Kitchen Nightmares (2007–2014): Season 4, Episode 6 - Davide - full transcript
The Davide is a restaurant divided embittered owner at odds with his ex painkiller-taking brother.
(upbeat music)
(sea birds squawk)
- [Gordon Voiceover] Two
years ago, I came to Brighton
to fix Charita Jones'
failing soul food restaurant,
and it became one of my
biggest success stories.
Now I'm back to check on
it's progress.
- [Gordon] Hi, guys.
- [Charita] Hello!
- [Gordon] How are you,
baby, oh, look at you.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Momma's Soul Food joint
has certainly gone up
in the world.
- [Gordon] Look at the size
of that, fucking (mumbles).
- [Gordon Voiceover]
But it turns out
bigger doesn't
necessarily mean better.
- Where's our standards gone?
What the fuck are we doing?
- [Gordon Voiceover] Has
soul in a bowl
become mould in a bowl?
- If this food isn't as
good as the Shack.
- [Charita] Yeah.
- You're fucking history.
(dramatic music)
(upbeat music)
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Brighton, London-by-the-Sea.
Loads of locals and a steady
stream of hungry tourists.
Nestling just a stone throw away
from the seafront is Momma
Cherri's Soul Food Shack.
Offering classics from
America's deep south.
- Oh nice, nice, nice.
- [Gordon Voiceover] The Big
Soul Momma, AKA Charita Jones,
has raised 33 foster children,
but running her first restaurant
is proving a far bigger handful.
- It's all gonna just kinda go
and fall apart (chuckles).
So, I don't want it
to fall apart.
- God, it's definitely a
shack from the outside anyway.
Fucked up caravan.
Is this it?
- [Charita] Charita.
- Charita, Gordon,
good to see you.
- Yes, hello, Gordon.
- Good to see you.
- Nice to see you, welcome.
- This is small and quaint.
- Welcome, it's quaint
and it's cosy.
- [Gordon] I'll say,
it's like walking
into your front lounge.
- My front room.
Thank you and that's what
it's supposed to be about
because I tend to spend
all my life here,
this has got to be
my front room,
otherwise when do I
get to kick my feet up?
- [Gordon Voiceover] After
three and a half years,
despite throwing
everything at this place
and working seven days a week,
Charita is still in serious debt
to the tune of 65,000 pounds.
- [Gordon] And who's the chef?
- I'm kind of the chef.
I come from a
background of big mommas
and all of them cook.
It's called stick to your ribs,
basically.
- Stick to your roots?
- Ribs!
- Oh, ribs, right.
- Not stick to your roots,
to your ribs (laughs).
- [Gordon Voiceover] Momma's
Charita's Shack seats 40
at an extremely
intimate squeeze.
But, sadly for Charita,
that's not often a problem
as weekday trade is
virtually nonexistent.
- It's great at the weekends,
but somehow we've discovered
that we're in a hole,
we're just in this hole,
a financial hole that we
can't claw our way out of.
- Have you made any money
since you've been open?
- Nope, not a penny.
Not a single penny have we
made since we've been open.
It's hard to put our
finger on why.
- Is it critical?
- Yes.
- How long can you continue
staying like this, truthfully?
- Truthfully, I'd say
three to six months.
- [Gordon] Maximum?
- Maximum.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
No customers, no money.
It's time to check
out the kitchen.
- [Gordon] God.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Charita
calls herself a cook,
but Brian Morego is her head
chef, so who's in charge?
- [Gordon] How you doing, dude?
- Fine, thank you.
- [Gordon] Do you do this
and all that and pull and.
- I try not to.
(laughs)
- [Charita] We don't go
in for cliches.
- No, so are you the head chef
or the cook, what are you?
I'm confused.
- Well, I was employed
to come as a head chef.
- Right.
- But because of problems
with finances and
things like that.
- Don't let me stop you.
- [Brian] I have to sit back.
- So who writes the menu?
- Charita has
written everything,
she does everything, basically.
- So, you've got a cushy job
then really, haven't you?
- You could say that, as a chef,
yes.
- Pretty chilled, huh?
- Yeah, as a chef, yes,
it's pretty chilled, but--
- [Gordon Voiceover] A head
chef who doesn't write the menu
and only works 35 hours a week.
Next, he'll be telling me
he's forgotten how to cook.
- [Charita] Here you go.
- Thank you.
- [Charita] You've got
some catfish goujons
with hush puppy and our
homemade pineapple salsa.
- This is quite nice.
Very delicate fish, and
it's nicely fried,
quite light, really nice.
- Thank you.
Be back with your mains.
- [Gordon] Oh my god!
- [Gordon Voiceover] For
mains, my plate's piled high
with a clumsy mess of ribs,
spicy chicken jambalaya
and corn and bean succotash.
- I hope he likes it.
- Mm, fucking hell, the ribs.
So tender.
I have to say it's throw on
the plate with no real care,
but it tastes phenomenal.
This may be the first time
I go back to the kitchen
with an empty plate.
Thank you, bloody delicious.
- [Charita] Thank you.
- And you know what?
I thought it was gonna be
really spicy but
as it turned down, it
was spot on.
And it actually made me feel
like I was back at mum's
for the first time and
having some home cooking,
it was very good.
- You'll get me crying.
- [Gordon] But there are
things I would change.
- [Charita] Okay, fine and
I'm happy, happy to hear that.
- But in general.
- I've got to take a picture
of this plate.
I know it sounds crazy,
I know it sounds crazy.
- [Gordon] Momma, oh God.
- [Charita] Mind your head.
- [Gordon] Oh God!
- I fed Gordon Ramsay (laughs)
and he cleaned his plate.
- [Gordon] How the hell do
you turn that thing off?
She doesn't shut up.
Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit, rabbit,
shit!
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Charita's down home style
should be a unique selling
point, but it ain't working.
I need to go back to the
kitchen and find out why.
Friday, and Charita's tackling
most of the day's preparation
single handedly in a
desperate bid to save money.
- Part of this is, you know,
you've got to get
your hands dirty.
- [Gordon] Yeah, of course,
yeah.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Marinading
meat, making dressings,
sauces and baking are all
crucial things
to prepare in advance of
a busy service.
- [Charita] And I'm just
shaking off the excess.
- [Gordon Voiceover] But
deep frying chicken wings
eight hours in advance
of their first booking,
that can't be right.
- [Gordon] So why do you
cook them now?
- Because if you cook them off
now and leave them to cool,
when the order comes in it's
just a matter of picking out
how many we need and
they go back in
and they come back
up to a nice--
- And they don't go dry?
- No.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
I'm beginning to suspect
the good old home cooking isn't
as wholesome as it could be.
- Mm, they smell good.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Most of
it's coming from the freezer,
rather than the soul.
- How many freezers
have you got?
- 13 altogether.
- 13?
- Freezers and fridges.
- Fuck me.
- [Gordon Voiceover] By
the time Brian turns up,
there's not much left
for him to do.
- So I mean, you can't really
feel like you're head chef
if you've got Charita in
the kitchen every morning
cooking the food and
you come in and--
- [Brian] That's what I'm
saying you know.
- In a sense you're not
actually really cooking,
you're just coming in and
putting things together.
- [Brian] Plating it together,
yes.
It's kind of hard, yes.
- [Gordon] Have you
lost motivation?
- Yes.
- [Gordon Voiceover] So,
if Charita's head chef's
gone off the boil, I'm
hoping her remaining crew
of part-timers have a
bit more spunk.
Heading up front of
house is Lauren.
She arrives 10 minutes late
for the evening service.
20 year old A.D. seems
to be more committed
to his glamorous day job.
- [Gordon] So why panel beating?
- I don't know, I finish
at half four every day.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Kitchen
porter Gavin lives next door,
but he appears to turn
up when he feels like it.
And Charita's librarian
husband Phil hot foots it back
from the day job to become
basement barman and resident
D.J.
- It looks like you're
washer upper.
- [Charita] No way!
- I have been known to
wash the odd dish.
- [Charita] He does
that as well.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
These and numerous other
part-time staff are all members
of Momma Cherri's big
laid back family.
- So, when he's in the shit
in the middle of service,
you slide them down like
fucking Michael Jackson?
- [Lauren] Yes.
- Oh fucking hell.
I hate to ruin a good party
but if you want to run
a successful business,
then the terms: laid back and
professional just don't mix.
It's not just about how
good the food tastes,
it's about how it fucking
gets there as well.
And that is crucial.
- [Gordon Voiceover] I
can't wait to see
this team of jokers in action.
- All right, so, we need
going, 'cause they're hungry.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Immediately it's clear,
who's the momma in this kitchen.
- I'm hitting you with
chilli pepper
'cause you ain't got none.
Just the one.
- Can I take the seeds
out at least.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Charita talks to them
like they're her children
and she's the only one
cooking anything from fresh.
- [Charita] I need to
cook up these steaks now.
- Okay, Charita, all of
the seconds party are in.
- All right, okay.
Two potato skins, onion
and cornbread, two pieces,
can I get some jambalaya
heated up please?
- [Gordon Voiceover] For
Brian and A.D.
it's just an elaborate plating
and heating up exercise.
The mountains of messy
food, school dinner style.
A D minus, must try harder.
- That's hot gravy, yeah?
On hot turkey?
Served on cold plates?
- [Charita] Yep.
- With cold salad?
- [Charita] Yep.
(Brian laughs)
- [Gordon Voiceover]
What's he laughing at?
This is serious.
- You weren't gonna break
sweat there, were you?
- Oh you watch, he's
about to kick off.
- [Gordon Voiceover] When?
There's twice as many
staff as there need be.
This should be an
absolute breeze.
But Charita's killing herself
trying to do everything.
- You've got everything
in the basement, yes?
Everything's gone?
(energetic music)
- [Gordon Voiceover] Paying
two fully qualified chefs
to dress and send a
plate of nachos.
Come on, that's a sure fire
way to break a business.
- Fucking hell, that's painful.
Very, very painful.
Tonight on several occasions
you were standing here,
cooking away in a
world of your own.
- [Charita] Yep.
- And these guys are
standing there
just almost playing
with themselves,
'cause they're waiting
for something from you.
If you are the head chef,
then you're gonna have to
start taking the reins.
- Yes, yes.
- Wanna try and get
through a busy night
without pissing your
pants with laughter?
Two hours pure concentration
without laughing.
- Okay.
- And I get you can't do it.
- I can do it.
- You're fucking
smiling already.
- [Gordon Voiceover] If
there was ever a case
of too many cooks, this is it.
One of them will have to go.
- The pan's fucked already.
I said no smiling, no laughing,
serious.
- Okay, okay.
- Set a fucking example.
- [Charita] I'm going to.
- And do not be scared
to get rid of baggage.
(knives clink)
(light pensive music)
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Brighton's best kept secret,
Momma Cherri's Soul Food
Shack, is so well kept
it's losing a thousand
pounds a week.
- No one in.
Twenty past ten in the morning,
no one in.
- [Gordon Voiceover] By
day three, I've uncovered
a couple of reasons why.
- I know it's chilled
but fucking hell,
not as chilled as the snapper.
Why is no one here this
time of the morning?
It's ridiculous.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Firstly, the food's good
but it could be so much better.
- [Charita] Where's Brian?
Let me give you a hand?
- [Charita] Brian?
I have no idea.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Secondly,
there are far too many staff
and most of them aren't
pulling their weight.
- [Gordon] Late this
morning by half an hour.
What do you do to him
when he's late?
- Nothing.
- Nothing?
- [Charita] I'm just
gonna wash up right now.
- So you're washing up as well?
She's in, she opens up, brings
all the supplies upstairs,
you should be ashamed of
yourself, Brian.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Charita's next task
is to make a huge batch of
macaroni cheese
that will last her for
two whole weeks.
- And keep stirring, oh,
this is coming up nicely.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Hot
from the stove,
her food is irresistible.
People will travel
miles to taste it.
- What do you think?
- [Gordon] I like that.
Yeah, very nice.
