The Restaurant is back for a third season and this time world-renowned chef Raymond Blanc is not only on the hunt for a couple to back in a brand new restaurant venture, but is investing his own money alongside partners David Moore and Sarah Willingham.
There are nine couples all hungry for the once-in-a-lifetime chance to work with one of the best restauranteurs in the business. They face an opportunity to change their lives forever as they each take over an empty restaurant, make it their own and open it to the paying public, responding to weekly surprises and tough challenges set by Raymond.
Among the pairs ready to prove they have the recipe for success are best friends, husband-and-wife teams, a mother and son, and army colleagues.
Raymond and his eagle-eyed industry experts, Sarah and David, are looking for a strong idea, cooking skills and a strong partnership, but in an economic downturn they also need a couple who can prove they can tough it out in the harsh realities of working in the restaurant trade.
What better then, than to challenge the couples to prove they can make a success of running a big brand high street restaurant before they are given the keys to their own establishment. The menus look simple – pizzas, noodles and sushi. But under the watchful eyes of Raymond, Sarah and David, the couples open the doors to hundreds of customers and service does not run smoothly.
For the couples it is a reality check. Raymond is not in the market for dreamers – and the pressure is on to show him they have what it takes to survive. Only the best will go on to the next stage and get one step closer to the prize.
As the couples then take on their own restaurants they face a series of challenges each week designed to test the creativity and practical skills they need to display as effective restauranteurs.
And each week, following inspection by Sarah and David, Raymond eliminates the one couple he deems a failure in the task, as dreams are shattered and restaurant doors are closed one by one.
By the end of the series, just one couple and one restaurant remains open. So which of the couples has the flair, passion and business acumen to please Raymond in the industry to which he has dedicated his life?
Thursdays from 5 August at 20:25