The Restaurant: The Blue Goose is cooked

After being given half a pig with instructions to sell as much of the carcass as they could and leaving as little wastage as possible, the three couples who had performed worst at this task found themselves facing the latest challenge and fighting for the survival of their restaurants.

Raymond Blanc had arranged for our restaurateurs to replace the normal catering management of three Oxford colleges and serve a themed dinner to well over a hundred students as well as to the dons at high table. Sir Walter Raleigh had been a student at Oriel, so Chris and Caroline decided to make him their theme and brought in a man in medieval costume juggling potatoes and boxes of snuff to be passed around the tables. Chris and Caroline seemed to think the subject of their theme was somebody called Walter Riley but fortunately they were put right by a bemused bursar. They had also failed to grasp the fact that high table should be served a better menu than the student rabble so everybody got the same meal of soup, chicken drumsticks and a lemon posset - not quite the fare they were expecting!

Alasdair and James knew that Wadham was renowned for its mathematical connections so came up with a rather clever theme of prime numbers - every item on the menu or on the plate would be a prime number so for instance everyone was served three carrots, there were seven elements to the starter, and so on. It really was a brilliant theme - but such a pity it was so subtle that nobody actually realised there was a theme!

Harriet and Mike chose a theme of 'tradition' - which as far as anyone could see meant that everything at Trinity stayed exactly the same as it always had been. Or at least everything apart from the quality of the food and the service.

James once more totally ignored his partner and blew most of the budget on food for fine dining - leaving Alasdair with virtually nothing to buy wine for the dons. Used as they are to the college cellars of vintage wines, the local supermarket's finest at five pounds a bottle wasn't quite the same. James merely adjusted his blinkers and took charge of the fine dining menu for the twenty-four dons leaving Helen to try and rustle up meals for a hundred and fifty students.

Harriet, assisted by Peter, started cooking her meals four hours before they would be needed, while her father huffed and puffed, panicked and blustered, and took offence at the slightest hint of perceived criticism.

Caroline and Chris were commended for the way they had thrown themselves into the project and despite the one major error of serving the same menu to all were told that they were safe. It was inevitable really that Harriet and Mike had had their last chance and the Blue Goose was closed down, but everyone including Raymond himself and his inspectors must surely feel sympathy for Harriet. With a different partner she could have done well but Mike let his daughter down at every turn. Alasdair and James live to fight another day, but they should be very careful. What pulled them through was the strength of their supporting team of Helen, Stephen and Tim. They might not be so lucky another time.

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