- [Gordon Voiceover] But like
a lot of her home cooking,
this lot is destined
for the freezer,
where it's delicious
texture and flavour
will be lost forever.
- [Gordon] I mean you
cook beautifully.
And I don't understand
why you want to freeze it
when it's so tasty.
- [Charita] Well I think,
I don't think I want,
it's not a case of wanting to.
- No, I think you've
got into a habit.
- [Charita] I've gotten
into a habit.
- Which is a lazy habit.
You're not lazy because
you work so bloody hard.
He's lazy.
He's definitely lazy.
If you turned up for work half
an hour late in my kitchen,
trust me you'd be
home for the day
looking for a new fucking job.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
To be honest,
it's no wonder
Brian's lost heart,
the man's been working in a
kitchen for as long as I have,
but to save money he's
been sidelined.
- [Brian] I was gone by
quarter to nine.
- [Gordon Voiceover] So much
so, he's rarely involved
in actually making
any of the food.
- [Charita] There is kind
of a method to my madness.
- [Gordon] But you're
throwing it together?
- [Charita] It looks like
I'm throwing it together,
but I throw it together
the exact same way
every single week.
- So when you're not
doing it, who does it?
- I'm doing it.
- [Gordon] That's my point.
- Okay (chuckles).
- [Gordon Voiceover] If Charita
was using Brian properly,
they could ditch the
freezers once and for all.
- [Charita] And the macaroni
and cheese is nearly there.
- That looks delicious.
I think that should go
to staff food.
- Yeah, I think so.
It does look good, doesn't it?
- [Gordon Voiceover] As
it stands, few customers
will taste the food
at it's best.
Charita's throwing away
her unique selling point.
(soft blues music)
And boy does she need one.
- It's 10 past one
Saturday lunchtime,
and this place should
be absolutely rammed,
and there's not a soul in here.
(soft blues music)
- [Gordon Voiceover]
This is dire.
Saturday and Sunday are your
prime dates for business,
but like many failing
restaurants,
Charita's making some
classic mistakes.
- Poor mans meat pie.
Eight pounds.
I know it's going to be good.
Yet you go on to the menu here
and you've got main courses
at fourteen, fifteen pounds.
Why have they gone up
so expensive?
- To pay my bills.
To pay the bank
manager (laughs).
Accountant and I've been
saying, "Help me, help me,
"how do I do this?"
and they say,
"You've gotta raise your prices.
"You've gotta raise
your prices."
- Always the bank manager's
solution: put your prices up.
- It was literally down
to the bank manager.
- [Gordon] Yes, yes.
Well, he's an arsehole.
- Oh good.
- [Gordon] It's killing
the business.
I want to look at
restructuring the menu.
Making it a little bit shorter.
- Okay.
- Tweaking the portion size.
- Oh right.
- Having less come back.
- 60% are bones come back,
but it's that 40% I
wanna work on.
- The objective for every
customer coming through that
door
is to have a starter,
a mains and a desert.
You wait and see the
turnover treble
if you can squeeze three
courses out of them.
- [Charita] Okay.
(bright piano music)
- [Gordon Voiceover] But
before we can squeeze
anything out of anybody,
we need customers,
and if they're not coming to us,
we've got to take
Momma Charita's
finger licking food to them.
- So, got the meat loaf?
- [Charita] Oh my God!
- Got the ribs, they've
got the chicken.
That smells amazing.
- [Charita] Oh it's
smelling so good, so good.
- [Gordon Voiceover] And
who better to flaunt it
than the Momma herself.
- Don't be shy.
I'm gonna come to you since
you're not coming to me.
- [Gordon] Fucking hell.
- All cooked fresh at Momma
Charita's Soul Food Shack
just around the corner there.
Yeah, it's pretty good.
This particular food is
called soul food, okay,
cooked from the soul,
from the heart.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Boy,
she's good.
A soul food evangelist
and she's out to convert
the whole of Brighton.
- Soul food.
Can I hear you all say it.
- [All] Soul food.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Just
wind her up and let her go.
- That's nice, isn't it?
- Go and get me some more wings.
- Remember, this time
it's on the house,
next time they're paying.
- Yep.
- Did you cook these?
- [Charita] Yes, I did.
- They're lovely.
- [Gordon Voiceover] There's
no doubt that Charita
is a terrific cook but she's
employing Brian to do that job
and I'm beginning to realise
she's wasted in the kitchen.
- What's it called?
- [All] Soul food.
- Just call me Momma.
- [Woman] Thank you, Momma.
- You got it.
- [Gordon Voiceover] With
Saturday night's service
about to begin, it's time
to get this shack in order.
- It's pretty obvious that the
business is in dire straits
and that's real,
that's the truth.
Watching you guys over
the last couple of days,
you actually treat it like
it's your fucking home.
Chilled, relaxed, and
this lady here,
you talk to her almost
as if it's your mum.
And that really has to stop,
if this is gonna go any further.
And if it doesn't work, not
only are you out of a business
and your livelihood's gone,
all of you guys are out
of a fucking job.
You've got no work.
So when it's that far down,
we really have to dig deep
and come up with sensible ideas.
And tonight I'm gonna ask you
to stay out of the kitchen.
You've got so much to sell.
And you, you're a
fucking good cook.
- Thank you.
- So, Charita, let him cook.
- I'm gonna let him, I'm
gonna let him.
I am, yes.
- You have to pass the
reins over now,
and if you don't break
away from this stove,
I swear to God the
business is gonna close.
And let them do the job that
you fucking pay the money for.
- Yep.
I'm gonna go and put
some makeup on.
'Cause I'm going downstairs.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Charita's street hustling
has secured a fully
booked restaurant tonight.
If we're gonna get through it,
we need to get this
kitchen working
like an efficient
well-oiled machine.
- A.D., you're doing that now,
yeah?
- Yes.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Time
to whip up a bit
of professionalism
into these boys.
- Gavin, can you take
those starters
and food downstairs, yes?
You're standing there
doing nothing.
- [A.D.] Table five.
- [Gavin] Table five.
- Thank you.
He was standing there,
open up your eyes, yeah,
and get him fucking working,
okay?
You're running this place
tonight, you know that?
And you're gonna prove to her
downstairs that you can do it.
And not just to her
but to yourself and me.
I said no smiling, no laughing,
serious.
- Okay.
- Yeah?
Let's go.
- No smiling now.
- Good evening!
Have you had a chance to
look at the menu?
Yeah?
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Downstairs, Charita's slipped
effortlessly into the role of
the hostess with the mostess.
- Do you eat
macaroni and cheese?
- [Woman] We do.
- I'm telling you,
it's fantastic.
Gordon grated my cheese.
(laughs)
- [Gordon Voiceover] Brian's
taking his first decision
as a head chef.
Pre-cooked buffalo wings
are off the menu.
From now on, they're
being cooked to order.
- The chicken's being
cooked from fresh.
Nice.
People expect the plates to be
turned around in 20 minutes.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Well almost.
The rest of the food's going out
just as Charita's
always done it.
Hot food, cold plates,
uninspiring salads.
- Four pounds for that?
That's shocking.
- [Gordon Voiceover] And
jaw breaking meat loaf.
- What time do we close tonight?
(Brian giggles)
You're laughing.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
But let's not try to run
before we can walk.
- Can I get this one as
soon as possible.
- Yes, it's coming, it's in the
oven, then cheese (mumbles).
- How long?
Give Charita a time.
- Three minutes.
- Three minutes, there we are.
I'll take that, thank
you Charita.
Bye.
See you.
There you go, up.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
The restaurant's full,
but now she's front of house,
Charita's using every trick
in the book to boost business.
- Five minutes, you go right
next door to my friendly pub.
- There you go.
- [Charita] And I will--
- See you in five.
- [Charita] See you in five,
okay?
- Thank you.
Brian, move it, huh?
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Two hours in
and the food's not going
out quick enough.
Charita's faith in
Brian is dwindling fast.
- These guys have been
in a long time.
They've got kids down there.
- [Brian] Yeah, but their
starters have just gone.
- They've got 'em.
Okay.
- [Gordon] What happened
there with those starters?
- [Brian] The
starters were done.
- So they're already
in the lift?
- Yeah, yeah.
Where are they?
- [A.D.] What?
- These starters?
For this table?
- [A.D.] These ones,
no, I'm doing them now.
- Oh shit, I just told
her they'd gone, man.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
For Brian, three years
of living in a culinary coma
is a hard habit to break,
he's beginning to lose it.
- This table came in
before five other tables
that are still waiting on
their starters.
This one.
- [Gordon Voiceover] And
Charita's constant interruptions
aren't exactly helping.
- Come on Brian, don't
lost it now, yeah?
- [Brian] No.
- [Charita] What else
on this table?
I need to see, what's on it?
- Hot wings and barbecue
chicken wings.
- I've got the hot wings, I
need whatever else is there.
Because they are
getting restless.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Oh dear.
- [A.D.] That's it send it away.
- [Gordon] Cheers, Gavin.
- I am so sorry, I'll tell
you what the problem was.
- [Brian] We've got
fresh food here,
you can't expect the food
to just jump on your plate.
- [Gordon] No, we'll explain
that to her afterwards, yeah?
- It can take a good
14-20 minutes to make sure
that you don't kill anyone.
- Has that pigs feet go on?
'Cause it needs to go on now,
'cause it takes the time, yeah?
- Every minute you're in
here we're losing money.
Fucking hell.
- [Charita] So what do you
think of that meat loaf?
- [Man] Bloody good.
- [Charita] Thank you.
Didn't I tell you?
Didn't I tell you?
- I thought the kitchen got
off to a really good start.
You were slightly
nervous down there,
because you were sort
of, not spying on them,
but coming up agitated.
You lost it, Brian.
- A little bit. yes.
- [Gordon] A little bit.
- Things just got a
little bit of time.
- Yes, you said something
interesting though, yeah?
"Charita has to understand
it's gonna take
"three or four minutes longer
because I'm cooking from raw."
And the benefit is the customer.
But I think this guy with the
help of A.D. can get faster,
much, much faster.
I mean how would you sum up?
You were in the dining
room tonight?
- It felt good because,
I'm telling you,
for three and a half
years being here,
it was the first Saturday night
that I have spent downstairs.
- They've seen you, that's
the face they want to see,
when they come to see Momma.
- Downstairs, I'm gonna be
cracking the whip a lot harder.
- It's your business.
Of course.
- And that's what I was
thinking you know,
I've got to crack it.
- Let's go.
Thank you.
- Good, thank you guys,
let me go down here
and finish sent, 'cause I've
got a few more deserts to sell.
- [Gordon] Yeah.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
If Brian's going to win
Charita's respect as
her head chef,
he needs to become more
involved in preparing the food,
as well as cooking it.
- Number 13, lucky for some.
- [Gordon Voiceover] But
since his hours were cut,
he's been dropped in a
catch 22 situation.
- Where's the little lady gone?
- [Gordon Voiceover] Brian's
been left holding the baby.
- It became a problem, 'cause
Clare had to go to work.
And we had to find a
way of meeting the bills
at the end of the month
- Yes.
- You know, and that's
why I can't do Tuesday's
and Wednesdays, the whole thing
is just confused, you know.
- [Gordon Voiceover] As Brian's
involvement with the food
has diminished, so too has
his confidence.
The first time he made
meat loaf two years ago,
it was a disaster.
So we're going to prove that
Brian can not only do it,
but do it better.
- [Gordon] How much influence
do you have on the menu?
- The evenings sometimes I
will do a menu,
but she changes it anyway,
so really I think my
influence disappears.
- But you've got to
be strong now.
'Cause she's got to
concentrate in the dining room,
you're gonna be running the
kitchen, you have to be strong.
- [Brian] Yes.
- [Gordon Voiceover] The
problem with Charita's meat loaf
is the bacon: by the
time it's cooked,
it's like cutting into leather.
- Back bacon you saw dries out,
there's hardly any fat
in back bacon.
So, you know, it's tricky bacon.
