The Final - Thursday 17th December

[Minnie]

I don't think the BBC has been had, I do think we the viewers have been well and truly had. However, I believe it has backfired massively on the BBC, on Sarah and David, but most of all on Raymond Blanc. I have spent quite some time time today reading through various message boards, including the BBC's own board and also the BBC Good Food board, and I can honestly say that I have never seen such unanimous disgust at what this show has become. There is disappointment, disbelief, and above all anger and I think a lot of people, myself included, have been left feeling cheated and used.

[russellhed]

I've never considered contributing to a forum about a TV series before but, having just watched the Restaurant final on iplayer, I felt I had to.

I accept that a successful restaurant is based on more than just food, but if that isn't its backbone then it can be destined only for failure - and JJ cannot cook. It's as simple as that. Admittedly, even the best chef (which JJ obviously wasn't) will fail without a likeable and efficient front of house. I'd say that James was efficient but I don't think I could ever endure more than a minute of his smarminess. If 'good business acumen' involves a chef that can't cook and a front of house that would make the average punter cringe at its oily insincerity then I've clearly been misinformed.

Of the two final contestants that they beat, I think I'd probably be happiest spending an evening at Stephen and Rebecca's restaurant, which seemed the warmest and most inviting, by far. Stephen's food (while limited) seemed good and, crucially, the couple had a certain likeability that would I'm sure see customers prepared to overlook the odd slip.

As for Chris and Nathan, I think it's fair to say that Chris could probably cook rings around the lot of them but if James put me off with his smarminess then Nathan's sheer arrogance and lack of professionalism was just as bad.

U;timately, a good business plan for a restaurant is surely one that would encourage customers to eat in it. A chef that can't cook and a peacock smoothtalking his way through excuses doesn't exactly strike me as providing much of a recipe for success.

Sorry to have gone on a bit but I really did have to get that off my chest. 

 

[mediastar]

http://theinternetforum.co.uk/raymond-blanc-the-restaurant/2009-2.html

Excellent review Minnie.

http://theinternetforum.info/node/1080

lwardmurray agrees with you!

Did anyone enjoy this series?

[Minnie]

Thanks mstar

^^ Welcome to the forum russellhed It really is quite astonishing the amount of anger that this decision has generated, and the feeling appears to be almost unanimous. I'm still absolutely fuming about it, I have never before been so roused to fury by a TV programme.

One thing that really puzzles me - where did this idea of Smarmy and Clueless having such wonderful business acumen come from? Throughout the series we have seen no evidence of it that I can recall, yet suddenly in the final it is being mentioned and praised by both Raymond and Sarah, though never backed up with examples.

Where is the business acumen in picking up the phone to order in vast quantities of fresh vegetables and herbs (no doubt at vast expense) when it has been expressly requested that you should make use of the extensive kitchen gardens available in the grounds?

Where is the business acumen in failing to meet the stated brief not once but time and time again, week after week?

In his blog (Raymond Blanc) Raymond says at one point "On the other hand, Chris’ attitude was at all times professional, and mature beyond his age; " a couple of paragraphs later he says "Why did we not go into business with Nathan and Chris? They are young, they are supple, they have moved on, learned, they are hard working ... yes, I hear, but, really for me, they are too immature"

He also says "Chris faltered at the last hurdle - it was the final." If that is the case then why did the programme not show this supposed faltering?

[Bickley Chef]

The nation has decided unanimously that a miscarriage of justice has been done on Chris and Nathan. The result is by all intent a constructive dismissal of the losing pair - I cannot believe that they don't have the right of redress in this situation against the program makers. I have today cancelled my family stay at Le Manoir next Easter and will not support any of Raymond's ventures until he issues an apology for this disgraceful debarcal.

[Minnie]

Kudos Bickley Chef! I trust you told them exactly why you were cancelling. I suspect you won't have been the first, or the last.

[clive]

 well what a result. chris was the best chef but that dont matter.i hope he get on in the world but raymond should have cook a dish with chris and the knobhead and see what people thought i would have said chris was best ray second knobhead nowhere.i wonder what gordon ramsey would say about raymond sarah the pratt and david god help him.happy xmas everyone   

[janoula]

We have watched this programme all the way through and like all of you we are absolutely disgusted at the result.  We sort of got a clue near the end when both sets of contestants had a say, and what did dumb and dumber say, "they food that went out of the other kitchen was better but it is about being a restraunter not a cook" !!! Sorry, I thought you had to be able to cook.  What a waste of time watching this programme has been and WE WILL NEVER WATCH IT AGAIN unless Raymond admits his mistake.

