how much influence do you have on the menu even sometimes I'll do a menu something but she changes it anyway so really at the end of the day my influence disappears but you've got to be strong now she's going to concentrate in the dying room you're going to be running the kitchen you have to be strong yes huh yes the problem with sherita's meatloaf is the bacon by the time it's cooked it's like cutting into leather the back bacon you saw dries out there hardly any fat in back bacon okay so you streaky bacon um Place one nice fatty piece of bacon there as it's cooking yeah it's putting moisture exactly inside the meatloaf yeah fantastic you know if if I put my foot down and say no this is like this like that I think I can see myself going far you know I can achieve things it's a it's a healthy feeling you know it's a healthy feeling M just look at them the seasoning is just right it's not too salty I think that's fine doesn't need any doesn't need anything else anything else at [Music] all with Brian's confidence slowly returning now I've got to work on Sharita she excels as a natural cook and a great hostess oh my God that's everything on my menu shita but when it comes to business she's a self-confessed num half long and this tells me the money the money is look out that's a bit shorter shorter yeah we want it the other way around I want it the other way around definitely but it's not just the Takens that are the problem here 200 g of butter right like a beautifully risen cake successful restaurants only Thrive when three key business factors are working in close harmony gradually having 200 g of flour we establish 1/3 staff cost 1/3 food cost and 13d gross profit combine all those ingredients into one recipe yeah chemistry you have the most amazing cake and that's how any good business works yeah at the moment sh's business cake is way off course I'm going to show you something what we've got currently happening here at the shack with few midweek customers shers gross profits are dangerously low very very little profit her food costs are reasonably healthy but her massive overheads are crippling her well I just want to show what's going to cost you when we start adding really high staff costs so there's an balance already God yep bloody heart now I'm doing this on purpose to prove a point y y yeah you can't complete a recipe for a successful business when you've got an imbalanced situation you can tell me to [ __ ] off but how much do you pay yourself a month I a month uh well I get around 200 a week that's it I'm the lowest out of the kitchen2 200 a week a week yeah 800 a month a month you're working seven days a week I'm working seven days a week that's a [ __ ] disgrace 80 gets more than me some weeks a come Chef that's parttime gets paid more than you mhm you're far too [ __ ] soft oh I know I know you really are far too soft well it stops now I know I know I know I know I know I know that is a profitable business with the right ingredients uhhuh yeah that is what you're currently running right have a think and let me know which one you'd like to very good oh I just feel like [Applause] crying why are you crying Sharita cuz I'm not going to lose my business I'm nearing the end of my week in Brighton a [ __ ] bollock not sure I found my soul yet but Brian is finally beginning to behave like a head [Music] chef and Sharita is undergoing a transformation from mother to matron and from now on she'll be ruling this Roost with an iron hand this is not a drop in center but we still have a fundamental problem a crippling lack of weekday customers what we need is a gimmick a bargain that will ensure the Shacks full to the rafters all week long the idea is is to sell uhh your restaurant per table okay okay so table of six uhhuh six chairs yep £10 ahead uh-huh 60 for that table if that worked yeah every night at10 ahead that's 3360 in the till think of it this way yeah they'll spend the same amount of money on alcohol on alcohol my plan is to create an exciting three course fixed buffet for each table simplifying the service and cherry picking from the existing menu simple sexy and irresistible soul [Music] food look at that there for four people yeah you got a mug of soup as well don't forget I think it's quite sort of fresh and new yeah and it sort of deformalization across the table yeah I think it also introduces everybody to different tastes of all the foods everyone is having different Taste of everything yeah and the idea of course is once they've experienced this they come back Friday or Saturday for a full thing yeah yeah this looks great good mhm I like that tonight we go live oh don't worry I'm going to be now you said live you wait I'm going to be live it seems shita is well and truly sold on our new idea W okay I just got to think of a word for tap us I'm goingon to come up with my own word I'mma make a word up but I guess I can't call it slappers cuz that sounds too [Laughter] rude on a normal Wednesday night Street would be lucky to get eight customers good morning Mama Cherry's going to help you but since we hit the streets 3 days ago words out and the bookings have gone through early oh L I'm doing probably two sittings 7:00 and a 9:00 sitting so how's it now um it's looking full what day of the week are I Wednesday this is wonderful perfect and 50 m 55 customers tonight that's £550 on food y the same again yep hopefully on the drink drink that's £1,000 in the till which is equivalent to a Friday night yeah that's a Friday night show a touch of flexibility it's a new start for the Sha and tonight every member of Sharita staff has got to give 100% okay here are a set of rules that each and every one of you are now going to abide by and and it's not a governing role it's an understanding what this business needs to go further and forward I need everybody here on time and on time means if I say you start at 6:00 you get here at quarter 2 that way you have your cigarettes you get changed you chat you have your coffee and so that at 6:00 you're on the floor okay the next one is there is always something to do if you can't think of it ask me the queen is now in Residence yes shita is now on the floor yep that's where I'm going to be and to confirm that we're going to raise the flag yes all right okay okay shita is in residance yes and that's where she stays I want you to pull this up here together there you go your table here the success of soul in a bow relies on doing large numbers at only 10 ahead Sher must fill the restaurant twice over everything prep yes are you nervous yeah I am good it's a good sign start shoting yourself Brian ad and Gavin have got to get those platters flying down those stairs but they're only just peeling the last potatoes we're going to send you down a tray designed for two it comes with cornbread and soup as a starter excellent I hope you enjoy it I think you will all right unfortunately we are fully booked tonight but it's the first Wednesday night ever they've had to turn customers away slightly spicy sweet potato soup table three two meat to pass okay just to bring them up to the warm mama table seven that you've got up there it's down as three they've had a person join them so it's now four it's already looking better but tonight has got to be perfect stop stop stop take the [ __ ] bow off the tray put it in the bow yeah I still all the [ __ ] on there everywhere yeah want nice and clean [ __ ] clean come on yeah and for the first time this week