Britain's Best Home Cook - General Discussion

[Meredith Quill]

Please use this topic to discuss all episodes.

[Writing Wrongs]

When does this start?

[RealityCheck]

BBC Lines Up Britain’s Best Cook Hosts Alongside Ex-Bake Off Judge Mary Berry

Quote

 

The BBC has set the full judging line-up for its forthcoming food format Britain’s Best Cook starring former Great British Bake Off star Mary Berry and Strictly Come Dancing host Claudia Winkleman.  Dan Doherty, who is current chef director at hot London restaurant Duck and Waffle, is joining the show alongside former market trader Chris Bavin, who run The Naked Grocer and has appeared on shows such as Eat Well For Less and The Truth About Meat.

Over the eight episodes, 10 contestants will need to demonstrate skill under pressure and individual flair, as they’re asked to serve the perfect version of dishes that define modern British home cooking as well as create their special takes on well-loved classics.

Britain’s Best Cook is due to air later this year on BBC One.

 

Edited February 21, 2018 by RealityCheck

[oldCJ]

A place to discuss episodes

 

Is anyone else watching this?  I love the camaraderie of the contestants.  I don’t love the editing which gives away who is going home from the beginning of each episode.  

[Globegrl]

Yes, I am watching and enjoying this series.  Anything with Mary Berry!  Also really like all the contestants.  There's just something about British cooking shows!

[GaT]

I missed this thread, but I've been watching this & really enjoying it. Very talented cooks, great to see Mary again, I like the other 2 judges, & Claudia (who I knew from The Great British Sewing Bee) is very likable. Is there going to be a season 2?

[Athena]

14 minutes ago, GaT said:

Is there going to be a season 2?

Yes.

[GaT]

I was really rooting for Phillip, oh well. That was a very low key reveal, nobody there but the 3 contestants, Claudia & the judges. Seemed a little anticlimactic. 

[lefawn]

This is now on Hulu for US audiences. I just finished episode one but, so far, I really like it. Mary Berry is wonderful as always. I don’t know the other judges or the host but they seem to have the same light touch Mary does. The contestants also seem really nice and get along well. 

The cuts to commercials on Hulu are really abrupt. 

[cherbitrary]

Just finished this on Hulu. Really enjoyed it. Same feel as GBBO - really nice contestants, judges and host. I don't think there was any one of them I didn't like. Realized in the final 3 I really didn't care who won - they were just all great.

Anybody know where I might have seen judge Dan before? IMDB only listed one other thing and that wasn't it. But he looked SO familiar to me.

[Athena]

11 hours ago, cherbitrary said:

Anybody know where I might have seen judge Dan before? IMDB only listed one other thing and that wasn't it. But he looked SO familiar to me.

I wondered the same thing when I watched. I tried to research but didn't come up with anything substantial. For all intents, this is is first TV role. I'm kinda wondering if he's had small spots on other TV shows. I think he's worked for Jamie Oliver or other celeb chefs before.

[Aethera]

22 hours ago, lefawn said:

The cuts to commercials on Hulu are really abrupt. 

So, so weird how they do this. I kept thinking my net had cut out. 

I really enjoyed this show, though not quite as much as GBBO. Predicted most of the cuts due to editing, too, but that's ok - this is great late-night relaxation TV. 

[KnotsLanding]

I just discovered this on Hulu and was devastated to learn that it's a new show with only one season! I wanted more! This is the type of cooking competition I want. I hate when the contestants are bitchy because in a competition like this, being a dick to your competitors won't help you win. I liked that this group got along and the drama came from if a dish didn't turn out right. The judges were absolutely lovely and so was the host. This was just a positive, light hearted show that taught me so much. As an american I wasn't aware of a lot of things they made and it was nice experiencing a sunday roast, for example. I hope season two keeps the light tone they had here. I dread the inevitable American remake which will likely be overly dramatic.

[GaT]

On 11/17/2018 at 12:21 AM, KnotsLanding said:

I just discovered this on Hulu and was devastated to learn that it's a new show with only one season! I wanted more! This is the type of cooking competition I want. I hate when the contestants are bitchy because in a competition like this, being a dick to your competitors won't help you win. I liked that this group got along and the drama came from if a dish didn't turn out right. The judges were absolutely lovely and so was the host. This was just a positive, light hearted show that taught me so much. As an american I wasn't aware of a lot of things they made and it was nice experiencing a sunday roast, for example. I hope season two keeps the light tone they had here. I dread the inevitable American remake which will likely be overly dramatic.

