Million Pound Menu (2018–…): Season 1, Episode 5 - Dynasty and Bubble& - full transcript
I'm Fred Sirieix.
I've worked in the
restaurant industry
for 25 years.
Right now,
the UK's restaurant scene
is the envy of the world.
And all it takes
is one great idea
to make a fortune
on the high street.
But has the next
generation of restaurants
got what it takes to become
a multi-million pound business?
Over the next six weeks,
here in Manchester,
the food capital of the north,
twelve of the most exciting
new restaurant ideas
are in with a chance
of a life-changing investment
from some of the UK's most
respected investors.
These are the men and woman
who can turn an idea
into a national brand.
We're looking at putting
a lot of money into the
absolute best concept.
This is the kind of model
that you dream of.
If I find the right operator,
I'll be fighting for it.
[Fred] Each week,
the investors will give
the people behind
two great new food ideas
a unique opportunity.
Ah, this is brilliant!
-[Fred] Their own
pop-up restaurant.
-[bell dings]
Right, rock and roll, man.
[Fred] They'll have
just three days to prove...
Nobody seems to know
the table numbers.
[Fred]
...they've got what it takes...
-That's a disaster.
-[Fred] ...to make it
on the high street.
When you start to rush,
that's when you start to make
more mistakes.
-There's a big backlog of
customers at the door.
-Yeah, yeah, yeah.
What are you gonna
do about it?
If I was to invest,
it'll take half a million
to £750,000.
Time to make some dough.
[Fred]
After the three days,
will the investors walk
back into the restaurant...
[sighs]
[Fred]
...and make them an offer?
It's a £600,000 lunch.
We are not gonna leave
without an investment.
I'm sorry, the time is up.
The doors are open
for business.
Welcome to
Million Pound Menu.
[Fred] What does it take
to create a smash-hit
restaurant business?
Speak to
a restaurant investor
and they'll tell you
their decisions are based
on four things.
The people, the idea,
the business,
and above all, the food.
That first bite, is it worth
hundreds of thousand
of pounds of investment?
So what is the next big idea
to get us queuing for a table?
We might be about to find out.
So, this is our signature
Libertine Burger.
Double ground beef patty,
American cheese,
bright pickles.
[narrator] The men and woman
behind some of the most
successful businesses
on the high street
met to choose some of the best
new restaurant ideas for
a three-day trial run pop-up.
[man] Jollof Box
is not a fast food.
This is gourmet food,
come down, and taste
Africa in a box.
Certainly got a lot of
energy about it.
Reminds me a lot of
something I saw
in South Africa.
[narrator] They were looking
for the two entrepreneurs
with the strongest food,
brand, and business plan.
We require an investment
of £225,000.
[narrator] Then, each investor
had to decide whether they like
the concept enough
to try it in Manchester.
I can't think of a single place
it wouldn't work,
I can't think of
a single person that
wouldn't want to eat it.
I'm absolutely all over this.
[narrator] The first idea
to get their attention,
a husband and wife who want
to modernize an old-fashioned
English classic.
Bubble and squeak,
a piece of mash potato with
a little bit of cabbage.
It's very versatile.
You can put anything with it,
but there's nothing
on the market
that shows people
how good British food
actually is.
Number seven!
[narrator] Rupert and Marita
want £140,000
to get Bubble&
started on the High Street.
Our vision is to launch
our first Bubble& restaurants
and then go national.
And after that, international.
I'm surprised no one's done
bubble and squeak before.
I haven't seen it.
-You got a base product...
-Potatoes.
...which is effectively
rather stable in terms of price
like pasta and rice.
My name is David Page.
I was Chief Executive of
PizzaExpress.
This bubble and squeak
looks like the classic
restaurant roll out.
What you do need
is a filling base for any idea.
So in pizza restaurant,
obviously the base,
and then you can put
toppings on.
And then they can flex
the pricing on the menu,
which is a very good idea.
I would go here
to try it once as a novelty.
But do people think that
people would return and have it
again and again and again?
I quite like the concept,
to be honest,
because humble potato
can be very creative.
It's not just one flavor
you're looking at.
My name is Atul Kochhar.
I became the first Indian chef
to get a Michelin Star.
This is quite
an exciting proposition,
to be honest.
I know it's potato and cabbage.
It's such a simple product,
but as chef I know
what all I can add to it
to make it more exciting.
My name is
Jay Morjaria,
and I'm a food
and beverage consultant
based in London,
and I'd like to introduce you
to my brand, Dynasty.
[narrator] Next, a chef
who believes Britain's ready
to fall in love
with sophisticated Korean food.
It's a brand-new restaurant
concept serving modern,
east-Asian small plates,
ideal for sharing.