Brian's not smiling that looks lovely Well Done Right vegetarian please Eddie send it away so now we're looking look for a four soup and a three soup four cornbread three cornbread Gavin you're taking care of the uh desserts uhh yeah Chen the team is pulling together can you can you put a small just uh B of Veggie jambalaya on it and then the big one is going to have the meat come on got to pump if we slow down I'm going to do this communication is much much better can I get a timing on some of these I can tell them 5 minutes 5 minutes on all of them okay keep it going right ads at 8:00 so far so good yeah you doing a good job if they can keep it going we might just pull this one off they said they are stuffed it was delicious all of the different flavors that go with it fully satisfied I'm going to take them some dessert you see that empty [Music] bowls how was the soup good yeah all right things must be going okay because we've hardly seen in the kitchen all night are we starting to turn the tables now I'm starting to turn but I've got to get this is a crucial thing at1 ahead we have to turn those tables so can we do two trayes at the same time is it possible we can yeah now the pressure's really on we're losing come on let's get some organization guys come on it's still not perfect a table's called away you stick that ticket on the tray no one touches it but the vibe up here has definitely got more professional we're losing valuable time man what are you doing 2 minutes over it has it feeling up here hot H can't quite believe I'm saying this but I think Brian's actually breaking a sweat guys looking good they're loving it people are loving it very tasty very good food I haven't think quite like this before and it's really nice [ __ ] well done yeah really good that's one day the real work starts tomorrow yeah y let's go I didn't know how much I was going to cook today you know I didn't know if I was going to cook or break basically but I just one thought of my mind is to get through [Music] this Thursday morning and the whole team are in early you got to get that well going they're clean out of food stocks and fully booked tonight so they're starting completely from scratch it's my kitchen my kit K my kit fresh home cooking Straight From the Soul Hallelujah can I just say you set me a Target yes when I spoke to you last night we hadn't reached that Target £800 last night I asked for ,000 when I cashed up I hit 1,000 yeah fantastic uh it was at80 fantastic def find these two yeah they did it we got the future success of M cherries depends on Brian's strength and commitment more than anybody's you've really pissed me off this you know that yes I felt really bad after especially yesterday when I realized that I haven't been really sort of it's like I didn't care almost I just thought when I first saw you in the kitchen you treating it like a job no passion but last night it came back and I could feel it you are the head chef yes so act like the head chef yes take responsibilities to the head chef get a grip wake up and [ __ ] stop dreaming and I think Sharita knows what she must do you are the most marketable asset mhm of this restaurant well I'm going to be selling myself now I'm out of that kitchen understand kitchen morning a.m. hosting the room and being present in the evening you have got to continue that I will do then I've got to take some control back since my last visit terita's soul in the bowl has made Mama sheres one of Brighton's biggest success stories her reputation is just phenomenal um she's in and out of newspapers um and constantly on radio and television so um if she's got that level of attention then she's got to make sure what's coming out of that kitchen is better than it was 2 years ago 6 months ago Mama Sher moved out of the shack and upgraded to a new restaurant around the corner I just hope she's sticking to the advice I gave her [ __ ] me mama sher's big house look at the size of that how many floors is it on 1 2 3 four five floors [ __ ] got a lot of drinks here hi guys hello hiab look at you look at the size of this place my God it's five floors I know this is the first mega soul food restaurant unbelievable so first floor is what come here can I show you yeah absolutely I'm dying to see it God follow me mega she's not kidding this place is triple the size of the shack so question is is shita managing to fill her big house we're coming up to the beginning of December yeah and people are booking for Mar for March and that's extraordinary do you know we're doing a thousand covers in a week we average between 900 1200 a week here that's what we're I'm impressed un TR has taken her restaurant to the next level but the first year of expansion is a really dangerous time for any business so I only hope that Sharita has got a tight hold of the RS hi guys where's my man where is he hello how many chefs are in here this place is certainly well stared Brian's heading up the kitchen ad's gone and shared has taken on a whopping nine extra chefs oh Jesus Christ almighty how have you been uh busy I I I I can tell you're cooking for the hole of Britain upstairs so far we are yes I can't wait to tuck into some soul food I insisted everything at the shack was cooked from scratch so Brian better be sticking to my fresh food regime I'm dying to see what you got in the freezer same as it was before I just what's that that is uh lasna yeah that's uh crumble no no no that's not crumble that's a peach cobbler sorry peach cobbler then yeah I'm dying just sleep inside you know what I'm like yeah oh dear the signs aren't good what are they in there fromwhere I go there's like food everywhere where are these from they're just been cooked what's that in there that's the rib that just came out they cooling oh no look there's another [ __ ] tray of chicken are they in order it's like a fast food joint in here all that's missing is a family bucket and a liter of coke look another box of chicken wings 1 2 3 4 5 6 seven when I first met you there was two and three of you in the kitchen it had that nice intimacy hearty feel that everyone was passionate from a meatloaf to a [ __ ] chicken wing and it just got done you know done in a way that everyone really cared for what they were doing two years on and from what I can see the Soul's gone from this kitchen right never a taste that catfish gons that was the first dish I ever tasted in the shack the size of the [ __ ] thing [ __ ] hell come here a minute let me show you something yeah what is that are we charging customers for that while someone wants to boast to me about being fully booked to next [ __ ] March I feel like ringing them and saying don't bother [ __ ] coming next march cuz I don't think we'll be [ __ ] ready in time who's controlling that where's our standards gone just where's the passion gone what the [ __ ] are we doing get that [ __ ] in the bin everything in the [ __ ] bin now holy [ __ ] this is a nightmare the kitchen can't cope and have gone back to their bad ways of pre-prepared food to cater for the huge demands of the new restaurant right now going I feel like crying my [ __ ] heart out this is [ __ ] you're right it is [ __ ] I'm really sorry I know [ __ ] I [ __ ] love the shack I know and this is painful take 10 minutes outside get some fresh air that is upsetting I could almost [ __ ] cry because we were so there The Shack was renowned for its food wasn't the decor it was the food that got that lady on the map this place