Place one nice fatty piece
of bacon there,
as it's cooking, it's
putting moisture
inside the meat loaf, yeah?
- Fantastic.
If I put my foot down and say,
"No, this is like this
or like that,"
I think I can see
myself going far.
You know, I can achieve things.
It's a happy feeling, you
know, it's a happy feeling.
- [Gordon] Mm, just
look at them.
- The seasoning is just
right, it's not too salty.
- No, I think that's fine.
It doesn't need any--
- Doesn't need anything else.
- Anything else at all.
(upbeat music)
- [Gordon Voiceover]
With Brian's confidence
slowly returning, now I've
got to work on Charita.
She excels as a natural
cook and a great hostess.
- Oh my god, that's
everything on my menu.
- [Gordon Voiceover] But
when it comes to business,
she's a
self-confessed numbskull.
- Yeah one and a half
metres long.
- And this tells me the money,
the money.
That's a bit shorter.
- Shorter, yeah.
(laughs)
We want it the other way round.
- I want it the
other way around.
- Definitely.
- [Gordon Voiceover] But
it's not just the takings
that are the problem here.
- Okay, two hundred
grammes of butter, yeah?
- [Gordon Voiceover] Like
a beautifully risen cake
successful
restaurants only thrive,
when three key business factors
are working in close harmony.
- Gradually adding two
hundred grammes of flour.
We establish one third staff
costs, one third food costs
and one third gross profit.
Combine all those ingredients
into one recipe: chemistry,
you have the most amazing cake.
And that's how any good
business works, yeah?
- [Gordon Voiceover] At the
moment Charita's business cake
is way off course.
- I'm gonna show you something
what we've got currently
happening here at the Shack.
- [Gordon Voiceover] With
few midweek customers,
Charita's gross profits
are dangerously low.
- [Gordon] Very, very
little profit.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Her food
costs are reasonably healthy
but her massive overheads
are crippling her.
- I just want to show you
what it's going to cost you
when we start adding
really high staff costs.
So there's an imbalance already.
- Oh my God.
- [Gordon] Yeah, bloody hard.
Now I'm doing this on
purpose to prove a point.
- [Charita] Yes.
- You can't complete a recipe
for a successful business,
when you've got an
imbalance situation.
You can tell me to fuck off,
but how much do you pay
yourself a month?
- A month?
I get around two hundred
a week, that's it.
I'm the lowest out of
the kitchen.
- Two hundred pounds a week?
- [Charita] A week, yes.
- Eight hundred pounds a month?
- [Charita] A month yeah.
- You're working
seven days a week?
- [Charita] I'm working
seven days a week.
- That's a fucking disgrace.
- I mean A.D gets more
than me some weeks.
- A commis chef that's part
time gets paid more than you?
- Mm-hm.
- You're far too fucking soft.
- I know, I know, I know.
- You really are far too soft.
It stops now.
- I know.
I know, I know, I know, I know.
(taps)
- [Gordon] That is a
(mumbles) business
with the right ingredients,
That is what you're
currently running.
- [Charita] Right.
- [Gordon] Have a think
and let me know
which one you'd like to eat.
- [Charita] Very good.
Oh I just feel like crying.
- [Interviewer] Why are
you crying, Charita?
- Because I'm not gonna
lose my business.
(knives clink)
(slow pensive music)
- [Gordon Voiceover] I'm
nearing the end
of my week in Brighton.
- [Gordon] Oh, fucking bollocks!
- [Gordon Voiceover] I'm not
sure I've found my soul yet,
but Brian is finally beginning
to behave like a head chef.
(knives clink)
And Charita is undergoing
a transformation
from mother to matron,
and from now on, she'll
be ruling this roost
with an iron hand.
- [Charita] There's not a
drop in centre.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
But we still have
a fundamental problem:
a crippling lack of
weekday customers.
What we need is a gimmick.
A bargain that will ensure
the Shack's full to the
rafters all week long.
- The idea is to sell
your restaurant per table.
- [Charita] Okay.
- Okay, so take the six.
Six chairs.
- Yeah.
Ten pounds a head, sixty
pound for that table.
If that worked every
night at 10 pound a head,
that's 360 pounds in the till.
Think of it this way:
they'll spend the same
amount of money--
- On their alcohol.
- On alcohol.
- [Gordon Voiceover] My
plan is to create
an exciting three course
fixed buffet for each table.
Simplifying the service
and cherry picking from
the existing menu.
Simple, sexy and
irresistible soul food.
- Look at that there
for four people.
You've got a mug of soup
as well, don't forget.
I think it's quite sort
of fresh and new.
And it sort of deformalizes
the restaurant,
because it is soul food
and it's, you know,
across the table.
- Yeah, it's lovely.
- [Brian] I think it
also introduces everybody
to a different--
- Different side.
- Everyone is having a
different taste of everything.
- [Charita] Yeah.
- And the idea of course is
once they've experienced this,
they come back on Friday or
Saturday for a full thing.
- [Charita] Yeah, yeah,
this looks great.
- [Gordon] Good.
- [Charita] I like it.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Tonight we go live.
- Oh, don't worry, I'm gonna be,
now that you've said live,
you wait, I'm gonna be live.
- [Gordon Voiceover] It seems
Charita's well and truly sold
on our new idea.
- Wow!
Okay, I've just got to
think of a word for tapas.
I'm gonna come up
with my own word.
I'm gonna make a word up.
But I guess I can't
call it slappers,
'cause that sounds too
rude (laughs).
- [Gordon Voiceover] On
a normal Wednesday night,
Charita would be lucky
to get eight customers.
- Good morning, Momma
Charita's, can I help you?
- [Gordon Voiceover] But
since we hit the streets
three days ago, words out
and the bookings have
gone through the roof.
- I'm doing probably
two sittings,
a seven o'clock and a
nine o'clock sitting.
- [Gordon] So how's
it looking now?
- It's looking full.
What day of the week am I?
Wednesday.
This is wonderful.
- Perfect and 50-55
customers tonight.
That's five 550 pounds on food.
The same again on.
- Yep, hopefully on the drink.
- Drink, and that's a
thousand pounds in the till.
- Yep.
- [Gordon] Which is equivalent
to a Friday night take?
- Yeah, yeah that's a
Friday night.
- So a touch of flexibility....
- [Gordon Voiceover] It's
a new start for the chef,
and tonight every member
of Charita's staff
has got to give one
hundred percent.
- Okay, here I've a set of rules
that each and every one of
you are now gonna abide by
and it's not a governing
rule, it's an understanding
what this business needs
to go further and forward.
- I need everybody here
on time, and on time means
if I say you start at six,
you get here at quarter to.
That way you have your
cigarettes, you get changed,
you chat, you have your coffee
and so that at six o'clock
you're on the floor, okay?
The next one is there is
always something to do.
If you can't think of it,
ask me.
- The queen is now in residence.
- On the floor.
- Yes, Charita is now
on the floor.
- Yep, that's where
I'm gonna be.
- And to confirm that, we're
gonna raise the flag, yes?
Charita is in residence.
Yes and that's where she stays,
I want you to pull yourselves
all together, there you go.
- Your table here.
- [Gordon Voiceover] The
success of soul in a bowl
relies on doing large numbers.
At only 10 pounds a head,
Charita must fill the
restaurant twice over.
- Everything's prepped, yes?
Are you nervous?
- [Brian] Yes, I am.
- Good, it's a good sign,
start shitting yourself.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Brian,
A.D and Gavin
have got to get those platters
flying down those stairs,
but they're only just
peeling the last potato.
- I'm gonna send you down
a tray designed for two.
- It comes with corn bread
and soup as a starter.
Soup is excellent.
- I hope you enjoy it, I
think you will.
- Thank you very much.
- [Waitress] Unfortunately,
we're fully booked tonight.
- [Gordon Voiceover] It's the
first Wednesday night ever
they've had to turn
customers away.
- Slightly savoury
sweet potato soup.
- Table three, two mixed tapas,
okay?
- [Brian] Just bring
it off to them at once.
Okay A.D. my man.
- The table seven that
you've got up there,
that's down as three, they've
had a person join them,
so it's now for four.
- [Gordon Voiceover] It's
already looking better,
but tonight has got
to be perfect.
- Take the fucking bowl
off the tray,
put it in the bowl, yeah.
I just don't want all this
shit on here everywhere.
Yeah, I want it nice and clean.
Fucking clean, come on.
(claps) Yeah.
- [Gordon Voiceover] And for
the first time this week,
Brian's not smiling.
- That looks lovely, well done.
Right, this is done,
please A.D, send it away.
So now we're looking for a
four soup and a three soup.
Four corn bread,
three corn bread.
Gavin you're taking care
of the desserts, yeah?
- [Gordon Voiceover] The
team is pulling together.
- Can you put more, just a
bowl of veggie jambalaya on it.
And this one is going to
have the meat.
Come on we've got to pump,
if we slow down I'm
gonna lose this.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Communication
is much, much better.
- Can I get I timing on some
of these so I can tell them?
- [Brian] Five minutes.
- [Charita] Five minutes?
On all of them, okay.
- Keep it going Brian, yes?
A.D, yes?
It's eight o'clock,
so far so good,
you're doing a good job.
- [Gordon Voiceover] If
they can keep it going,
we might just pull this one off.
- They said they were
stuffed, it was delicious,
all of the different flavours
that go with it,
fully satisfied.
I'm gonna take them some desert.
You see that, empty bowls.
How was the soup, good?
- [Woman] Gorgeous.
- Yeah, all right.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Things must be going okay,
because we've hardly seen
her in the kitchen all night.
- [Gordon] Are we starting
to turn the tables now?
- I'm starting to turn
but I've got get these out.
- Because that's
the crucial thing, at 10
pounds a head,
we have to turn those tables,
yes?
- So can we do two trays at
the same time, is it possible?
- [A.D.] We can.
- Yes.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Now
the pressure's really on.
- We're losing, come on,
let's get some
organisation, guys, come on.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
It's still not perfect.
- A tables called away, you
stick that ticket on the tray,
no one touches it.
- [Gordon Voiceover] But
the vibe up here
has definitely got more
professional.
- We're losing valuable time
man, what are you doing?
We're two minutes over.
- [Charita] How's it
feeling up there?
- Hot.
Pumping.
- [Gordon Voiceover] I can't
quite believe I'm saying this,
but I think Brian's
actually breaking a sweat.
- Looking good,
they're loving it.
People are loving it.
- Very tasty, very good food.
- I haven't eaten anything
quite like this before
and it's really nice.
- Fucking well done, yeah,
really good.
That's one day.
The real work starts tomorrow.
Let's go.
- [Brian] I didn't know how much
I was gonna cook today,
you know.
I didn't know if I was going
to cope or break, basically,
but I had just one
thought in my mind
just to get through this.
(upbeat music)
- [Gordon Voiceover] Thursday
morning, and the whole team
are in early.
- You've got to get
that well going.
- [Gordon Voiceover] They're
clean out of food stocks
and fully booked tonight,
so they're starting
completely from scratch.
- It's mac and cheese,
mac and cheese, (mumbles).
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Fresh home cooking
straight from the soul,
hallelujah.
- Can I just say, you
set me a target.
When I spoke to you last night,
we hadn't reached that target.
Eight hundred pounds last night.
I asked for a thousand.
- When I cashed up, I
hit one thousand.
- Fantastic.
- It was 1080.
- [Gordon] Fantastic.
- So for these two, they did it.
- [Gordon Voiceover] The
future success
of Momma Cherri's depends on
Brian's strength and commitment
more than anybody's.
- You've really pissed me
off this week, you know that?
- Yes.
I felt really bad after,
especially yesterday,
when I realised that I
haven't been really sort of,
it's like I didn't care almost.
- I just thought when I
first saw you in the kitchen,
you were treating it
like a job, no passion.
- But last night it came back,
you know.
I could feel it.
- You are the head chef.
- Yes.
- So act like the head chef.
- Yes.
