Thursday 25^th May

DESSERT: Hay Time

So it’s been such a great week with Danny and Josh. I feel that by the last day it was a bit of a shame that one of us had to go home. We’ve really enjoyed cooking together and just generally enjoy each others company anyway. I don’t feel anyone deserved to go home as we’ve all cooked such strong dishes. So I definitely didn’t envy Jeremy for the decision he had to make.

My dessert, I think, is clever and really fits the summer time brief. My only worry is that it doesn’t have a link to Wimbledon, which seems to be where the high scores are, but I felt like I’d done enough to get through to Friday. Danny without a doubt did his best dish of the week last night, his panacotta was the best I’ve ever had. I expected him to score highly. I was really hoping I’d done enough but I thought it was going to be very very close. Josh had already convinved himself that he was going home the night before and had even called his fiancé to tell her he’d be coming home. If I had to make a decision I’d have probably said Danny and me to go through but it was so close. I didn’t feel any of us deserved to be going to go home.

We’re all really beginning to tire now though with the pressure. Every point counts but we’re all so tired! I think that’s maybe why Josh forgot an element to his dish. It’s easily done at this point. I remember last year just being so mentally, physically and emotionally tired by the end of the week that you make little mistakes that you would never usually make.

When it came to the scores last night I was so relieved when Jeremy put me through, but then, when he said it was a tie between the other two I was shocked and thought maybe he was going to put us all through which would have been great! Although I was pleased to get through, it’s such a bitter sweet thing and it’s hard to see one of your fellow competitors go home. Danny must have been incredibly disappointed, but he was so humble in his defeat it shows what a top bloke he is. I hope he comes back next year and goes all the way.

It was a great honour to represent the North East and I think between the three of us we made a really good representation of how good the food is in the North East at the moment. Having cooked for the judges before I know how gruelling the Friday can be, you’re absolutly drained and exhausted so it’s a case of  us really holding our nerve for the last push.

Let battle commence!

The Scores:

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Kika Chenin Blanc 2011