We cannot believe that this pair of dimwits has got through. We thought from the beginning that they were going to be gone every time, but now I begin to think it was all a set up and had already been decided. They never completed anything, the chef couldnt cook, they blagged and blagged, and even sarah mentioned this, but at the final she said she would always be for them - strange, before that she had said so many times that they were just blaggers.

We are so upset and annoyed, it is a total travesty that these two won.

[stewfish]

Hi this is my first post and like a lot of people I am very dismayed at the result me and my wife have watched all the 3 series and thought that the object was to have one person who could cook and one who had good people skills but alas the goal posts seam to have not only moved but seam to have disappeared all together. The final well I have myself been involved in serving people like that and I can assure you that failing to produce a desert and suddenly trying to serve cocktails would not have happened you would have gotten such a rocket your ears would have been ringing for weeks. I don't know if I have much respect for Raymond any more after that farce.   

[Minnie]

  Welcome to the forum clive, janoula and stewfish I really don't think Raymond Blanc can have been expecting this backlash at all. I wonder if his reputation will ever recover, it certainly has taken a bashing - and deservedly so.

[welshman]

I would love to see someone like Gordon Ramsey or Monica from Masterchef the Professionals being judges on this programme.  Imagine how they would react to JJs complete lack of cooking skills. 

[Catz]

Another newcomer to the forum because I'm sooooo disgusted that JJ and his mate won!

what is Ramon Blanc thinking???

They looked like two city boys in their striped shirts and lost ways, as regards cooking just no idea at all! If that's someone who can run a restaurant then I can line Ramon up with at least 10 people who can do it better from a front room.

Was this just some sort of set-up? Are they public schoolboys that Ramon knows through a friend of a friend that need a start in life?

Totally pathetic! Their food looked sh|te and they came across as arrogant twits.

I personally hope Ramon invests hundreds of thousands in them then realises his mistake!
Or just another pretend reality show?

[Minnie]

Welcome Catz Apparently the 'city-boys' (you are so right) are already running a successful cocKtail bar in London, there's a thread about it here:

http://forum.theinternetforum.net/index.php/topic,37630.0.html

The feeling is that Raymond, Sarah and David had already decided that cocktails with finger food is the next big thing and are envisioning opening a chain of such establishments in our local high streets which is why these two chancers were shoe-horned in not only to the final nine but as actual winners

I would love to see someone like Gordon Ramsey or Monica from Masterchef the Professionals being judges on this programme.  Imagine how they would react to JJs complete lack of cooking skills. 

Wasn't Monica fabulous! I wish they would get rid of Torode altogether and have Michel Roux Jr and Monica as permanent replacements on all the MasterChef series, not just MasterChef: The Professionals.

We have a MasterChef boardon this forum too if you're interested

http://forum.theinternetforum.net/index.php/board,204.0.html

[janoula]

Welcome to the forum clive, janoula and stewfish I really don't think Raymond Blanc can have been expecting this backlash at all. I wonder if his reputation will ever recover, it certainly has taken a bashing - and deservedly so.

Thanks for the welcome.  I keep coming back to check on the backlash, and there certainly is one!  We actually emailed the restaurant of RB and double dared them to reply and explain their decision,needless to say nothing has come back - not surprised.

We were talking the other day with family about going to RBs restaurant, but now that is a long ago dream, after this disgraceful decision we think RB has gone senile or indeed, as many say, the result was known from the beginning.  To be honest none of the contestants thrilled us, but to have this debacle as the final is the last straw.

What a shame, we enjoyed the previous series, but never again, although I would be surprised if the BBC actually commissioned another series after this dreadful dreadful decision.

Come back Gordon, all is forgiven.  Just have to look forward to Masterchef in future, and of course the Apprentice.  The Restaurant is dead and gone as far as we are concerned.

[jedidjahjulia]

Totally agree. Please stick around for Masterchef and the Apprentice, we have active boards for that as well.
have you seen the reply form the BBC in another thread? At least they do reply, I guess Raymond himself will not.... 

[Minnie]

I've had no reply either to the message I sent via Raymond's blog. He's probably gone into hiding!