might be packed now but I don't believe this food will have people coming back for more I wonder what the customers really think a bit disappointed to be honest I kind of with all the reputation Mama Cherry's got I just thought it's all very Bland and very small portions up feel now no flavor no flavor you need more more spices if the customers aren't happy Sharita can kiss her business goodbye I can't believe she's turned her back on so in a bowl this is not you mhm I've known yeah for a long time where you you've come from yeah yeah what youve tasted and you stand for this here is not you mhm I arrived I didn't even want to eat don't take that personally take it as brutal [ __ ] honesty y I know what you're capable of doing y if this food isn't as good as the shack yeah your [ __ ] history tomorrow morning bright and early you're running your Brigade and you're putting the soul back in back in the bowl yep it will be I'm surprising myself and how upset I am cuz I really thought that we were moving up I really really really did and now I've been like slapped in the face and like open your eyes open your eyes you know I still got a long way to go I got to get back tomorrow morning on track and get them back in love with what they're [Music] doing I arrived in Brighton yesterday today to visit one of my biggest kitchen nightmare successes oh look at you but 2 years on it's taken a turn for the worst where's the passion gone what the [ __ ] are we doing Sha's business has expanded but in order to meet the demands of a massive new restaurant she's let standards slip I'm so worried she's heading for the Rocks I've decided to stay on good morning good morning how are you um I've been better it's all right I'm all right right now I see a lady that's panicking you're taking every [ __ ] customer that's walking in that door and you've got to stop it okay got to stop it okay you're in danger of becoming a Fast Food Outlet I know and I don't want to be there that's going to last that's not what I am you're [ __ ] better than a fast food outet and you're right I have taken my eye off the ball hands up but it's back on it okay let's go downstairs we're on it where's Brian he's in the kitchen he's working and I told him with less bookings the kitchen will have a fighting chance of getting back the high standards I left at the shack but Brian has never run a big team before and I've now got to get him to step up to the mark with such little time the only thing I can do now is just get some discipline in that kitchen it's embarrassing Brian has got to [ __ ] run that kitchen and put some soul back into the food all right uh last night guys I have to say was great yeah we we survived right stop stop stop stop let's let's cut the crap that's the problem find your bollocks for me last night was [ __ ] they've got to stop preparing food in advance right now I want Brian and his team to prove to me they can make this house special from scratch they've got 25 minutes to do it I want soul in the bowl five [ __ ] bowls and I'm going to follow you now find your [ __ ] bullets and start running this [ __ ] kitchen before we're running to the ground just keep all the ravish and anything that's not supposed to be in their way clear so we can see we can see what we're doing can't fish nicely done yes this food was designed to be cooked to water it's a no-brainer five soul in a bow just don't put it in there man Jesus Brian can step up to the mark but he obviously just needs someone to give him a kick up the arms hey they're not even not even cooking with salt now no seething in there okay freshly cooked chicken that's what I came here for bring it together as a team bring it together one minute to go right all of you come here first of all yeah it looks better than last night already I haven't even started tasting it yet yeah look at the gons it's appetizing they're fruitful yes the Soul's back in this kitchen and Brian's taking control of his team that's the most assertive I've heard you since I've met you that's the only way to run your kitchen as long as Brian ditches the pre-prepared food and keeps cooking from fresh the food here will be back on top form and for this business to survive shita must keep a tighter hold on the rains there's one issue I want to clear up today okay okay you can't take both feet out the kitchen one of those has got to go back in there gor's right I've got to have my foot back in there and I will be back in there in terms of supporting you not taking over but supporting you you two yep is where it all started nobody else and it's only you two that's going to make this place [ __ ] seriously successful no matter how busy you are you've got to make time for each other it's like a married [ __ ] couple I couldn't do without you and you know it you know it you know it and you know I can't do without you you know this but I need you to be strong you know me and Brian we're the foundation and you know like I said to me if you have a good strong Foundation even if you have to knock the house all the way down to the bottom again you can build it back up so if Gordon's come back and he's disappointed with my food then now I know where I got to work on and it's getting my food back to where it was right now Sharita and Brian have got a real chance to prove they can do it it's lunch service and I'm hungry's that you know just now yeah looking at it tasting it I feel like I'm back in the [ __ ] sh good I didn't feel like that last night yeah and Brian's even come up with a new dish lamb cutlets with a beetroot salsa in terms of the beetroot and the onions delicious it's nice isn't it you just is that on the menu no it's not yet it will be I feel like I'm back in the shack great great that was delicious don't stop moonwalking yes so you going it's not easy to grow your business I should know but if shita keeps her eye on the ball and manages this place properly I know she can make it work it's [ __ ] tough it's tough love and um I'm going to leave him to it now but I'm glad she's [ __ ] woken up cuz she needs to it's been a long time for me yeah I know yeah I want you to go up there and moon walk back here all the way down all right okay just just to make sure that she really slides on one just in case wait wait wait wait wait wait hey wait hey it's been 2 years it's been 2 years get [Laughter] in how you doing my man this week I'm backing in vanesse to see what's become of l riera oh this looks less than you two years ago I told head chef luck to simplify his menu and he'd get a mission star so as he changed his ways [ __ ] J I don't think so one insult to porridge now it's a strange hybrid of Franco Scottish cookie new dishes on the menu marinated calamari potato foam salted peanut ice cream and I'd love to see a [Music] jiet Scotland home of the brave home two of Haggis meats and tatis and the deepi marsbar but in in vaness there's a restaurant on a mission to bring sophisticated French cooking to my fellow countrymen okay you send me two PR right now please it's the vision of French head chef Lu Le who's trained in some of the best kitchens in France I went to work for the president in France Mr Shirak when we had like Mr Bush is coming or Japanese president is coming used to do like big function service one SE one table 14 go then I moved to work with a p brother in m and they have three Miss star please I can't wait to meet a young chef with such an impressive pedigree hello L and this is