- Take responsibility as
a head a chef.
- Yes.
- Get a grip,
wake up and fucking
stop dreaming.
- [Gordon Voiceover] And
I think Charita knows
what she must do.
- You are the most marketable
asset of this restaurant.
- Yes, well, I'm going
to be selling myself now.
- No, understand, kitchen
morning, a.m.,
hosting the room and being
present in the evening.
You have got to continue that.
- I will do and I've got
to take some control back.
(seagulls cry)
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Since my last visit,
Charita's soul in a bowl
has made Momma Cherri's
one of Brighton's biggest
success stories.
- Her reputation is
just phenomenal,
she's in and out of newspapers
and constantly on radio
and television,
so if she's got that
level of attention,
then she's got to make sure
what's coming out of
that kitchen
is better than it was
two years ago.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Six
months ago, Momma Cherri
moved out of the Shack
and upgraded to a new
restaurant around the corner.
I just hope she's sticking
to the advice I gave her.
- Fuck me.
Momma Cherri's big house.
Look at the size of that.
How many floors is it on?
One, two, three, four,
five floors.
Fucking hell.
- [Charita] We've got
a lot of drinks here.
- [Gordon] Hi guys.
- [Charita] Hello!
- [Gordon] How are you baby?
Oh look at you.
- How are you?
- Look at the size
of this place, my God.
- I know, I know.
- And it's five floors.
- [Charita] This is the first
mega soul food restaurant.
- [Gordon] Unbelievable.
So the first floor is what?
- [Charita] Come here,
can I show you?
- Yeah, absolutely, I'm
dying to see it, go on.
- [Charita] Follow me.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Mega?
She's not kidding.
This place is triple
the size of the Shack.
The question is, is
Charita managing
to fill to her big house?
- We're coming up to the
beginning of December.
- [Charita] Yeah.
- And people are booked
in for March.
- [Charita] For March.
- [Gordon] That's extraordinary.
- Do you know we're doing a
thousand covers in a week.
We average between 900 and
1,200 a week here, that's what--
- [Gordon Voiceover]
I'm impressed.
Charita's taken her
restaurant to the next level,
but the first year of expansion
is a really dangerous
time for any business.
So I only hope that Charita's
got a tight hold of the reins.
- Hi guys.
Where's my man?
Where is he?
Hello.
How many chefs are in here?
- [Gordon Voiceover] This place
is certainly well staffed.
Brian's heading up the
kitchen, A.D.'s gone,
and Charita's taken on a
whopping nine extra chefs.
- Oh, Jesus Christ Almighty.
How have you been?
- [Brian] Er, busy.
- I can tell.
(laughs)
It's like you're cooking for
the whole of Britain upstairs.
- So far we are yes.
- [Gordon Voiceover] I
can't wait to tuck
into some soul food.
I insisted everything in the
Shack was cooked from scratch,
so Brian better be sticking
to my fresh food regime.
- I'm dying to see what
you've got in the freezer.
- [Brian] Same as it
was before just, just--
- [Gordon] What's that?
- [Brian] That is a--
- [Gordon] Lasagna?
- [Brian] That's a.
- [Gordon] Crumble?
- [Brian] No, no, no
that's not crumble,
that's peach cobbler.
- Sorry, peach cobbler then.
I'm dying to see inside,
you know what I'm like.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Oh
dear, the signs aren't good.
- What are they in there?
Oh my god there's like
food everywhere.
Where are these from?
- [Brian] They've
just been cooked.
- [Gordon] What's that in there?
- [Brian] That's the
ribs, they just came out,
they're cooling.
- Oh no, look, there's another
fucking tray of chicken.
- [Brian] Are they on order?
- [Gordon Voiceover] It's like
a fast food joint in here.
All that's missing is a family
bucket and a litre of Coke.
- Fucking hell, another
box of chicken wings.
One, two, three, four, five,
six, seven.
When I first met you,
there was two and three
of you in the kitchen,
and it had that nice intimacy,
hearty feel
that everyone's passionate,
from a meat loaf
to a fucking chicken wing and
it just got done, you know,
done in a way that
everyone really cared
for what they were doing.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Two years
on and from what I can see,
the soul's gone from
this kitchen.
- Right, have a taste of
that, catfish goujons.
That was the first dish I
ever tasted in the Shack.
Look at the size of the
fucking thing.
Fucking hell.
Come here a minute, let
me show you something.
What is that?
Are we charging
customers for that?
While someone wants
to boast to me
about being fully booked
until next fucking March,
I feel like ringing them
and saying don't bother
fucking coming next March,
they won't be fucking
ready in time.
Who's controlling this,
where's our standards gone?
Just where has the passion gone?
What the fuck are we doing?
Get that shit in the bin,
everything in the fucking bin.
Now.
Holy fuck.
- [Gordon Voiceover] This
is a nightmare.
The kitchen can't cope and have
gone back to their bad ways
of pre-preparing food to
cater for the huge demands
of the new restaurant.
- Right now, Gordon, I feel
like crying my fucking eyes out,
this is shit.
- [Gordon] You're
right it is shit.
I'm really sorry.
- [Brian] I know it's shit.
- [Gordon] I fucking
loved the Shack.
- I know.
- And this is painful.
Take 10 minutes outside,
get some fresh air.
That is upsetting, I
could almost fucking cry,
because we were so there,
the Shack was renowned
for its food,
it wasn't the decor, it
was the food,
that got that lady on the map.
- [Gordon Voiceover] This
place might be packed now,
but I don't believe this food
will have people coming
back for more.
I wonder what the
customers really think.
- A bit disappointed
to be honest.
I thought with all the
reputation
that Momma Cherri's got,
I thought it was a bit bland
and very small portions.
- Up to now, no flavour.
No flavour, you need more,
more spices.
- [Gordon Voiceover] If
the customers aren't happy,
Charita can kiss her
business goodbye.
I can't believe she's turned
her back on soul in a bowl.
- This is not you.
I've known for a long
time where you come from.
And what you take and
what you stand for.
This here is not you.
I arrived.
I didn't want to eat,
don't take that personally,
take it as brutal
fucking honesty.
I know what you're
capable of doing.
If this food isn't as
good as the Shack.
You're fucking history.
Tomorrow morning,
bright and early,
you're running your brigade
and you're putting the soul--
- [Charita] Back in.
- Back in the bowl.
- Yep, it will be.
I'm surprising in myself
at how upset I am,
because I really thought
that we were moving up.
I really, really, really
did and now I feel like
slapped in the face and like
open your eyes, open your eyes.
You know, it's a long way to go.
- I'm gonna go back.
Tomorrow morning, on track,
and get them
back in love with what
they're doing.
(knives clink)
- [Gordon Voiceover] I
arrived in Brighton yesterday
to visit one of my biggest
Kitchen Nightmare successes.
- [Gordon] Oh, look at you.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
But two years on,
it's taken a turn for the worst.
- Where's the passion gone?
What the fuck are we doing?
- [Gordon Voiceover] Charita's
business has expanded
but in order to meet the demands
of a massive new restaurant
she's let standards slip.
I'm so worried she's
heading for the rocks,
I've decided to stay on.
- [Charita] Good morning.
- [Gordon] How are you?
- [Charita] I've been better.
It's all right, it's all
right, I'm all right.
- Right now I see a lady
that's panicking.
You're taking every
fucking customer
that's walking in that door
and you've got to stop it.
- [Charita] Okay.
- You've got to stop it.
- Okay.
- You're in danger
of becoming a fast food outlet.
- [Charita] I know and
I don't want to be that.
- And that is the
last 18 months.
- That's not what I am.
- You're fucking better
than a fast food outlet.
- Thank you.
And you're right, I have
taken my eye off the ball,
hands up, but it's back on it.
- Okay, let's get upstairs.
- We're on it, we're on it.
- [Gordon] Where's Brian?
- [Charita] He's in the
kitchen, he's working.
- [Gordon Voiceover] With
less bookings,
the kitchen will have a
fighting chance of getting back
the high standards I
left at the Shack,
but Brian has never run a
big team before,
and I've now got to get
him to step up to the mark.
- With such little time,
the only thing I can do now
is just get some
discipline in that kitchen.
It's embarrassing.
Brian has got to fucking
run that kitchen
and put some soul back
into the food.
- All right, last night guys,
I have to say was great,
we survived.
- Brian, stop.
Stop, stop, stop.
Let's cut the crap.
That's the problem.
Find your bollocks for me.
Last night was shit.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
They've got to stop
preparing food in advance.
Right now, I want Brian
and his team to prove to me
they can make this house
special from scratch.
They've got 25 minutes to do it.
- I want soul in a
bowl, five fucking bowls
and I'm gonna follow you.
Now, find your fucking bollocks
and start running this
fucking kitchen
before we're run
into the ground.
- Just keep all the
rubbish or anything
that's not supposed to
be there I want clear,
so we can see, we can
see what we're doing.
- Catfish nicely done, yes.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
This food was designed
to be cooked to order.
It's a no brainer.
- Five soul in a bowl.
- Don't put it in there, Jesus.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Brian
can step up to the mark
but he obviously just
needs someone
to give him a kick up the arse.
- Hey, are you cooking
with salt now?
No seasoning in there.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Freshly cooked chicken,
that's what I came here for.
- Bring it together as a
team, bring it together.
One minute to go.
Right, all of you come here.
First of all it looks better
than last night already,
and I haven't even started
tasting it yet, yeah?
Look at the goujons,
they're appetising,
they're fruitful, yes?
- [Gordon Voiceover] The
soul's back in this kitchen
and Brian's taking
control of his team.
- The most assertive I've
heard you since I've met you.
That's the only way to
run your kitchen.
- [Gordon Voiceover] As
long as Brian ditches
the pre prepared food and
keeps cooking from fresh,
the food here will be
back on top form.
And for this
business to survive,
Charita must keep a
tighter hold on the reins.
- [Gordon] There's one issue
I want to clear up today.
- [Charita] Okay.
- You can't take both
feet out of the kitchen,
one of those has got to
go back in there.
- Gordon's right, I've got
to have my foot back in there
and I will be back in there
in terms of supporting you,
not taking over, but
supporting you.
- You two is where it
all started.
Nobody else and it's
only you two
that's gonna make this place
fucking seriously successful.
No matter how busy you are,
you've got to make time
for each other.
It's like a married
fucking couple.
- I couldn't do without
you and you know it.
You know it.
You know it and you know
I can't do without you.
You know this, but I
need you to be strong.
You know, me and Brian,
we're the foundation
and you know like I
said, to me, if you have
a good strong foundation even
if you have to knock the house
all the way down to the
bottom again,
you can build it back up.
So if Gordon's come back and
he's disappointed with my food
then now I know what I've
got to work on
and it's getting my food
back to where it was.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Right
now, Charita and Brian
have got a real chance
to prove they can do it.
It's lunch service
and I'm hungry.
- [Charita] How's that?
- Do you know, just now,
looking at it, tasting it,
I feel like I'm back in
the fucking Shack.
I didn't feel like
that last night.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
And Brian's even come up
with a new dish: lamb cutlets
with a beetroot salsa.
- In terms of the beetroot
and the onion delicious.
- [Charita] Nice, isn't it?
- [Gordon] Is that on the menu?
- It will be.
- I feel like I'm back
in the Shack.
- [Charita] Great, great.
- That was delicious.
Don't stop moon walking.
- No I won't.
- [Charita] See you.
- [Gordon Voiceover] It's not
easy to grow your business,
I should know, but if Charita
keeps her eye on the ball
and manages this place properly,
I know she can make it work.
- It's fucking tough.
It's tough love and I'm
gonna leave them to it now,
but I'm glad she's fucking
woken up because she needs to.
It's been a long time for me.
- Yeah, I know.
- I want you to go up there
and moonwalk back here.
All the way down.
- Oh okay.
- Just to make sure that
she really slides on there.
- That's the one bit,
keep moving.
- Wait, wait, wait, wait,
it's been two years.
It's been two years.