Do you watch The Great British Bake Off? (or The Great British Baking show as it's known in the US)

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I just started watching this show so I'm way behind everyone else. I was surprised that not one but TWO cooks decided to make duck when they'd never made it before. It pained me to see Dippa burning the crap out of the skin (and somehow still leaving the middle uncooked).

I love that everyone lives together and has access to cookbooks in the evenings. The only thing I kind of dislike so far is the safe cooks being able to offer advice to whoever is in the cook off at the end.

I thought Claudia was a good host on the Great British Sewing Bee so it's nice to see her again.

Edited December 5, 2018 by ElectricBoogaloo

[babs1226]

I actually just found this show when I happened to read an article about Dan,and it mentioned this show.  I tuned in because of Mary Berry, and I'm glad I did.  The contestants were lovely, the format is interesting, and I really enjoyed it.  Looking forward to the next series. 

[sum]

Mary has had rotten luck regarding male co-judges. :-/ (I misremembered, she wasn't in the canceled GABS season.)

Dan Doherty: BBC Celebrity Chef Hit by Sexual Harassment Allegations from Female Kitchen Staff
Chef Dan Doherty Quits BBC Series Following Sexual Misconduct Investigation

BBC spokesperson “We’ll be appointing a new judge for Britain’s Best Home Cook to join the rest of the line-up. We’re looking forward to a new series which will be back on air in 2020,”

Edited January 29, 2019 by sum

[RealityCheck]

Season two of Britain’s Best Home Cook will launch in 2020, however, an exact release date has not yet been revealed.

Quote

MARY BERRY, who previously fronted the hit baking contest The Great British Bake Off, is returning as a judge this season.  Her colleague and Eat Well for Less? presenter CHRIS BAVIN is also reprising his role as a judge.  ANGELA HARTNETT, who is a Michelin-starred chef, will replace [Dan Doherty] on judging panel for the second series.

Angela Hartnett should be familiar to anyone who watches the Great British Menu.

[GaT]

10 hours ago, RealityCheck said:

Season two of Britain’s Best Home Cook will launch in 2020, however, an exact release date has not yet been revealed.

Angela Hartnett should be familiar to anyone who watches the Great British Menu.

I was wondering if this show was coming back.

[Aulty]

Season 2, here we go and how good it is to have a Northern Irish contestant - a rare sight. Shows where the contestants go home between episodes (like GBBO) hardly ever feature contestants from NI or the isles unless they live somewhere in England - I assume because it is either to expensive or time consuming to shuttle them back and forth.

They have changed the layout which was a good call and gave the studio a much softer look which I find very pleasing. The kitchenettes in the first series looked so small and too bright. I also think that Angela Hartnett is a good addition to this show - even though she is professional and tough she has a warm personality and a pleasant voice.

Wow, that first challenge made me soo hungry. I love pasta and will look up some of those recipes, especially Suzy's duck dish, it sounded great.

I like pears but they are a very subtle flavour and usually very watery so I'd rather eat them raw. Even with a good pear crumble I find that the custard and crumble are usually the dominant flavours.

The elimination challenge - again, a very tasty dish - marked the end for Sean and rightly so. He came across as a bit of a poser.

[GaT]

Happy to see this show back again, I miss Mary's judging. Too early for me to pick any favorites though.

[GaT]

Am I the only one watching? I was surprised by the elimination this week, I would have thought it was one of the other two who was going home.

[Aulty]

I'm still watching, but I usually catch up with it the next day so I can skip the scenes from the house.

Some of those brunch recipes looked very tasty and it seems that, apart from some minor seasoning issues, all of them did really well. I am not keen on the sweet challenges tbh - maybe its because I watch to much Bake Off. I also feel that with baking, especially with a limited choice of ingredients, I would always check a recipe to at least get the basic measurements right (unless its a crumble or B&B Pudding where it does not really matter if you are a bit off).

They are judging the eliminator dishes blind, aren't they? I like that, even though it can result in some unexpected results (Ayo).

One thing I like about this programme is that in the intro you just get an audio preview. They don't show any actual footage of the dishes and desasters and therefore don't give anything away too early like other shows sometimes do.