the team yeah to help realize his dream luix handpicked an impeccably trained Brigade suf Jeffrey has worked in restaurants with both one and two Michigan Stars did you work with lu in France no no I I came basically here uh because it's a very good opportunity to work with somebody M Star reges also has a Michelin star studied background how long have you been cooking uh8 years in France uhhuh and uh in a different country you know okay and so does the junior of the team Nicola and Nicola where abouts in France are you from Britany Britany not got a good football team there but now you support Celtic or Rangers FC not FC you're in you're an in vaness for God's sake you got to support and proper team and J's not letting the side down either his previous jobs were at Michelin star level as well J do you have a Scottish girlfriend uh yes my French accent it's a good point 1400 miles from the French Riviera Lu has created a mini French stronghold in iness and there was Scottish in the kitchen no no Scottish no Scottish a was some but not anymore did you sack them no no no no first time when I came in the kitchen I switch off the microwave put it in the car park and 3 days after I was by myself I got the message yeah because they were using microwave all the time uh powder for stock uh deep frying everything even F on potatoes so I had to build a new team which is good Luck's determined that his dream team is going to get him his very own Michin sty bit like Roman Abramovic when he wanted to get the Premiership title he went around and got the best manager the best football players and then brought them all over to Chelsea yeah fantastic on pop that's good yeah all done I think if you can get a Michin star that should be great for us we are looking to achieve like one Michin star to to start with why not two and you know this is new even the fridge is top of the league big working fridge [ __ ] H look at the size of it it's like a one bedom FL and the produce is the very best flying vegetables in from France is over the top even for me but the local shellfish is really topnotch they are amazing fish on SK when they come down to London they're definitely not that fresh are going to show you that is incredible [ __ ] me they've got the best of everything here I mean really the best of think someone must be paying a small [ __ ] fortune to run this place and that someone is multi-millionaire Barry lson hot from his 600 AC private shooting estate he made his fortune from the caging business but it wasn't exactly fine dining morning Julie how are you this is the man who brought Kentucky Fried Chicken wimpy and Harry Ramson to Scotland we'll see and now he's invested nearly 2 million trying to prove he can make fine dining Finger Licking Good sounds amazing the sort of dream team that you've put together yeah slightly concerned about the expense involved in that because dream teams don't come cheap you haven't got any gray hair so I've got some yeah well you're hiding it very well unless you die the [ __ ] thing no no I don't die not yet um but no it's expensive you know what the school is yeah big time have you owned hotels no I haven't own no no I haven't owned uh hotels before we've had various restaurants fast food chains that we've built up sold out um family restaurants that we we still run but obviously at different completely different level I mean fast food restaurant is miles away from anything to do with fine dining yeah but you know you still want to produce quality for for the for the spend it sounds fantastic but this place is costing Barry over £8,000 a week on food and staff costs alone and they seem to have forgotten the three most important things in the restaurant [Music] business customers customers customers four days a week the restaurant's dead soup one and onee sandwich and every night it's empty it's another big dent in Barry's investment and LU eego um sometimes you get zero really uh yeah must be hard that when it's zero no yeah especially all this team here it's a nightmare for us does it hurt yeah a bit Yeah you got the team but you want to play you you ready to go but oh yeah that's difficult we like we are like dogs you know uh when they go shooting yeah we ready Lu's hungry for success but the locals aren't biting can you do me a favor can you um read that out for me oh gosh I can't say that b of Jerusalem Arie choke you know what that is one glance at his menu and I think I've spotted the problem before I've even tasted the food not sure deiz salmon Bari that sounds good how's your goues bar glies that doesn't sound very appetizing I'd probably order that one what do you think that means this food May appeal to the connoisseurs in the south of France haven't got the fog but this is Scotland's smallest city yeah would you eat that I eat it you can't read it so you don't know what it is than nice to meet you Barry and luck want Michelin level success but I'm afraid they've lost sight of the basics you are an impatient bastard yeah you want you you you you you you want you want it and you want to get your shopping trol and go along and get that and get that and and you I can see it in your eyes you've had a lot of success beforehand bringing all these things in together it's not the perfect recipe for an instant hit right I'm just worried that you don't fall into the same [ __ ] trap that I did and I lost a lot of money it was a proud day for me when I opened Amarilis in my hometown Glasgow we got off to a great start and within our first year we'd won a Michelin star but as the menu became more elaborate the diners started to dwindle the food was so fancy it put off the locals they stopped coming and I was forced to close amorist down it's a bit of a deer view for me and I'm concerned that you may be running right too quickly too soon you know you're in danger [ __ ] it it's going too far that happened to me after 12 years at the top there's no doubt in Lu's Talent it's his lack of experience that worries me one SC threee it's his first ever head Chef's job there's always a big big trap they fall in are we where they tried to do too much too soon and almost Tred to be sort of competitive and thinking that what they saw in their previous kitchen which was in a three Mission star I've got to be better than that and that's where a lot of young chefs fail could you check t 10 for me please you put the name and everything huh it's my second day at l riera a top restaurant with no customers so if the locals aren't eating here where are they eating busy for lunch [ __ ] me 595 for two courses starter and Main in vaness is a fast growing city and the restaurant Market is clearly thriving $795 it's [ __ ] cheap isn't it now look early Sub menu two courses 9.95 I've asked luck to serve me dinner from his alart menu which cost £34 for two courses with that team in there and the produce in the fridge is to die for um so it should be a great dinner I'm looking forward to this one one SK to follow one duck the the breast pink yes yes all right let's go this is your cane you have a olive medon and a chis canipes and a pre-starter this is ambitious food for London let alone in vanesse potato soup with um Wasabi very creamy very very rich I I'm excited about the food but I don't feel comfortable s here you're like a painter you need you need you need a good eye you know like the paint will put something like black here and not here because for him doesn't look right okay okay let's