(upbeat music)
(laughs)
How you doing, my man?
(knives clink)
(sea birds squawk)
- [Gordon Voiceover] Two
years ago, I came to Brighton
to fix Charita Jones'
failing soul food restaurant,
and it became one of my
biggest success stories.
Now I'm back to check on
it's progress.
- [Gordon] Hi, guys.
- [Charita] Hello!
- [Gordon] How are you,
baby, oh, look at you.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Momma's Soul Food joint
has certainly gone up
in the world.
- [Gordon] Look at the size
of that, fucking (mumbles).
- [Gordon Voiceover]
But it turns out
bigger doesn't
necessarily mean better.
- Where's our standards gone?
What the fuck are we doing?
- [Gordon Voiceover] Has
soul in a bowl
become mould in a bowl?
- If this food isn't as
good as the Shack.
- [Charita] Yeah.
- You're fucking history.
(dramatic music)
(upbeat music)
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Brighton, London-by-the-Sea.
Loads of locals and a steady
stream of hungry tourists.
Nestling just a stone throw away
from the seafront is Momma
Cherri's Soul Food Shack.
Offering classics from
America's deep south.
- Oh nice, nice, nice.
- [Gordon Voiceover] The Big
Soul Momma, AKA Charita Jones,
has raised 33 foster children,
but running her first restaurant
is proving a far bigger handful.
- It's all gonna just kinda go
and fall apart (chuckles).
So, I don't want it
to fall apart.
- God, it's definitely a
shack from the outside anyway.
Fucked up caravan.
Is this it?
- [Charita] Charita.
- Charita, Gordon,
good to see you.
- Yes, hello, Gordon.
- Good to see you.
- Nice to see you, welcome.
- This is small and quaint.
- Welcome, it's quaint
and it's cosy.
- [Gordon] I'll say,
it's like walking
into your front lounge.
- My front room.
Thank you and that's what
it's supposed to be about
because I tend to spend
all my life here,
this has got to be
my front room,
otherwise when do I
get to kick my feet up?
- [Gordon Voiceover] After
three and a half years,
despite throwing
everything at this place
and working seven days a week,
Charita is still in serious debt
to the tune of 65,000 pounds.
- [Gordon] And who's the chef?
- I'm kind of the chef.
I come from a
background of big mommas
and all of them cook.
It's called stick to your ribs,
basically.
- Stick to your roots?
- Ribs!
- Oh, ribs, right.
- Not stick to your roots,
to your ribs (laughs).
- [Gordon Voiceover] Momma's
Charita's Shack seats 40
at an extremely
intimate squeeze.
But, sadly for Charita,
that's not often a problem
as weekday trade is
virtually nonexistent.
- It's great at the weekends,
but somehow we've discovered
that we're in a hole,
we're just in this hole,
a financial hole that we
can't claw our way out of.
- Have you made any money
since you've been open?
- Nope, not a penny.
Not a single penny have we
made since we've been open.
It's hard to put our
finger on why.
- Is it critical?
- Yes.
- How long can you continue
staying like this, truthfully?
- Truthfully, I'd say
three to six months.
- [Gordon] Maximum?
- Maximum.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
No customers, no money.
It's time to check
out the kitchen.
- [Gordon] God.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Charita
calls herself a cook,
but Brian Morego is her head
chef, so who's in charge?
- [Gordon] How you doing, dude?
- Fine, thank you.
- [Gordon] Do you do this
and all that and pull and.
- I try not to.
(laughs)
- [Charita] We don't go
in for cliches.
- No, so are you the head chef
or the cook, what are you?
I'm confused.
- Well, I was employed
to come as a head chef.
- Right.
- But because of problems
with finances and
things like that.
- Don't let me stop you.
- [Brian] I have to sit back.
- So who writes the menu?
- Charita has
written everything,
she does everything, basically.
- So, you've got a cushy job
then really, haven't you?
- You could say that, as a chef,
yes.
- Pretty chilled, huh?
- Yeah, as a chef, yes,
it's pretty chilled, but--
- [Gordon Voiceover] A head
chef who doesn't write the menu
and only works 35 hours a week.
Next, he'll be telling me
he's forgotten how to cook.
- [Charita] Here you go.
- Thank you.
- [Charita] You've got
some catfish goujons
with hush puppy and our
homemade pineapple salsa.
- This is quite nice.
Very delicate fish, and
it's nicely fried,
quite light, really nice.
- Thank you.
Be back with your mains.
- [Gordon] Oh my god!
- [Gordon Voiceover] For
mains, my plate's piled high
with a clumsy mess of ribs,
spicy chicken jambalaya
and corn and bean succotash.
- I hope he likes it.
- Mm, fucking hell, the ribs.
So tender.
I have to say it's throw on
the plate with no real care,
but it tastes phenomenal.
This may be the first time
I go back to the kitchen
with an empty plate.
Thank you, bloody delicious.
- [Charita] Thank you.
- And you know what?
I thought it was gonna be
really spicy but
as it turned down, it
was spot on.
And it actually made me feel
like I was back at mum's
for the first time and
having some home cooking,
it was very good.
- You'll get me crying.
- [Gordon] But there are
things I would change.
- [Charita] Okay, fine and
I'm happy, happy to hear that.
- But in general.
- I've got to take a picture
of this plate.
I know it sounds crazy,
I know it sounds crazy.
- [Gordon] Momma, oh God.
- [Charita] Mind your head.
- [Gordon] Oh God!
- I fed Gordon Ramsay (laughs)
and he cleaned his plate.
- [Gordon] How the hell do
you turn that thing off?
She doesn't shut up.
Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit, rabbit,
shit!
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Charita's down home style
should be a unique selling
point, but it ain't working.
I need to go back to the
kitchen and find out why.
Friday, and Charita's tackling
most of the day's preparation
single handedly in a
desperate bid to save money.
- Part of this is, you know,
you've got to get
your hands dirty.
- [Gordon] Yeah, of course,
yeah.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Marinading
meat, making dressings,
sauces and baking are all
crucial things
to prepare in advance of
a busy service.
- [Charita] And I'm just
shaking off the excess.
- [Gordon Voiceover] But
deep frying chicken wings
eight hours in advance
of their first booking,
that can't be right.
- [Gordon] So why do you
cook them now?
- Because if you cook them off
now and leave them to cool,
when the order comes in it's
just a matter of picking out
how many we need and
they go back in
and they come back
up to a nice--
- And they don't go dry?
- No.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
I'm beginning to suspect
the good old home cooking isn't
as wholesome as it could be.
- Mm, they smell good.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Most of
it's coming from the freezer,
rather than the soul.
- How many freezers
have you got?
- 13 altogether.
- 13?
- Freezers and fridges.
- Fuck me.
- [Gordon Voiceover] By
the time Brian turns up,
there's not much left
for him to do.
- So I mean, you can't really
feel like you're head chef
if you've got Charita in
the kitchen every morning
cooking the food and
you come in and--
- [Brian] That's what I'm
saying you know.
- In a sense you're not
actually really cooking,
you're just coming in and
putting things together.
- [Brian] Plating it together,
yes.
It's kind of hard, yes.
- [Gordon] Have you
lost motivation?
- Yes.
- [Gordon Voiceover] So,
if Charita's head chef's
gone off the boil, I'm
hoping her remaining crew
of part-timers have a
bit more spunk.
Heading up front of
house is Lauren.
She arrives 10 minutes late
for the evening service.
20 year old A.D. seems
to be more committed
to his glamorous day job.
- [Gordon] So why panel beating?
- I don't know, I finish
at half four every day.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Kitchen
porter Gavin lives next door,
but he appears to turn
up when he feels like it.
And Charita's librarian
husband Phil hot foots it back
from the day job to become
basement barman and resident
D.J.
- It looks like you're
washer upper.
- [Charita] No way!
- I have been known to
wash the odd dish.
- [Charita] He does
that as well.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
These and numerous other
part-time staff are all members
of Momma Cherri's big
laid back family.
- So, when he's in the shit
in the middle of service,
you slide them down like
fucking Michael Jackson?
- [Lauren] Yes.
- Oh fucking hell.
I hate to ruin a good party
but if you want to run
a successful business,
then the terms: laid back and
professional just don't mix.
It's not just about how
good the food tastes,
it's about how it fucking
gets there as well.
And that is crucial.
- [Gordon Voiceover] I
can't wait to see
this team of jokers in action.
- All right, so, we need
going, 'cause they're hungry.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Immediately it's clear,
who's the momma in this kitchen.
- I'm hitting you with
chilli pepper
'cause you ain't got none.
Just the one.
- Can I take the seeds
out at least.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Charita talks to them
like they're her children
and she's the only one
cooking anything from fresh.
- [Charita] I need to
cook up these steaks now.
- Okay, Charita, all of
the seconds party are in.
- All right, okay.
Two potato skins, onion
and cornbread, two pieces,
can I get some jambalaya
heated up please?
- [Gordon Voiceover] For
Brian and A.D.
it's just an elaborate plating
and heating up exercise.
The mountains of messy
food, school dinner style.
A D minus, must try harder.
- That's hot gravy, yeah?
On hot turkey?
Served on cold plates?
- [Charita] Yep.
- With cold salad?
- [Charita] Yep.
(Brian laughs)
- [Gordon Voiceover]
What's he laughing at?
This is serious.
- You weren't gonna break
sweat there, were you?
- Oh you watch, he's
about to kick off.
- [Gordon Voiceover] When?
There's twice as many
staff as there need be.
This should be an
absolute breeze.
But Charita's killing herself
trying to do everything.
- You've got everything
in the basement, yes?
Everything's gone?
(energetic music)
- [Gordon Voiceover] Paying
two fully qualified chefs
to dress and send a
plate of nachos.
Come on, that's a sure fire
way to break a business.
- Fucking hell, that's painful.
Very, very painful.
Tonight on several occasions
you were standing here,
cooking away in a
world of your own.
- [Charita] Yep.
- And these guys are
standing there
just almost playing
with themselves,
'cause they're waiting
for something from you.
If you are the head chef,
then you're gonna have to
start taking the reins.
- Yes, yes.
- Wanna try and get
through a busy night
without pissing your
pants with laughter?
Two hours pure concentration
without laughing.
- Okay.
- And I get you can't do it.
- I can do it.
- You're fucking
smiling already.
- [Gordon Voiceover] If
there was ever a case
of too many cooks, this is it.
One of them will have to go.
- The pan's fucked already.
I said no smiling, no laughing,
serious.
- Okay, okay.
- Set a fucking example.
- [Charita] I'm going to.
- And do not be scared
to get rid of baggage.
(knives clink)
(light pensive music)
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Brighton's best kept secret,
Momma Cherri's Soul Food
Shack, is so well kept
it's losing a thousand
pounds a week.
- No one in.
Twenty past ten in the morning,
no one in.
- [Gordon Voiceover] By
day three, I've uncovered
a couple of reasons why.
- I know it's chilled
but fucking hell,
not as chilled as the snapper.
Why is no one here this
time of the morning?
It's ridiculous.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Firstly, the food's good
but it could be so much better.
- [Charita] Where's Brian?
Let me give you a hand?
- [Charita] Brian?
I have no idea.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Secondly,
there are far too many staff
and most of them aren't
pulling their weight.
- [Gordon] Late this
morning by half an hour.
What do you do to him
when he's late?
- Nothing.
- Nothing?
- [Charita] I'm just
gonna wash up right now.
- So you're washing up as well?
She's in, she opens up, brings
all the supplies upstairs,
you should be ashamed of
yourself, Brian.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Charita's next task
is to make a huge batch of
macaroni cheese
that will last her for
two whole weeks.
- And keep stirring, oh,
this is coming up nicely.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Hot
from the stove,
her food is irresistible.
People will travel
miles to taste it.
- What do you think?
- [Gordon] I like that.
Yeah, very nice.
- [Gordon Voiceover] But like
a lot of her home cooking,
this lot is destined
for the freezer,
where it's delicious
texture and flavour
will be lost forever.
