A chef from Cambridge is cooking up a storm on TV, after getting the best-ever score in a top cookery show.
Viewers all this week have been watching Mark Abbott on BBC Two’s Great British Menu , where he is competing for the chance to cook at a very special royal banquet.
The head chef at Cambridge’s Michelin-starred Midsummer House, he has been taking part in the show’s Northern Ireland heats, representing the country where he grew up and learnt his trade.
From Monday to Thursday he has been joining two other chefs in preparing courses from local produce, with the show’s expert judges set to make their final decisions tonight.
If successful, he will then go through to the show’s final, where he will compete with other winners from across the UK for the chance to cook at a banquet held in honour of the Queen’s ‘Great Britons’- ordinary people recognised on the Birthday and New Year’s honours' list for their extraordinary achievements in different walks of life.
While no decisions have yet been made, he looks set for a famous victory, after becoming the only chef in the competition so far to get two 10/10 scores in a row.
His achievement was praised by Daniel Clifford, his chef patron at the restaurant on Midsummer Common.
“This is a massive achievement for both Mark Abbott and Midsummer House”, he said.
“He has achieved the highest ever score in the history of Great British Menu. All the hard work and dedication Mark put in has paid off, and if he gets through to cook at the banquet then I will commi for him!”
Mark received the maximum scores for his starter and fish courses.
On Monday he surprised the judges after presenting them with seven varieties of potato, explaining he wanted to honour the Queen’s everyday heroes with an everyday foodstuff.
"That got me thinking, what is the most humble ingredient - the potato," he said.
Judge Michael O'Hare had reservations it might be hard to create an exciting dish from a potato, but was soon eating his words when Mark plated up 'Ordinary to Extraordinary'.
It included pomme souffle, champ croquette, buttermilk mash, bacon cone filled with purple potato salad, potato puffs and skins. Michael described it as "flawless".
The final heat takes place on BBC Two tonight, at 7.30pm.