[GaT]

I'm surprised nobody made eggs benedict for the brunch challenge, that's the first dish I think of when I think of brunch. And I'm also surprised nobody made a souffle for the chocolate challenge. Is there an ice cream machine there? Ice cream would have been a good idea too.

 

[Aulty]

I thought this episode was pretty lame because all of the challenges were stuff that is done on every other cooking show. I feel like I have seen the leftover roast or rotisserie chicken challenges on at least 3 other shows. Same goes for steak and bernaise/hollondaise/mayonaise style sauces.

Nice array of Birthday cakes, but it was just very basic sponges and a range of popular design ideas done to varying degrees of success. As I've said before, I can't get too excited about the sweet challenges.

 

[GaT]

Surprised at who went home, I thought they would be there until the final. 

I'm a little confused about the title of the show, everywhere (including here) I see it called "Britain's Best Home Cook", but when they did the intro, the show is just called "Best Home Cook", I wonder why & what it's name really is.

 

[Aulty]

On 1/25/2020 at 10:57 PM, GaT said:

I'm a little confused about the title of the show, everywhere (including here) I see it called "Britain's Best Home Cook", but when they did the intro, the show is just called "Best Home Cook", I wonder why & what it's name really is.

 

On the BBC, their TV listings and the iPlayer its called 'Best Home Cook', but it had the prefix  Britain's ... for the first season. Good catch, I wonder why they had to change it. Maybe the Brexit discussions around Northern Ireland had something to do with it (actually, I bet that is the reason). 'British' is usually England, Scotland and Wales on the isle of Great Britain.

Edited January 29, 2020 by Aulty

[Aulty]

Glad they didn't eliminate anyone this week. Why send someone home when they both produced excellent puddings!

The rest was a bit disappointing, wasn't it? I did not expect them to struggle that much with a curry, especially in a challenge they could prepare for.

I wonder how much the time between finishing and judging affects the dishes - they are obviously not hot anymore when the judges come to try them. Its also obvious in some shots that they have been left standing for a bit.

[GaT]

They must have been really close for now elimination, did they say that 2 people were going home next week?

[Aulty]

Olli is very lucky but he is weakest link and should have been sent home weeks ago. He managed to scarpe through since week 1.

Suzie is amazing. I love a good beef and Guinness pie and I am tempted to do one this weekend (sans lattice) after watching her do hers.

[GaT]

10 hours ago, Aulty said:

Olli is very lucky but he is weakest link and should have been sent home weeks ago. He managed to scarpe through since week 1.

I agree, he always just manages to be better than one other person, but I think the same thing may be true of Robin, & his luck ran out. Suzie is starting to look like the winner.

[Athena]

Suzie is the frontrunner. She's the most consistent in terms of flavours and presentation. She's both a good cook and baker which is similar to Mary.

Not sure why Olli is still around. 

I like this show but I don't like it enough to pay full attention to it. I put it on during dinner making. 

[dleighg]

I'm watching the first season on Hulu-- is the second season available anywhere in the US?

[Aulty]

I'm fine with the final 3 and I honestly think it would always have been those 3 even if the past elimination had gone a bit differently. Thank cod Olli is finally gone - and of course there was a twist to it.

They lost me with the tinned tuna challenge. As someone said up-thread, this episode was definetly something you just have on in the background.

[GaT]

Who would think that a bunch of experienced home cooks would be so flummoxed by a can of tuna fish.

[Aulty]

Congratulations Suzie! A well deserved win for NI!

I read in a local newspaper that Suzie applied for Bake Off twice before she got on this show. With skills and a personality like hers, she would have been a great Bake Off contestant. Their loss, I guess.

[GaT]

Well, that was a satisfying (and not unexpected) finish. I really enjoyed it, & I hope there's a season 3. 

I was surprised when they gave Sarah extra time during the eliminator, have they given cooks extra time before?

[Cactus]

I love that the competition on these sort of shows (GBBO, Pottery Throw Down, etc.) are so much more friendly and supportive than their US counterparts.

That said, I am annoyed that Sarah, who I was hoping to see in the finals, got extra time; however, I understand why they did it - it is the only way to have any sort of suspense over who would be eliminated.  If they did not judge her eliminator dish, I imagine it would have had to be an auto elimination since she would have presented dishes in only 1 of the 2 challenges.  