- [Gordon] I mean you
cook beautifully.
And I don't understand
why you want to freeze it
when it's so tasty.
- [Charita] Well I think,
I don't think I want,
it's not a case of wanting to.
- No, I think you've
got into a habit.
- [Charita] I've gotten
into a habit.
- Which is a lazy habit.
You're not lazy because
you work so bloody hard.
He's lazy.
He's definitely lazy.
If you turned up for work half
an hour late in my kitchen,
trust me you'd be
home for the day
looking for a new fucking job.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
To be honest,
it's no wonder
Brian's lost heart,
the man's been working in a
kitchen for as long as I have,
but to save money he's
been sidelined.
- [Brian] I was gone by
quarter to nine.
- [Gordon Voiceover] So much
so, he's rarely involved
in actually making
any of the food.
- [Charita] There is kind
of a method to my madness.
- [Gordon] But you're
throwing it together?
- [Charita] It looks like
I'm throwing it together,
but I throw it together
the exact same way
every single week.
- So when you're not
doing it, who does it?
- I'm doing it.
- [Gordon] That's my point.
- Okay (chuckles).
- [Gordon Voiceover] If Charita
was using Brian properly,
they could ditch the
freezers once and for all.
- [Charita] And the macaroni
and cheese is nearly there.
- That looks delicious.
I think that should go
to staff food.
- Yeah, I think so.
It does look good, doesn't it?
- [Gordon Voiceover] As
it stands, few customers
will taste the food
at it's best.
Charita's throwing away
her unique selling point.
(soft blues music)
And boy does she need one.
- It's 10 past one
Saturday lunchtime,
and this place should
be absolutely rammed,
and there's not a soul in here.
(soft blues music)
- [Gordon Voiceover]
This is dire.
Saturday and Sunday are your
prime dates for business,
but like many failing
restaurants,
Charita's making some
classic mistakes.
- Poor mans meat pie.
Eight pounds.
I know it's going to be good.
Yet you go on to the menu here
and you've got main courses
at fourteen, fifteen pounds.
Why have they gone up
so expensive?
- To pay my bills.
To pay the bank
manager (laughs).
Accountant and I've been
saying, "Help me, help me,
"how do I do this?"
and they say,
"You've gotta raise your prices.
"You've gotta raise
your prices."
- Always the bank manager's
solution: put your prices up.
- It was literally down
to the bank manager.
- [Gordon] Yes, yes.
Well, he's an arsehole.
- Oh good.
- [Gordon] It's killing
the business.
I want to look at
restructuring the menu.
Making it a little bit shorter.
- Okay.
- Tweaking the portion size.
- Oh right.
- Having less come back.
- 60% are bones come back,
but it's that 40% I
wanna work on.
- The objective for every
customer coming through that
door
is to have a starter,
a mains and a desert.
You wait and see the
turnover treble
if you can squeeze three
courses out of them.
- [Charita] Okay.
(bright piano music)
- [Gordon Voiceover] But
before we can squeeze
anything out of anybody,
we need customers,
and if they're not coming to us,
we've got to take
Momma Charita's
finger licking food to them.
- So, got the meat loaf?
- [Charita] Oh my God!
- Got the ribs, they've
got the chicken.
That smells amazing.
- [Charita] Oh it's
smelling so good, so good.
- [Gordon Voiceover] And
who better to flaunt it
than the Momma herself.
- Don't be shy.
I'm gonna come to you since
you're not coming to me.
- [Gordon] Fucking hell.
- All cooked fresh at Momma
Charita's Soul Food Shack
just around the corner there.
Yeah, it's pretty good.
This particular food is
called soul food, okay,
cooked from the soul,
from the heart.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Boy,
she's good.
A soul food evangelist
and she's out to convert
the whole of Brighton.
- Soul food.
Can I hear you all say it.
- [All] Soul food.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Just
wind her up and let her go.
- That's nice, isn't it?
- Go and get me some more wings.
- Remember, this time
it's on the house,
next time they're paying.
- Yep.
- Did you cook these?
- [Charita] Yes, I did.
- They're lovely.
- [Gordon Voiceover] There's
no doubt that Charita
is a terrific cook but she's
employing Brian to do that job
and I'm beginning to realise
she's wasted in the kitchen.
- What's it called?
- [All] Soul food.
- Just call me Momma.
- [Woman] Thank you, Momma.
- You got it.
- [Gordon Voiceover] With
Saturday night's service
about to begin, it's time
to get this shack in order.
- It's pretty obvious that the
business is in dire straits
and that's real,
that's the truth.
Watching you guys over
the last couple of days,
you actually treat it like
it's your fucking home.
Chilled, relaxed, and
this lady here,
you talk to her almost
as if it's your mum.
And that really has to stop,
if this is gonna go any further.
And if it doesn't work, not
only are you out of a business
and your livelihood's gone,
all of you guys are out
of a fucking job.
You've got no work.
So when it's that far down,
we really have to dig deep
and come up with sensible ideas.
And tonight I'm gonna ask you
to stay out of the kitchen.
You've got so much to sell.
And you, you're a
fucking good cook.
- Thank you.
- So, Charita, let him cook.
- I'm gonna let him, I'm
gonna let him.
I am, yes.
- You have to pass the
reins over now,
and if you don't break
away from this stove,
I swear to God the
business is gonna close.
And let them do the job that
you fucking pay the money for.
- Yep.
I'm gonna go and put
some makeup on.
'Cause I'm going downstairs.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Charita's street hustling
has secured a fully
booked restaurant tonight.
If we're gonna get through it,
we need to get this
kitchen working
like an efficient
well-oiled machine.
- A.D., you're doing that now,
yeah?
- Yes.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Time
to whip up a bit
of professionalism
into these boys.
- Gavin, can you take
those starters
and food downstairs, yes?
You're standing there
doing nothing.
- [A.D.] Table five.
- [Gavin] Table five.
- Thank you.
He was standing there,
open up your eyes, yeah,
and get him fucking working,
okay?
You're running this place
tonight, you know that?
And you're gonna prove to her
downstairs that you can do it.
And not just to her
but to yourself and me.
I said no smiling, no laughing,
serious.
- Okay.
- Yeah?
Let's go.
- No smiling now.
- Good evening!
Have you had a chance to
look at the menu?
Yeah?
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Downstairs, Charita's slipped
effortlessly into the role of
the hostess with the mostess.
- Do you eat
macaroni and cheese?
- [Woman] We do.
- I'm telling you,
it's fantastic.
Gordon grated my cheese.
(laughs)
- [Gordon Voiceover] Brian's
taking his first decision
as a head chef.
Pre-cooked buffalo wings
are off the menu.
From now on, they're
being cooked to order.
- The chicken's being
cooked from fresh.
Nice.
People expect the plates to be
turned around in 20 minutes.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Well almost.
The rest of the food's going out
just as Charita's
always done it.
Hot food, cold plates,
uninspiring salads.
- Four pounds for that?
That's shocking.
- [Gordon Voiceover] And
jaw breaking meat loaf.
- What time do we close tonight?
(Brian giggles)
You're laughing.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
But let's not try to run
before we can walk.
- Can I get this one as
soon as possible.
- Yes, it's coming, it's in the
oven, then cheese (mumbles).
- How long?
Give Charita a time.
- Three minutes.
- Three minutes, there we are.
I'll take that, thank
you Charita.
Bye.
See you.
There you go, up.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
The restaurant's full,
but now she's front of house,
Charita's using every trick
in the book to boost business.
- Five minutes, you go right
next door to my friendly pub.
- There you go.
- [Charita] And I will--
- See you in five.
- [Charita] See you in five,
okay?
- Thank you.
Brian, move it, huh?
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Two hours in
and the food's not going
out quick enough.
Charita's faith in
Brian is dwindling fast.
- These guys have been
in a long time.
They've got kids down there.
- [Brian] Yeah, but their
starters have just gone.
- They've got 'em.
Okay.
- [Gordon] What happened
there with those starters?
- [Brian] The
starters were done.
- So they're already
in the lift?
- Yeah, yeah.
Where are they?
- [A.D.] What?
- These starters?
For this table?
- [A.D.] These ones,
no, I'm doing them now.
- Oh shit, I just told
her they'd gone, man.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
For Brian, three years
of living in a culinary coma
is a hard habit to break,
he's beginning to lose it.
- This table came in
before five other tables
that are still waiting on
their starters.
This one.
- [Gordon Voiceover] And
Charita's constant interruptions
aren't exactly helping.
- Come on Brian, don't
lost it now, yeah?
- [Brian] No.
- [Charita] What else
on this table?
I need to see, what's on it?
- Hot wings and barbecue
chicken wings.
- I've got the hot wings, I
need whatever else is there.
Because they are
getting restless.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Oh dear.
- [A.D.] That's it send it away.
- [Gordon] Cheers, Gavin.
- I am so sorry, I'll tell
you what the problem was.
- [Brian] We've got
fresh food here,
you can't expect the food
to just jump on your plate.
- [Gordon] No, we'll explain
that to her afterwards, yeah?
- It can take a good
14-20 minutes to make sure
that you don't kill anyone.
- Has that pigs feet go on?
'Cause it needs to go on now,
'cause it takes the time, yeah?
- Every minute you're in
here we're losing money.
Fucking hell.
- [Charita] So what do you
think of that meat loaf?
- [Man] Bloody good.
- [Charita] Thank you.
Didn't I tell you?
Didn't I tell you?
- I thought the kitchen got
off to a really good start.
You were slightly
nervous down there,
because you were sort
of, not spying on them,
but coming up agitated.
You lost it, Brian.
- A little bit. yes.
- [Gordon] A little bit.
- Things just got a
little bit of time.
- Yes, you said something
interesting though, yeah?
"Charita has to understand
it's gonna take
"three or four minutes longer
because I'm cooking from raw."
And the benefit is the customer.
But I think this guy with the
help of A.D. can get faster,
much, much faster.
I mean how would you sum up?
You were in the dining
room tonight?
- It felt good because,
I'm telling you,
for three and a half
years being here,
it was the first Saturday night
that I have spent downstairs.
- They've seen you, that's
the face they want to see,
when they come to see Momma.
- Downstairs, I'm gonna be
cracking the whip a lot harder.
- It's your business.
Of course.
- And that's what I was
thinking you know,
I've got to crack it.
- Let's go.
Thank you.
- Good, thank you guys,
let me go down here
and finish sent, 'cause I've
got a few more deserts to sell.
- [Gordon] Yeah.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
If Brian's going to win
Charita's respect as
her head chef,
he needs to become more
involved in preparing the food,
as well as cooking it.
- Number 13, lucky for some.
- [Gordon Voiceover] But
since his hours were cut,
he's been dropped in a
catch 22 situation.
- Where's the little lady gone?
- [Gordon Voiceover] Brian's
been left holding the baby.
- It became a problem, 'cause
Clare had to go to work.
And we had to find a
way of meeting the bills
at the end of the month
- Yes.
- You know, and that's
why I can't do Tuesday's
and Wednesdays, the whole thing
is just confused, you know.
- [Gordon Voiceover] As Brian's
involvement with the food
has diminished, so too has
his confidence.
The first time he made
meat loaf two years ago,
it was a disaster.
So we're going to prove that
Brian can not only do it,
but do it better.
- [Gordon] How much influence
do you have on the menu?
- The evenings sometimes I
will do a menu,
but she changes it anyway,
so really I think my
influence disappears.
- But you've got to
be strong now.
'Cause she's got to
concentrate in the dining room,
you're gonna be running the
kitchen, you have to be strong.
- [Brian] Yes.
- [Gordon Voiceover] The
problem with Charita's meat loaf
is the bacon: by the
time it's cooked,
it's like cutting into leather.
- Back bacon you saw dries out,
there's hardly any fat
in back bacon.
So, you know, it's tricky bacon.
Place one nice fatty piece
of bacon there,
as it's cooking, it's
putting moisture
inside the meat loaf, yeah?