go one scops t nine very complicated a lot of lot of um combinations of flavors going on for me the golden rule is always keep it simple you're tasting a broad bean and white asparagus and a citrus vinegarette a coffee tomato fennel seeds fennel flowers shovel salad parmesan there must be 20 things going on this plate and then you know that looks fantastic but doesn't do anything with him next up duck on dur service this is a duck leg decided to make it a ravioli on Duck leg for the n a good good um 10 to 12 flavors on the plate again it's just confused and your mind is sort of working over time to try and understand what's happening okay service please a main course served in two parts that's just pretentious almost like someone um is uncontrollable and almost like a little bit carried away and um over excited and nothing saying just stop come back H La is that all for me yes is all Lu seems desperate to impress next he'll be telling me how to eat it if I may to recommend you the order you've got theu first please then the floating island then you'll have the sule then the so finally the Cito with M what out of Ballance next going be told which direction to pee in because of the [ __ ] salmon in the river technically flavors were amazing the scallops were delicious mhm the um light vinegarette yeah and did it need the parmesan did it need the flowers and do you need that many flavors to make it work I won't change anything on the flavor I think the way we work the product um bring to the guest the flavors and I want your personality has to be comfortable on the plate and I see a lot of uneasiness on the plate I don't know if you're confident enough on what you're doing and I've got to be very honest because this is very Cru but this this this has to work Barry what do you think when you think about it it's probably right that he has to just find his own style Barry's acting more like a boted sugar daddy than Luck's boss you take on somebody like that and you're taking them on because of their capabilities and their ambition and you know the last thing I want to try and do is restrain that ambition and and what he's doing I'm not you know I'm not a chef and I couldn't do what he does I'm not really in a position to criticize one one but I am this place isn't even breaking even and yet Barry's forking out 4 and a half Grand a week just on staff it's no way to run a successful business Barry's in love with you uh no you're not no no but no he's in love with your food um yeah I think he like it yeah he's never going to be your critic and what I've got to understand is where is your critic coming from who's telling you to stop that's it send it when I think it's all right don't touch it anymore goes goes no wonder his food's over the top now I want to see how he runs his kitchen scalp really sh squeezes for as every plate Journeys around the kitchen each of these seven chefs adds another flourish and all this unnecessary fussing is wasting time and money hurry up now yeah all done there's so many hands that going on around the kitchen the plate is that normal for to go around can they not finish anything then need my sauce the same for the lobster I need my sauce okay you put the plate under the grill and I sauce okay service please service oh one is missing no no no it's okay it's okay sorry yes fing now it feels like we've done 250 and we've cooked in the last um 2 and a half hours is um 10 please I felt that I wanted to just say stop what you've got at the beginning was just enough for me you prefer something more simpler simple because the ingredients you've got are phenomenal he needs to let his food speak for itself his approach feels outdated and pretentious is it easier if we maybe cook a dish and like cook the scallops and look at the difference and and and go through it together that way right now what should we do scallops um now now whatever um I've got two things to do first okay for the guest tonight and I'll be with you uhh okay if the restaurant was full I could understand his arrogance but it's hemorrhaging C and no one seems to care it's almost like um the barricades are up and you know nothing's going to get through because all I want to do is do the dish together and look at the different stages we're taking out to make it more appealing but it doesn't seem to sort of sink in I only want to be part of the team just let me in being hard ass is you know nice but when you're in this situation with over complex food and no Direction I'd [ __ ] grab that kind of insight if I was in his shoes you know trust me completely I can do what I want whatever I want so it was a deal between us C blanch on whatever I do Lu's behaving like a spoiled brat so as a last resort I'll try his Brigade is there something you can you know work closely with cannot make your food too complex you can help us as well I'm sure I want to help definitely let me [ __ ] in yes first I'm going to tackle the language barrier I'm going to have to get you thinking fluent Scottish D we bastter D we Bast no f d we Bast it's getting there D we bastard sorry it's fluent in Scottish now all right so when someone upsets him in the High Street that you we buard oh peace off peace off no piss off peace off out of my way oh [ __ ] [ __ ] [ __ ] it's already my third day but nothing sinking in surely L can't ignore the evidence if it's staring him in the face this isn't a meal for six all this is dinner for one at La Riviera looks like a [ __ ] Feast for a King Henry VII huh it's quite interesting when you um start from one end and go all the way right to the very end it helps you to identify where you can just draw back a little bit and look at the whole balance of exactly what you're doing and people have to understand that they are here to enjoy it so they have to spend a bit more of time on the table like just say okay we've got 2 hour and a half yeah to enjoy it I couldn't eat all that mhm I I I I'd have to stop halfway I think I'd stop halfway yes I don't know um if I was not able to to eat all this I wouldn't do it what Lu can't get into his stubborn French brain is that refusing to trust his ingredients isn't just putting off his customers it's also a turnoff for Michelin inspectors maybe I can convince Barry it is his money after all recommend me a whiskey I'll try to explain in terms that any hot blooded Scotsman will understand and one for Barry please cuz obviously Barry's paying so I just have a touch of ice in there please sure yeah thank you do I have a touch of sod in there please no because you're going to spoil the completely the the drinks are you suggesting or telling me um doing both no way soda on on a mories there's no way no let me just say something you're absolutely right you don't [ __ ] with things that are good and the first thing I said to LC about the food when you've got quality ingredients let them speak for themselves and when you've got something as good as that that speaks volumes doesn't need anything else no [ __ ] Pary no shovel no bayt no [ __ ] fruit Garden nothing just bang get it out do you understand yeah I do Barry seems to be getting it and I've got an idea that just might convince his Chef the sanjac dish I want you to cook that I'm going to cook a sanjac dish alongside you there's a lot of way to do it me like yeah no no no that's what of course it's just I'm 38 I'm 10 years older than you you and so it's not because I'm [ __ ] 10 times better you I just want to make you