Great British Menu 2021: Chef Stuart Collins represents the Central region with a Netherton Pan
You may have seen Stuart Collins of Docket No 33 not telling us very much on This is Not a Podcast about his appearance on BBC2’s Great British Menu.
Click the picture below to watch the video.
Well now we know that this year’s theme is British innovation and invention and that Stuart absolutely nailed the brief!
On day one: Lisa Allen gave his starter a 9
...what a start, what a starter; Take it with a grain of salt was inspired by Elsie Widdowson. Given her nutritional work on the nations’s diet during the years of WW2, we hope she would have been honoured that her memory endured far beyond the strictures of rationing.
Simon Rogan awarded the fish course, Singularity, an interpretation of Stephen Hawking’s theory on black holes, an eight, putting Stuart at the head of the board after the first day’s cooking
Day 2 was the main course and dessert.
And we were delighted to see a prospector pan sitting firmly atop the Shropshire section of his 4 counties jigsaw, the serving platter for Dissected maps, representing cartographer John Spilsbury’s invention of the jigsaw.
With “nowhere to hide” because of the striking simplicity of the dish, it was down to Stuart to pull out all the stops and showcase his amazing cooking skills. Lisa Allen was impressed – and that is not a phrase you hear often!
Another 8, keeping him in the lead.
The creation of a traffic light pre-dessert ice lolly will best be remembered for the fabulous phrase, “no drama baby llama” muttered by Stuart as he cursed and coaxed the blast chiller!
And the road to the judges table, well that would be Radcliffe Road, Nottingham, the first tarmac road in the world. But this version was altogether tastier as Stuart built up layers of chocolate textures and a lemon and Earl Grey jelly to dramatic and delicious effect. Lisa Allen was once again taken by his cooking, but suggested a sorbet, echoing the favours of the jelly to be served alongside.
And so to the judges’ table, two chefs competing for the chance to go through to the final…….. we were on the edge of our seats. Would the panel of Oliver Peyton, Matthew Fort, Rachel Khoo and guest Helen Sharman share the tastes and opinions of the veterans? Would the two chefs make the changes suggested in the initial rounds? Would they be able to reproduce the dishes they presented last time to the same or a higher standard? Who would prevail?
After what felt like an interminable wait, the winner was announced - first timer Stuart! Whoops from the sofa at Netherton towers and, no doubt, across Shropshire and Staffordshire. We couldn’t be more excited.
We are proud to call Stuart a friend, proud to see him showcasing Shropshire produce and pans and delighted, but not surprised to see him doing so well.
For those of you lucky enough to live close to Whitchurch, you can experience Docket at Home from April and we are all looking forward to Docket No 33, Whitchurch, Shropshire, re-opening later this year.