- Fantastic.
If I put my foot down and say,
"No, this is like this
or like that,"
I think I can see
myself going far.
You know, I can achieve things.
It's a happy feeling, you
know, it's a happy feeling.
- [Gordon] Mm, just
look at them.
- The seasoning is just
right, it's not too salty.
- No, I think that's fine.
It doesn't need any--
- Doesn't need anything else.
- Anything else at all.
(upbeat music)
- [Gordon Voiceover]
With Brian's confidence
slowly returning, now I've
got to work on Charita.
She excels as a natural
cook and a great hostess.
- Oh my god, that's
everything on my menu.
- [Gordon Voiceover] But
when it comes to business,
she's a
self-confessed numbskull.
- Yeah one and a half
metres long.
- And this tells me the money,
the money.
That's a bit shorter.
- Shorter, yeah.
(laughs)
We want it the other way round.
- I want it the
other way around.
- Definitely.
- [Gordon Voiceover] But
it's not just the takings
that are the problem here.
- Okay, two hundred
grammes of butter, yeah?
- [Gordon Voiceover] Like
a beautifully risen cake
successful
restaurants only thrive,
when three key business factors
are working in close harmony.
- Gradually adding two
hundred grammes of flour.
We establish one third staff
costs, one third food costs
and one third gross profit.
Combine all those ingredients
into one recipe: chemistry,
you have the most amazing cake.
And that's how any good
business works, yeah?
- [Gordon Voiceover] At the
moment Charita's business cake
is way off course.
- I'm gonna show you something
what we've got currently
happening here at the Shack.
- [Gordon Voiceover] With
few midweek customers,
Charita's gross profits
are dangerously low.
- [Gordon] Very, very
little profit.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Her food
costs are reasonably healthy
but her massive overheads
are crippling her.
- I just want to show you
what it's going to cost you
when we start adding
really high staff costs.
So there's an imbalance already.
- Oh my God.
- [Gordon] Yeah, bloody hard.
Now I'm doing this on
purpose to prove a point.
- [Charita] Yes.
- You can't complete a recipe
for a successful business,
when you've got an
imbalance situation.
You can tell me to fuck off,
but how much do you pay
yourself a month?
- A month?
I get around two hundred
a week, that's it.
I'm the lowest out of
the kitchen.
- Two hundred pounds a week?
- [Charita] A week, yes.
- Eight hundred pounds a month?
- [Charita] A month yeah.
- You're working
seven days a week?
- [Charita] I'm working
seven days a week.
- That's a fucking disgrace.
- I mean A.D gets more
than me some weeks.
- A commis chef that's part
time gets paid more than you?
- Mm-hm.
- You're far too fucking soft.
- I know, I know, I know.
- You really are far too soft.
It stops now.
- I know.
I know, I know, I know, I know.
(taps)
- [Gordon] That is a
(mumbles) business
with the right ingredients,
That is what you're
currently running.
- [Charita] Right.
- [Gordon] Have a think
and let me know
which one you'd like to eat.
- [Charita] Very good.
Oh I just feel like crying.
- [Interviewer] Why are
you crying, Charita?
- Because I'm not gonna
lose my business.
(knives clink)
(slow pensive music)
- [Gordon Voiceover] I'm
nearing the end
of my week in Brighton.
- [Gordon] Oh, fucking bollocks!
- [Gordon Voiceover] I'm not
sure I've found my soul yet,
but Brian is finally beginning
to behave like a head chef.
(knives clink)
And Charita is undergoing
a transformation
from mother to matron,
and from now on, she'll
be ruling this roost
with an iron hand.
- [Charita] There's not a
drop in centre.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
But we still have
a fundamental problem:
a crippling lack of
weekday customers.
What we need is a gimmick.
A bargain that will ensure
the Shack's full to the
rafters all week long.
- The idea is to sell
your restaurant per table.
- [Charita] Okay.
- Okay, so take the six.
Six chairs.
- Yeah.
Ten pounds a head, sixty
pound for that table.
If that worked every
night at 10 pound a head,
that's 360 pounds in the till.
Think of it this way:
they'll spend the same
amount of money--
- On their alcohol.
- On alcohol.
- [Gordon Voiceover] My
plan is to create
an exciting three course
fixed buffet for each table.
Simplifying the service
and cherry picking from
the existing menu.
Simple, sexy and
irresistible soul food.
- Look at that there
for four people.
You've got a mug of soup
as well, don't forget.
I think it's quite sort
of fresh and new.
And it sort of deformalizes
the restaurant,
because it is soul food
and it's, you know,
across the table.
- Yeah, it's lovely.
- [Brian] I think it
also introduces everybody
to a different--
- Different side.
- Everyone is having a
different taste of everything.
- [Charita] Yeah.
- And the idea of course is
once they've experienced this,
they come back on Friday or
Saturday for a full thing.
- [Charita] Yeah, yeah,
this looks great.
- [Gordon] Good.
- [Charita] I like it.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Tonight we go live.
- Oh, don't worry, I'm gonna be,
now that you've said live,
you wait, I'm gonna be live.
- [Gordon Voiceover] It seems
Charita's well and truly sold
on our new idea.
- Wow!
Okay, I've just got to
think of a word for tapas.
I'm gonna come up
with my own word.
I'm gonna make a word up.
But I guess I can't
call it slappers,
'cause that sounds too
rude (laughs).
- [Gordon Voiceover] On
a normal Wednesday night,
Charita would be lucky
to get eight customers.
- Good morning, Momma
Charita's, can I help you?
- [Gordon Voiceover] But
since we hit the streets
three days ago, words out
and the bookings have
gone through the roof.
- I'm doing probably
two sittings,
a seven o'clock and a
nine o'clock sitting.
- [Gordon] So how's
it looking now?
- It's looking full.
What day of the week am I?
Wednesday.
This is wonderful.
- Perfect and 50-55
customers tonight.
That's five 550 pounds on food.
The same again on.
- Yep, hopefully on the drink.
- Drink, and that's a
thousand pounds in the till.
- Yep.
- [Gordon] Which is equivalent
to a Friday night take?
- Yeah, yeah that's a
Friday night.
- So a touch of flexibility....
- [Gordon Voiceover] It's
a new start for the chef,
and tonight every member
of Charita's staff
has got to give one
hundred percent.
- Okay, here I've a set of rules
that each and every one of
you are now gonna abide by
and it's not a governing
rule, it's an understanding
what this business needs
to go further and forward.
- I need everybody here
on time, and on time means
if I say you start at six,
you get here at quarter to.
That way you have your
cigarettes, you get changed,
you chat, you have your coffee
and so that at six o'clock
you're on the floor, okay?
The next one is there is
always something to do.
If you can't think of it,
ask me.
- The queen is now in residence.
- On the floor.
- Yes, Charita is now
on the floor.
- Yep, that's where
I'm gonna be.
- And to confirm that, we're
gonna raise the flag, yes?
Charita is in residence.
Yes and that's where she stays,
I want you to pull yourselves
all together, there you go.
- Your table here.
- [Gordon Voiceover] The
success of soul in a bowl
relies on doing large numbers.
At only 10 pounds a head,
Charita must fill the
restaurant twice over.
- Everything's prepped, yes?
Are you nervous?
- [Brian] Yes, I am.
- Good, it's a good sign,
start shitting yourself.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Brian,
A.D and Gavin
have got to get those platters
flying down those stairs,
but they're only just
peeling the last potato.
- I'm gonna send you down
a tray designed for two.
- It comes with corn bread
and soup as a starter.
Soup is excellent.
- I hope you enjoy it, I
think you will.
- Thank you very much.
- [Waitress] Unfortunately,
we're fully booked tonight.
- [Gordon Voiceover] It's the
first Wednesday night ever
they've had to turn
customers away.
- Slightly savoury
sweet potato soup.
- Table three, two mixed tapas,
okay?
- [Brian] Just bring
it off to them at once.
Okay A.D. my man.
- The table seven that
you've got up there,
that's down as three, they've
had a person join them,
so it's now for four.
- [Gordon Voiceover] It's
already looking better,
but tonight has got
to be perfect.
- Take the fucking bowl
off the tray,
put it in the bowl, yeah.
I just don't want all this
shit on here everywhere.
Yeah, I want it nice and clean.
Fucking clean, come on.
(claps) Yeah.
- [Gordon Voiceover] And for
the first time this week,
Brian's not smiling.
- That looks lovely, well done.
Right, this is done,
please A.D, send it away.
So now we're looking for a
four soup and a three soup.
Four corn bread,
three corn bread.
Gavin you're taking care
of the desserts, yeah?
- [Gordon Voiceover] The
team is pulling together.
- Can you put more, just a
bowl of veggie jambalaya on it.
And this one is going to
have the meat.
Come on we've got to pump,
if we slow down I'm
gonna lose this.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Communication
is much, much better.
- Can I get I timing on some
of these so I can tell them?
- [Brian] Five minutes.
- [Charita] Five minutes?
On all of them, okay.
- Keep it going Brian, yes?
A.D, yes?
It's eight o'clock,
so far so good,
you're doing a good job.
- [Gordon Voiceover] If
they can keep it going,
we might just pull this one off.
- They said they were
stuffed, it was delicious,
all of the different flavours
that go with it,
fully satisfied.
I'm gonna take them some desert.
You see that, empty bowls.
How was the soup, good?
- [Woman] Gorgeous.
- Yeah, all right.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Things must be going okay,
because we've hardly seen
her in the kitchen all night.
- [Gordon] Are we starting
to turn the tables now?
- I'm starting to turn
but I've got get these out.
- Because that's
the crucial thing, at 10
pounds a head,
we have to turn those tables,
yes?
- So can we do two trays at
the same time, is it possible?
- [A.D.] We can.
- Yes.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Now
the pressure's really on.
- We're losing, come on,
let's get some
organisation, guys, come on.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
It's still not perfect.
- A tables called away, you
stick that ticket on the tray,
no one touches it.
- [Gordon Voiceover] But
the vibe up here
has definitely got more
professional.
- We're losing valuable time
man, what are you doing?
We're two minutes over.
- [Charita] How's it
feeling up there?
- Hot.
Pumping.
- [Gordon Voiceover] I can't
quite believe I'm saying this,
but I think Brian's
actually breaking a sweat.
- Looking good,
they're loving it.
People are loving it.
- Very tasty, very good food.
- I haven't eaten anything
quite like this before
and it's really nice.
- Fucking well done, yeah,
really good.
That's one day.
The real work starts tomorrow.
Let's go.
- [Brian] I didn't know how much
I was gonna cook today,
you know.
I didn't know if I was going
to cope or break, basically,
but I had just one
thought in my mind
just to get through this.
(upbeat music)
- [Gordon Voiceover] Thursday
morning, and the whole team
are in early.
- You've got to get
that well going.
- [Gordon Voiceover] They're
clean out of food stocks
and fully booked tonight,
so they're starting
completely from scratch.
- It's mac and cheese,
mac and cheese, (mumbles).
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Fresh home cooking
straight from the soul,
hallelujah.
- Can I just say, you
set me a target.
When I spoke to you last night,
we hadn't reached that target.
Eight hundred pounds last night.
I asked for a thousand.
- When I cashed up, I
hit one thousand.
- Fantastic.
- It was 1080.
- [Gordon] Fantastic.
- So for these two, they did it.
- [Gordon Voiceover] The
future success
of Momma Cherri's depends on
Brian's strength and commitment
more than anybody's.
- You've really pissed me
off this week, you know that?
- Yes.
I felt really bad after,
especially yesterday,
when I realised that I
haven't been really sort of,
it's like I didn't care almost.
- I just thought when I
first saw you in the kitchen,
you were treating it
like a job, no passion.
- But last night it came back,
you know.
I could feel it.
- You are the head chef.
- Yes.
- So act like the head chef.
- Yes.
- Take responsibility as
a head a chef.
- Yes.
- Get a grip,
wake up and fucking
stop dreaming.