understand how I think yeah okay okay what lck doesn't know is that I've invited xaa inspector David Young to judge the dishes for himself and what he won't know is who is who very well thank you my son jack dish has just four simple ingredients as well as the scallops it has a cauliflower puree and a caper and raisin [Music] dressing how long for you uh 30 seconds L's dish has at least 14 different flavors so you've got the new season asparagus white asparagus with a roasted scallops uh you've got a funel arti choke and Anice Jew and I mix it with the Fel milk okay you've got the pazon crisps and you've got the broom thank you guys it's time to let luck Into My Little Secret um I've arranged for the inspector mhm the AA guide mhm to come and taste our food thank you go please so they going to make like a competition go food inspectors are feared and revered by chefs all over the country if they judge your food worthy of missioning stars or AA rosettes the reward is a place on the Gonic map than you very much thank you thanks and ideally customers beating a path to your door thank you will he prefer L's elaborate plateful or my simpler rendition this particular one has much more visual impact I get the feeling that the dish is going to taste of exactly what was described to me whereas this one looks a little bit over garnished uh there's a bit of a muddle of different types of flavors inspectors like David can make or break a restaurant's reputation introduce you to L if Lu is going to gain a coveted Michelin star his food really needs to be worthy of four rosettes how difficult David is it to get four AA rosett well it's very difficult because to put it into context as at this moment there are only two aa4 resette restaurants in Scotland in the whole of Scotland in the whole of Scotland is it a fourstar dish what you've eaten this one Garden yes no no th this particular dish would be uh somewhere between two and three rosettes mhm whereas this dish would be probably four rosettes M the combination of the cauliflower and Caper purey just absolutely lifted Edition into a different dimension mhm mhm whereas this one some of the flavors were over complicated to to be frank about it and it maybe just a case of um sometimes um less is actually more luck has taken the news badly he thinks I've stitched him up Anglo French relations have hit an all-time low but time is running out at L Riviera it's got to work hasn't it it's your first head job you can't afford to [ __ ] that will I ever make princes out of this colony of frogs smile [ __ ] hell it doesn't cost anything in Scotland I'm getting towards the end of my week at L Riviera and I don't know if luck is still speaking to me last night he reacted badly when an AA inspector confirmed that his food was over fussy what was the first thing you thought about this morning after um yesterday with inspector mhm mhm what was the what was the one message you you you learned from it um now I had your advice I had his his advice as well so one you can say maybe is wrong to uh start to take care of maybe I am wrong um so it's a difficult thing to accept the French Frank has finally dropped it's been hard for Lou but he's already changing his game plan he's come up with a new much simpler idea for the scallop dish it looks [ __ ] brilliant uh and what I can identify now I know there's Apple cuz you kept the green on there I know there's rocket I know there's pumpkin seed and it it makes me feel comfortable because I know what I'm about to eat yeah I can identify what you're doing that that's delicious everything that goes on the plate has to have a reason not for this but for here for the pet yeah for the pallette and what you've just done there L you've given your food clear Insight okay you understand it's not three four five or is there for me I'd be happy eating that anywhere you know that where's that [ __ ] inspector [ __ ] now Hallelujah I've just taken [ __ ] France now luck has finally swallowed his pride we can begin to move forward with his team behind him maybe he has a chance of achieving his ultimate goal um you told me that you wanted a Michin star and at first I didn't think that was possible you know that because of how things got so complicated but with this here there's no two ways about it it's definitely worth the star I respect Lu for taking it on board because it's a [ __ ] hard lesson very hard lesson but you know it's got to work hasn't it it's your first head sh job you can't afford to [ __ ] that crucial you've got the right training now you've got the perfect position to do it but winning over the kitchen is only half the battle Carolyn is the Mater D and she's also Lou's girlfriend she's responsible for writing the elaborate menus and have already discovered that the locals haven't got a clue what they mean it's time to turn the tables read that for me crunching peppered with mased tatis nice we buard to prove a point I've given them a menu of classic Scottish dishes what do you think it is something sexy uh something um spicy ttis Tes L what do you think that one is there this one here BR is for far and winter about in salad of grills no idea at all what is Queen mar mar Queen Mar and weat the crumble crunch do you have any idea what I'm trying to say it's impossible to choose anything you don't understand exactly that's exactly difficult for make a choice when you have this one because is yes that's it's difficult for [ __ ] Scotland to understand you guys that's what I'm trying to say yeah you same so it's less intimidating if you have an assortment of salmon um you know a selection of Mandarin do you understand what I'm trying to say at last I'm getting somewhere just look at what you're taking to the table and [ __ ] hell you know it's like you're a librarian you should see what it's like when the table are sat and six of them are looking in here y you've lost everybody yeah yeah there's no dinner anymore because everyone's behind a brick wall you can simplify the whole thing just one beautiful open card starters Mains so everything going down there has simplified it and it's not just the menus that need lighting up smile mon smile he's far better looking when he's smiling smile [ __ ] hell it doesn't cost anything in Scotland we tried it well tried yeah oh [ __ ] hell throw him in the river we're supposed to be in a restaurant not a Sunday School Church service where's my [Music] Bible Barry's grasp the nettle and has radical plans to transform the dining room going to take this column away yep going to take the raised area away at the back on that side so we've got to at a cost of 35 ,000 the arches over the doors we're going to square off yeah and then it's all paneled mhm all the way around some nice artwork it doesn't look that bad does it I it doesn't look I don't think it looks particularly it's not glamorous but it's not glamorous but shitty no but it's just not I just think it doesn't look right but I've got a lowc cost idea which I think will give lar riera a unique selling point I said salad I'd like you to start thinking about having a table in the kitchen where you have locals to come and sit and eat it starts to break up the sort of wall that you know sometimes you have when you come to a strange new country uhh as I've discovered having a chef table in the kitchen is a great way to bring customers into your world and keeping the chefs on their toes and this would be the first restaurant in Scotland to have