大象传媒

Theo Randall must decide who his protege will be. From an original group of seven candidates, he is resting his hopes on two young students from his old catering college, Brooklands in Weybridge.

Theo is looking for a protege who can absorb his style of Italian cooking. From the age of 21, he worked alongside the great Ruth Rogers and Rose Grey at the groundbreaking River Cafe in west London. Theo needs a protege who can understand this style of food, so he asks the students to cook two iconic River Cafe dishes - a Tuscan ribollita soup and spatchcock pigeon roasted on bruschetta with porcini, pancetta and swiss chard.

After seeing the students cook these classics, Theo sets one final test for them before he chooses who will represent him in the final. Theo knows there is only so much a mentor can teach; the students still need to have their own creative flair, so he opens up the kitchen larder to the two young cooks. They must come up with one dish to impress - a dish that shows Theo both how much they have learnt from him, and also that they will be a worthy representative in the final. Only the student that copes best with the pressure will become Theo's protege.