- [Gordon Voiceover] And
I think Charita knows
what she must do.
- You are the most marketable
asset of this restaurant.
- Yes, well, I'm going
to be selling myself now.
- No, understand, kitchen
morning, a.m.,
hosting the room and being
present in the evening.
You have got to continue that.
- I will do and I've got
to take some control back.
(seagulls cry)
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Since my last visit,
Charita's soul in a bowl
has made Momma Cherri's
one of Brighton's biggest
success stories.
- Her reputation is
just phenomenal,
she's in and out of newspapers
and constantly on radio
and television,
so if she's got that
level of attention,
then she's got to make sure
what's coming out of
that kitchen
is better than it was
two years ago.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Six
months ago, Momma Cherri
moved out of the Shack
and upgraded to a new
restaurant around the corner.
I just hope she's sticking
to the advice I gave her.
- Fuck me.
Momma Cherri's big house.
Look at the size of that.
How many floors is it on?
One, two, three, four,
five floors.
Fucking hell.
- [Charita] We've got
a lot of drinks here.
- [Gordon] Hi guys.
- [Charita] Hello!
- [Gordon] How are you baby?
Oh look at you.
- How are you?
- Look at the size
of this place, my God.
- I know, I know.
- And it's five floors.
- [Charita] This is the first
mega soul food restaurant.
- [Gordon] Unbelievable.
So the first floor is what?
- [Charita] Come here,
can I show you?
- Yeah, absolutely, I'm
dying to see it, go on.
- [Charita] Follow me.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Mega?
She's not kidding.
This place is triple
the size of the Shack.
The question is, is
Charita managing
to fill to her big house?
- We're coming up to the
beginning of December.
- [Charita] Yeah.
- And people are booked
in for March.
- [Charita] For March.
- [Gordon] That's extraordinary.
- Do you know we're doing a
thousand covers in a week.
We average between 900 and
1,200 a week here, that's what--
- [Gordon Voiceover]
I'm impressed.
Charita's taken her
restaurant to the next level,
but the first year of expansion
is a really dangerous
time for any business.
So I only hope that Charita's
got a tight hold of the reins.
- Hi guys.
Where's my man?
Where is he?
Hello.
How many chefs are in here?
- [Gordon Voiceover] This place
is certainly well staffed.
Brian's heading up the
kitchen, A.D.'s gone,
and Charita's taken on a
whopping nine extra chefs.
- Oh, Jesus Christ Almighty.
How have you been?
- [Brian] Er, busy.
- I can tell.
(laughs)
It's like you're cooking for
the whole of Britain upstairs.
- So far we are yes.
- [Gordon Voiceover] I
can't wait to tuck
into some soul food.
I insisted everything in the
Shack was cooked from scratch,
so Brian better be sticking
to my fresh food regime.
- I'm dying to see what
you've got in the freezer.
- [Brian] Same as it
was before just, just--
- [Gordon] What's that?
- [Brian] That is a--
- [Gordon] Lasagna?
- [Brian] That's a.
- [Gordon] Crumble?
- [Brian] No, no, no
that's not crumble,
that's peach cobbler.
- Sorry, peach cobbler then.
I'm dying to see inside,
you know what I'm like.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Oh
dear, the signs aren't good.
- What are they in there?
Oh my god there's like
food everywhere.
Where are these from?
- [Brian] They've
just been cooked.
- [Gordon] What's that in there?
- [Brian] That's the
ribs, they just came out,
they're cooling.
- Oh no, look, there's another
fucking tray of chicken.
- [Brian] Are they on order?
- [Gordon Voiceover] It's like
a fast food joint in here.
All that's missing is a family
bucket and a litre of Coke.
- Fucking hell, another
box of chicken wings.
One, two, three, four, five,
six, seven.
When I first met you,
there was two and three
of you in the kitchen,
and it had that nice intimacy,
hearty feel
that everyone's passionate,
from a meat loaf
to a fucking chicken wing and
it just got done, you know,
done in a way that
everyone really cared
for what they were doing.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Two years
on and from what I can see,
the soul's gone from
this kitchen.
- Right, have a taste of
that, catfish goujons.
That was the first dish I
ever tasted in the Shack.
Look at the size of the
fucking thing.
Fucking hell.
Come here a minute, let
me show you something.
What is that?
Are we charging
customers for that?
While someone wants
to boast to me
about being fully booked
until next fucking March,
I feel like ringing them
and saying don't bother
fucking coming next March,
they won't be fucking
ready in time.
Who's controlling this,
where's our standards gone?
Just where has the passion gone?
What the fuck are we doing?
Get that shit in the bin,
everything in the fucking bin.
Now.
Holy fuck.
- [Gordon Voiceover] This
is a nightmare.
The kitchen can't cope and have
gone back to their bad ways
of pre-preparing food to
cater for the huge demands
of the new restaurant.
- Right now, Gordon, I feel
like crying my fucking eyes out,
this is shit.
- [Gordon] You're
right it is shit.
I'm really sorry.
- [Brian] I know it's shit.
- [Gordon] I fucking
loved the Shack.
- I know.
- And this is painful.
Take 10 minutes outside,
get some fresh air.
That is upsetting, I
could almost fucking cry,
because we were so there,
the Shack was renowned
for its food,
it wasn't the decor, it
was the food,
that got that lady on the map.
- [Gordon Voiceover] This
place might be packed now,
but I don't believe this food
will have people coming
back for more.
I wonder what the
customers really think.
- A bit disappointed
to be honest.
I thought with all the
reputation
that Momma Cherri's got,
I thought it was a bit bland
and very small portions.
- Up to now, no flavour.
No flavour, you need more,
more spices.
- [Gordon Voiceover] If
the customers aren't happy,
Charita can kiss her
business goodbye.
I can't believe she's turned
her back on soul in a bowl.
- This is not you.
I've known for a long
time where you come from.
And what you take and
what you stand for.
This here is not you.
I arrived.
I didn't want to eat,
don't take that personally,
take it as brutal
fucking honesty.
I know what you're
capable of doing.
If this food isn't as
good as the Shack.
You're fucking history.
Tomorrow morning,
bright and early,
you're running your brigade
and you're putting the soul--
- [Charita] Back in.
- Back in the bowl.
- Yep, it will be.
I'm surprising in myself
at how upset I am,
because I really thought
that we were moving up.
I really, really, really
did and now I feel like
slapped in the face and like
open your eyes, open your eyes.
You know, it's a long way to go.
- I'm gonna go back.
Tomorrow morning, on track,
and get them
back in love with what
they're doing.
(knives clink)
- [Gordon Voiceover] I
arrived in Brighton yesterday
to visit one of my biggest
Kitchen Nightmare successes.
- [Gordon] Oh, look at you.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
But two years on,
it's taken a turn for the worst.
- Where's the passion gone?
What the fuck are we doing?
- [Gordon Voiceover] Charita's
business has expanded
but in order to meet the demands
of a massive new restaurant
she's let standards slip.
I'm so worried she's
heading for the rocks,
I've decided to stay on.
- [Charita] Good morning.
- [Gordon] How are you?
- [Charita] I've been better.
It's all right, it's all
right, I'm all right.
- Right now I see a lady
that's panicking.
You're taking every
fucking customer
that's walking in that door
and you've got to stop it.
- [Charita] Okay.
- You've got to stop it.
- Okay.
- You're in danger
of becoming a fast food outlet.
- [Charita] I know and
I don't want to be that.
- And that is the
last 18 months.
- That's not what I am.
- You're fucking better
than a fast food outlet.
- Thank you.
And you're right, I have
taken my eye off the ball,
hands up, but it's back on it.
- Okay, let's get upstairs.
- We're on it, we're on it.
- [Gordon] Where's Brian?
- [Charita] He's in the
kitchen, he's working.
- [Gordon Voiceover] With
less bookings,
the kitchen will have a
fighting chance of getting back
the high standards I
left at the Shack,
but Brian has never run a
big team before,
and I've now got to get
him to step up to the mark.
- With such little time,
the only thing I can do now
is just get some
discipline in that kitchen.
It's embarrassing.
Brian has got to fucking
run that kitchen
and put some soul back
into the food.
- All right, last night guys,
I have to say was great,
we survived.
- Brian, stop.
Stop, stop, stop.
Let's cut the crap.
That's the problem.
Find your bollocks for me.
Last night was shit.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
They've got to stop
preparing food in advance.
Right now, I want Brian
and his team to prove to me
they can make this house
special from scratch.
They've got 25 minutes to do it.
- I want soul in a
bowl, five fucking bowls
and I'm gonna follow you.
Now, find your fucking bollocks
and start running this
fucking kitchen
before we're run
into the ground.
- Just keep all the
rubbish or anything
that's not supposed to
be there I want clear,
so we can see, we can
see what we're doing.
- Catfish nicely done, yes.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
This food was designed
to be cooked to order.
It's a no brainer.
- Five soul in a bowl.
- Don't put it in there, Jesus.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Brian
can step up to the mark
but he obviously just
needs someone
to give him a kick up the arse.
- Hey, are you cooking
with salt now?
No seasoning in there.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
Freshly cooked chicken,
that's what I came here for.
- Bring it together as a
team, bring it together.
One minute to go.
Right, all of you come here.
First of all it looks better
than last night already,
and I haven't even started
tasting it yet, yeah?
Look at the goujons,
they're appetising,
they're fruitful, yes?
- [Gordon Voiceover] The
soul's back in this kitchen
and Brian's taking
control of his team.
- The most assertive I've
heard you since I've met you.
That's the only way to
run your kitchen.
- [Gordon Voiceover] As
long as Brian ditches
the pre prepared food and
keeps cooking from fresh,
the food here will be
back on top form.
And for this
business to survive,
Charita must keep a
tighter hold on the reins.
- [Gordon] There's one issue
I want to clear up today.
- [Charita] Okay.
- You can't take both
feet out of the kitchen,
one of those has got to
go back in there.
- Gordon's right, I've got
to have my foot back in there
and I will be back in there
in terms of supporting you,
not taking over, but
supporting you.
- You two is where it
all started.
Nobody else and it's
only you two
that's gonna make this place
fucking seriously successful.
No matter how busy you are,
you've got to make time
for each other.
It's like a married
fucking couple.
- I couldn't do without
you and you know it.
You know it.
You know it and you know
I can't do without you.
You know this, but I
need you to be strong.
You know, me and Brian,
we're the foundation
and you know like I
said, to me, if you have
a good strong foundation even
if you have to knock the house
all the way down to the
bottom again,
you can build it back up.
So if Gordon's come back and
he's disappointed with my food
then now I know what I've
got to work on
and it's getting my food
back to where it was.
- [Gordon Voiceover] Right
now, Charita and Brian
have got a real chance
to prove they can do it.
It's lunch service
and I'm hungry.
- [Charita] How's that?
- Do you know, just now,
looking at it, tasting it,
I feel like I'm back in
the fucking Shack.
I didn't feel like
that last night.
- [Gordon Voiceover]
And Brian's even come up
with a new dish: lamb cutlets
with a beetroot salsa.
- In terms of the beetroot
and the onion delicious.
- [Charita] Nice, isn't it?
- [Gordon] Is that on the menu?
- It will be.
- I feel like I'm back
in the Shack.
- [Charita] Great, great.
- That was delicious.
Don't stop moon walking.
- No I won't.
- [Charita] See you.
- [Gordon Voiceover] It's not
easy to grow your business,
I should know, but if Charita
keeps her eye on the ball
and manages this place properly,
I know she can make it work.
- It's fucking tough.
It's tough love and I'm
gonna leave them to it now,
but I'm glad she's fucking
woken up because she needs to.
It's been a long time for me.
- Yeah, I know.
- I want you to go up there
and moonwalk back here.
All the way down.
- Oh okay.
- Just to make sure that
she really slides on there.
- That's the one bit,
keep moving.
- Wait, wait, wait, wait,
it's been two years.
It's been two years.
(upbeat music)
(laughs)
How you doing, my man?
(knives clink)