one I think this this will be the best place is definitely yeah just in a COR cor and then we'll see everything everything and it can help create something exciting in vaness can you imagine the buzz going around town the chef table could be a way of showing off and establishing your reputation here and be be be first yeah I think it's exciting idea yeah it's is I mean for once we're going to see how do the people react food if it's no good I mean like just to throw it hopefully they won't do that super but it all costs money and although the chef table is a great investment until they've got customers coming in they need to make economies elsewhere crab faga and hand dive scallops which are King scallops so I mean the rolls Roy of ingredients I mean everything's here [ __ ] H luck needs to do what I did when I started out learn to use good cheap cuts to put together an inspiring menu do you ever use a shin lugan no no Ox tongue making something Exquisite from a shin of beef or an ox tongue takes a lot of skill besid my thank you I love the and it's a great way to identify Talent right um oxil You you and you briges a little competition want you to cook a dish come up with something really exciting and then Lu and myself will look at it and the most tastiest delicious dish we put on the lunch menu and for me the most important thing about this is always a sign of a very very good cook to turn something very very cheap into something quite special so R just take it to bed and think about [Laughter] it next morning I'm pleased to see the young chefs have taken their oxtail challenge seriously yes and through and is very you know nice long very wrong yeah yep roll it put it back into St shape from the beginning this a good idea yeah juice reduction reduction uh glass like a yeah um the oxil dishes for the lunch menu are almost ready and they've each cost about a quid to put together so this is bra St with uh winter vegetable bra GS dish is like these not only highly profitable but bringing together great Scottish produce with French flare is a winning formula I like the je and just a bit of a yes tastes delicious with the white root vegetables it made it feel earthy and and and together yeah who's next and despite what Lu thinks simplifying his dishes will actually make them more likely to win Awards I've never had oel and sesame seat together before michion inspectors never reveal their criteria but I know from experience that beautifully cooked food is not enough inspectors look for good quality ingredients ideally Regional and definitely in season and I put carrots M celc this idea is great and the balance of flavors is crucial very rich it needs a salad yeah cuz it's quite rich and what I like is you put the salad just next to and not on a plate like this you can choose Thank but first and foremost don't confuse the mission inspector's pallet by putting too many ingredients on the plate never expected anyone French to come up with a Jack and potato stuffed thank you the simpler the better um what do you think re it mhm flavors are very good what you managed to do is to bring out the true flavor of oxtail bubble thank you okay Mel Gibson any one of these dishes would be worthy of a place on the lunch menu but we're choosing just one I want to see if luck and I will agree on the winner I'm going to touch my plate which I'd like on the lunch menu you to played after three yeah okay 1 2 3 you got well done well done let's go it was real and authentic Scottish food yep that's I think he understood really understood where we want to go with luck leading the way we're ready to relaunch the restaurant for me it's a critical stage for any restaurant is to get a lunch full and if our customers have an enjoyable lunch chances are they'll be back for more expensive alart dinner and when they leave with a bloody good lunch good prices I can guarantee by the time 5:00 in the afternoon hits you know they've told a 100 people go there for dinner because I had a fantastic lunch I want to see if we can push this starter Main and dessert 1 hour [Music] y as well as the new oxtail dish the menu will include mackerel pheasant and goat cheese ravot venison from Barry's estate tuna and the cheapest cut of pork customers sometimes are scared about belly of pork thinking fat greasy we've taken the pat off rolled it and spiced on a bed of spinach um it's a caramelized onion puree have a taste if you wish and I've got some other ideas to give Scottish traditional dishes a modern twist this is a soup that doesn't look pretty uhh but tastes amazing they wouldn't expect the Frenchman to make a cooking soup uh which is a really nice way of um you know putting your identification on it uh L just an idea for the rice pudding yeah and we grew up with this kind of food so we can go a little bit further caramelized pineapple mango or even marinade the prunes in a nice M whiskey yeah yeah the kitchen's finally turning out the kind of food that I know will definitely appeal to the locals and even the waiters have promised to try and smile but there's one more thing to complete the transformation you got to come with me now because we're going to become even more [Music] Scottish any ideas yet briges have you ever taken your knickers off before no no chance to show a your Scotch eggs okay it's time for Lu and he's small colony of French comrades to surrender themselves to the Scots [ __ ] hell the things I'll do to get the Arrogant French to become a little bit more Scottish is amazing you know that it's cold you put it we don't wear punks underneath it's wonderful very hot it's very sexy on hey there's 25 very important guests coming for lunch yes but some really good news uhhuh there all women very powerful women super if they can impress 25 influential local business women there'll be the Talk of the Town don't have the two for one potato soup vegetarian three oate two one Yuki two V one chuna you going start give okay I want [Music] two okay watch your legs watch your fr's legs at last L's team are beginning to dance to a different [Music] tune go go go okay Mo the food looks really good clear and simple [ __ ] fast everyone's C ready well it's the first time I've actually seen a real taste of Scotland in this kitchen about [ __ ] time just have to go for L's on his way to the top of the Premier League wonderfully presented it's gorgeous and judging by the reaction of his fans he's definitely scored absolutely Divine just perfect absolutely perfect beautiful you couldn't fall anything I I would imagine normally this sort of food you'd be talking at least a couple of hours for lunch but to get something like this in that time scale brilliant it's beautiful you have tried you win this and okay it's for you a present thank you uh excuse me what the [ __ ] is that who is that I think it's a big chef and what is that there BS BS yeah trust me I have a big pair of pocts Al blue yeah thank you yeah Chin Chin Chin luck and his team have come a long way this week and if he sticks to my keep it simple Mantra I think larra Vieira might be on the right track for a Michelin star [Applause] outside just for the ladies Regis to understand that you really are part of Scotland now we're all going to turn around turn around turn around turn around ready one two 3 [Music] go on my last visit to leier Chef luck had simplified his food by reducing the number of ingredients Barry had sprued up the the dying room the restaurant was heaving I left