Three Nottingham restaurants battled it out on Come Dine With Me The Professionals, with James and Anthony of the city centre pub Paris winning the episode. On Wednesday, 20 July, the episode aired on Channel 4, with Mark and Becky of The Plough Restaurant and Pub in Normanton-on-the-Wolds starting off the episode by hosting the first of three competitive nights.
Other competitors include James and Anthony as well as childhood friends Gemma and Kyme of the Red Lion Pub in Thurgarton. The three pairs battle over three nights, hoping to have the best food and hosting skills to score points and win the £1,000 prize.
The episode started with duo prepping for their three course meal, where they hoped to wow their guests with their gastro pub menu. Their menu included a starter of scallops, followed by roast lamb rump and then an ice cream roll with chocolate mousse for dessert.
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The first night was full of giggles, and the competitive side started to appear between courses. Mark and Becky brought out the whiteboards for their entertainment of drawing each other for the evening. Antony confused the ladies when sharing his views on the importance of manners and chivalry, but overall the evening went well and was enjoyed by everyone.
The food went down well with guests, although there was some disappointment that the Ice-cream was not homemade. Mark and Becky received 16 points from each of the pairs, meaning they scored 32 out of a possible 40.
The second night took place at Paris, a bistro located in the heart of Nottingham, where James and Antony wanted to raise the bar with their fine dining menu. Their menu included Scotch quails egg to start with, followed by a honey roasted duck breast, and then a passion fruit soufflé with chocolate ice cream for dessert.
Although the menu sounds impressive, Mark still felt that his menu was "better." The contestants were pleased about the courses, although they had concerns about the soufflé it did not sink, and James said: "It's a risk worth taking."
After delicious food, great hosting and an evening of name dropping, Gemma and Kyme scored the boys a 17 and Mark and Becky scored a respectable 18 , giving them a total of 35 and popping them in first place. The final night saw Gemma and Kyme show off their gastro pub grub in Thurgarton, where they served beef filet carpaccio, followed by Chicken supreme and then Tonka Bean Cream for dessert.
The competitors seemed underwhelmed with the menu, and both felt secure that they had the winning menus. However, despite being in their twenties the pair wowed their guests with their food and host skills, and arranged for their guests to meet 'Basil', a miniature pony from the area.
Although the guests felt the pudding needed more oomph, Becky and Mark scored a 17 and Anthony and James scored a 15, putting Gemma and Kyme in joint second place. James and Anthony won the week and the £1,000 prize money, but all contestants said they had a fantastic week and had a great time.
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