I feel like they should have given all of them the extra time (if they wanted it). Maybe Suzie and Georgia could have used those minutes to pause and think about how much pesto to add (I can't remember what the other criticism was - seasoning of a pesto being off?).

[Writing Wrongs]

I'm watching Season 2 on Hulu now, but where is Season 1?

[Aulty]

Suzie has a wee cooking show on the BBC now (dunno if it only aired on BBC Northern Ireland, but its on the iPlayer) - Suzie Lee's Home Cook Heroes (only 3 episodes so far). Its OK, most of the dishes very very homey, but her recipes for Chinese dishes are quite nice.

[VanillaBear85]

On 9/5/2020 at 9:17 AM, Writing Wrongs said:

I'm watching Season 2 on Hulu now, but where is Season 1?

Season 1 shows up on Hulu for me. 

[Writing Wrongs]

I see it now. I guess I already watched Season 1 (and have forgotten), so they skipped me to Season 2.

[roseslg]

I grew to not like Mary Berry by watching this.  The frequent comments of 'spices' aimed at the non white folks who cook their traditional food and the telling folks to clean up while cooking along with some other things just have me giving her the side eye.

[Aulty]

A new series of Britains Best Home Cook starts on January 26th on BBC1. It will be a celebrity series (8 epsidoes) and rumor has it that Mary Berry will judge from a balcony using opera glasses - which sounds hilarious. Claudia Winkleman, Angela Hartnett and Chris Bavin are back too and the format will consist of the usual 3 rounds (the Ultimate set by Mary, the Rustle Up set by Chris and the Eliminator set by Angela).

Contestants:

• Ed Balls (former politician)
• Ferne McCann (reality TV star)
• Ruth Madeley (actor)
• Tom Read Wilson (dancer)
• Shobna Gulati (actress)
• Karim Zeroual (TV presenter)
• Rachel Johnson (journalist - sister of Boris Johnson)
• Ed Byrne (comedian)
• Desiree Burch (comedian)
• Gareth Thomas (rugby player)

I hope they try to produce decent dishes and didn't just sign up to hog the spotlight.

Edited January 19, 2021 by Aulty

[Aulty]

I watched the first two episodes, and it's alright. Although some of them are quite excitable, the celebrities are really trying to make decent dishes. Cooking is a bit more forgiving than baking, and compared to what we usually see on celebrity Bake Off the contestants on this show seem better prepared and not just trying to wing it. The challenges are a bit more softball than those on the regular show though.

[sugarbaker design]

I'm in!  Give me Claudia Winkelman and Mary Berry and I'm happy.  Throw in Tom Read Wilson, I'm ecstatic.

[leighdear]

I'm about half-way through and thoroughly enjoying it.  I have NO idea who any of the Brit "celebrities" are, but I adore them all, especially dancer Tom Read Wilson....He SLAYS me!!!.  And Mary Berry is in great form.  Very supportive, kind and helpful, not too harsh or snarky. 

None of them are ready to go pro by any means, but as always, this show gives me plenty of new food prep & flavor combination ideas.  And I think they're doing a great job staying Covid safe.   I was happy to see this show back!

Edited June 13, 2021 by leighdear

[Deskisamess]

I just found this show, and have watched the first 2 episodes from season 1. At the end of epi 2, when the person was chosen to leave, they were all crying like they'd just buried a family member. It was weird. They were hugging and sobbing...I just didn't get it.

I adore the Baking Show, and the Sewing Bee. But so far, this one is just trying way too hard.

[hiisa]

I just found this series and am in the 3rd ep and I have 2 thoughts so far: 1. Mary Berry delicately nibbling on a hamburger with a knife and fork was HILARIOUS! and 2. Katie teaching Josie how to make pastry dough during the competition was just adorable. And I really like Tobi. Not just because he's pretty! But he's pretty. That just needs saying.

ETA:

I'm in Season 2.now and two people were MEAN! I literally gasped in shock. This nonsense is NOT what I watch these British cooking competition shows for. 

Also, I loved in season one and so far in this season, the helping of each other. Someone forgot to turn her oven on and "you can use mine, love!" and last season what's his bucket butchering everyone's meat for them or tying it up for them. Someone taught Ayo how to make a custard on the fly. I do like in so far that there's not a clear front runner like there was in season 1. 

Edited August 9, 2022 by hiisa