it with every chance of becoming a success and obtaining that elusive Michelin [Music] star in the 2 years since I was last here lar riera has been renamed abstract I wonder what else has changed marinated calamari Chinese way potato foam salted peanut ice cream sounds like the [ __ ] menu's upside down is that a dessert or a starter [ __ ] me how are how are you very thank how are you not too bad family well yeah very well indeed thank you this looks nice than you my God it's lunchtime but abstract is empty what's wrong and how many have you got booked for lunch lunch uh we don't open for lunch here now we just open next door so you've actually opened a new restaurant in there yeah we opened contrast in um about the end of the second week in uh June this year just a brazley so it's to try and give us the balance between the fine dining okay and something more simple bizarre instead of serving simple lunches in here as I advised bar has opened an entirely new restaurant we just thought we're doing the lunches there it's really busy there we'll close this one Barry says turnover at abstract is down 27% in the past year although it is popular in the evening big question Miss star we never got it and that was it we just keep working hard and see what happens this year I thought by simplifying the menu I'd put them on course for a star is L over elaborating in the kitchen again how are you fine and you yeah good to see you well I'm sorry to hear about Mich star I thought that would have uh that's life H arrived a year ago you've done well without the star and the business is running very well new dishes on the menu marinated calamari Chinese way potato foam salted peanut ice cream y oh dear this must be a Vegetarian Delight a giblet club sandwich mhm what what is that mashed U giblet but in iness now mhm not in Edinburgh or London or New York if you said to someone you know fancy club sandwich you know they would expect some [ __ ] chicken tomato mayonnaise where did you get these ideas from I don't want to be like my neighbors I feel like I'm just preparing lunch for Silence of the ls brown hair and black pudding Pig's Trot of capaco sounds like everything's intensified tenfold I just hope it comes off some of Lu's menu seems very strange indeed it's more Frankenstein than Franco Scottish so that's the CP sandwich thank you then we serve with the roasty Partridge a risoto with Plum and white mushrooms and just a normal ju it's a shame he's a talented chef but he's still trying too hard and it's only one one or two bites at the end of the dish you're satisfied because you didn't have a lot to eat I can guarantee there won't be anywhere anywhere in quite to Europe they'll be serving a jit club sandwich so he can relax on that front if BL carries on like this he can forget the Michelin star maybe the Breer isn't the only reason Takens are down at [Music] abstract lck tells me his customers like the giblet club sandwich but surely not I'm going to unleash it onto the streets of in vaness yes of course darling would you like to know what it is yes um it's a um it's a giblet Club sandwich oh lovely right you far away lovely you like that yes me right this um it's a uh it's actually a giblet club sandwich would you order it if you saw on a menu in a restaurant absolutely no way no sounds gross what giblets I what think I would order you wouldn't order it you like to have a little taste jiet club sandwich giblet club sandwich think about it no madam juet who jet it's weird because I feel a little bit sorry for him as a chef because he's very talented but he doesn't know where to draw that line however Lu is getting something right he finally took my advice about simple food but not at abstract he's doing it here in the Breer and the place is heaving it's nicer there yeah how many tables we can sit 70 people and what style of food is it more simple food cheaper obviously you've done simple yeah no yeah I can do simp no can be simple and modern sometimes 5.95 for lunch two course lunch 5.95 595 on CR produce that's amazing what kind of things on the menu for 55 you've got some Scottish Ling very good mfish to at1 yeah [ __ ] h no wonder who so busy we still making good money that bring people back in the evening contast offers Great Value dishes made with fresh ingredients I only wish he'd done this next door at abstract so what did you have for dinner the belly of pork and how many times have you been here twice lovely I've been about six days ready yeah I like it wow it's great I think it's beautiful how many times have you been drst trct once how long ago oh about a year ago why haven't you been back there I'll be honest I felt it was a bit stiff mhm it's very relaxed in here yes nice and Casual yes yeah and you come for the value yeah this is probably about the seventh time now yeah and I've recommended it as well you should be on the pain roll he always made it quite clear from day one that lunch was his headache cuz he couldn't quite make the standard of fine dining for the lunch menu they didn't want to eat plain food well they do because this place is a big success Saturday 4th of November 100 dinner another 100 for dinner contrast success is startling with a the turnover of a quar of a million pound in its first four months but why didn't Barry do this in abstract and save himself 80 grand building a new brazer it's been phenomenally busy but there's something really weird going on because that's getting less busy in abstract over there and contrast seems to be the [Music] draw [ __ ] hell [Music] I'm leaving this morning but Barry and luck have Dropped a Bomb they're opening a third restaurant together in Edinburgh modeled on you've guessed it abstract and then this is a a first for you in terms of investing in the business in terms of partnership yes uhhuh Y and the expenditure probably you know we're about 400,000 on the you know shop fit probably another 100,000 opening expenses and stuff so half a million big one y in terms of Edinburgh Edinburgh is a tough Market I I I would play it [ __ ] safe safe safe safe whilst it's really exciting to go down and play with the [ __ ] big boys nenor in a major [ __ ] you know City if I was in your shoes I'd be doing something simple I'd be going in with a an upmarket version of contrast not abstract I so want it to work you know that if you stick to those lines you'll [ __ ] be a massive massive success MH for sure we have to simplify to simplify we know that yeah we've got your advice on it and your opinion on it now which I think is great and you know Lu and I have a chat about it perfect good luck yes Barry thank you once again appreciate it you're such a little [ __ ] you know that if they keep it simple and win the mission star they got every chance of their business being really successful but forget the quirkiness no Russ is going to be successful with a [ __ ] jiet club sandwich anywhere in the world let alone [ __ ] Scotland

Channel: Kitchen Nightmares

Views: 543,217

Keywords: Gordon Ramsay, Kitchen Nightmares, Gordon Ramsay Kitchen Nightmares, Kitchen Nightmares USA, Kitchen Nightmares UK, Kitchen Nightmares Officia, Kitchen Nightmares Full Episodes, Kitchen Nightmares Best Moments, Kitchen Nightmares Worst Fridges, Kitchen Nightmares Funniest Moments, Kitchen Nightmares Worst Food, Kitchen Nightmares Argument, Gordon Ramsay Insults, Gordon Ramsay Argument

Id: 80ZpcayBQBk

Length: 95min 19sec (5719 seconds)

Published: Mon Dec 18 2023