Episode 19

The finals have arrived, and after weeks of culinary excellence, the four chefs remaining in the competition now need to deliver their best food yet, with two huge hurdles to overcome in their race to the finish line.

First on the menu, the biggest challenge they have faced in their careers: cooking for 27 of the UK and Ireland’s leading chefs at chef’s table. This incomparable event returns to the prestigious Goring Hotel in central London, which houses its own Michelin-starred restaurant: The Dining Room. Nothing short of perfection leaves that kitchen, and the contestants will need to follow suit.

The finalists have four hours to prepare one course each for tonight's dinner. If they are to make their mark, it will take every ounce of brilliance they have shown so far, and maybe even more, if they want to stand out from the crowd. This is an opportunity to be noticed by many of their food heroes, including Sarah Hayward from The Hand and Flowers, Daniel Clifford from Midsummer House and Ahmet Dede from the eponymously named Dede, all of whose restaurants boast two Michelin stars. In fact, the guests in the dining room hold an awe-inspiring 36 Michelin stars between them, so this is a tall order by any stretch, and the four hopefuls will not want to disappoint. Marcus and Monica are on hand to steer the ship and taste the fruits of the finalists’ labour. Will it live up to expectations?

After giving their all to chef’s table, these four outstanding chefs will need to find the strength to continue that trajectory, as next they must cook for a place in the final three. The brief is to cook a dish that reminds them of home.

To avoid failure, the food must be flawless and transport the judges to the professionals’ cherished locations. Marcus and Monica then have the difficult task of deciding which chef has been pipped to the post, leaving the three remaining in the competition to return to the MasterChef kitchen another day.