[narrator] Jay wants £600,000
to set up the first
vegan friendly Dynasty.
[Jay] People who want
a new experience
in a curious diner
is what we're going for,
really.
And there's a lot
of them out there.
I like that
it's a Korean fusion.
It ticks a lot of boxes
in terms of being on trend.
I'm Lydia Forte.
I work for my family business,
a collection of luxury
five-star hotels across Europe.
It looks fresh,
the dishes are appealing
and colorful,
which are great for
an Instagram generation.
But it's also healthy
but not too restrictive.
I'm hoping that maybe
Korean is the new Peruvian.
And I think it's great to be
able to offer something
which is exciting
and bring in
a totally new clientele
to the space.
Whilst it's focused
on the vegan
and plant-based sector,
it will have meat and fish,
which I think
is very important,
particularly,
we don't want to alienate
large groups of people.
I'd very much
like to go out and meet Jay
and look at it further.
Dynasty is
an interesting concept.
The whole Asian cuisine market
is in ascendancy.
It's a food category
that people enjoy.
We are looking to find
the next big
casual-dining concept
that will, you know,
sweep away the competition.
[narrator]
The ideas have been chosen.
With two investors
interested in each concept,
there might be
a fight over Dynasty
and Bubble&.
[Fred]
Dynasty and Bubble&
arrive in Manchester
to open their doors
to the public
for the very first time.
The next 72 hours
could well change their lives
and business fortune forever.
Will they be able
to secure an investment
from some of the most
respected restaurant investors
in the country,
or will they leave
empty-handed?
[narrator] The two ideas
will take over identical
existing restaurant sites
just 100 yards apart.
Today,
Marita and Rupert, and Jay
are about to see
their new restaurants
for the first time.
-Oh, look!
-[chuckles]
-Bubble&.
-That's our restaurant.
-Oh, my God.
-Ah, it looks great.
[narrator] Over the last month,
they've been working
with a designer
to being their
restaurant to life.
This is so tangible now.
-[gasps] Look at the
living wall.
-They've done it, look.
They've done a good job.
It's real.
You can touch it.
[narrator] Four years ago,
Rupert and Marita
gambled everything
and set up a stall
selling bubble and squeak
on the south coast.
[Marita]
What can I get for you?
-Can I get a large
classic squeak, please?
-You got it.
[Rupert]
Came home from work one day
and said to my wife,
"What do you think
of this idea of
bubble and squeak?"
I was like, "Bubble and what?"
By that time
we'd had one child
and then another.
She had a baby girl
bouncing around
on the front, you know.
Yeah, in the freezing cold,
you know, with her
little, like, snowsuit...
[Rupert]
Customers loved it, though.
[Marita]
They probably felt
sorry for us...
[both chuckle]
Look at that American lady
in Winchester
talking about
bubble and squeak.
[narrator]
Their foods won awards,
and now the customers queue
to pay between seven
and ten pounds a dish.
Rupert and Marita
want an investor to commit
£140,000 to help them grow.
It's like a child, isn't it?
The child just wants you
to believe in them, you know.
It's just kind of
like that thing.
You just want the investor
to believe in you and say,
"Yeah, that's exactly
what I want.
"I can see
where you're going."
[narrator] Opposite Bubble&,
42-year-old Jay Morjaria
is also about to see
his restaurant
for the first time.
[Jay chuckles]
Oh, wow!
Looks really cool.
Oh, my God.
I love the bamboo and the...
Oh, my God,
my light box.
I never thought
I'd see that up
in, like, that big.
[narrator] Seven years ago,
Jay gave up his job
as a furniture buyer
to train as a chef.
Now, he's a consultant
for other people's restaurants
and runs Dynasty
as an occasional supper club.
[Jay] My parents ran Indian
vegetarian restaurants,
so cooking's always been
a passion for me,
and one of the things
I've always enjoyed
is Korean food.
So I decided that
I was gonna spend
a bit of time in Korea.
I worked in restaurants
to learn a bit more about
the traditional Korean cooking,
but I've always wanted
to own a restaurant.
[narrator] Jay's looking for
£600,000 to open Dynasty
so he can establish the first
of a collection of restaurants.
Sorry.
I'm getting emotional now.
It's just been
a massive journey for me.
I feel that I've got
the right concept,
I've got the right experience.
It's everything that
I've kind of just wanted
for such a long time now.
So, yeah, I want it bad.
[chuckles]
[narrator] Both restaurants
have brought their
own teams to help.
Six at a time,
into the ice water,
and do it like
one minute 45, okay?
Could you work over there?
'Cause that's garlic.
[narrator] Jay met Rebecca
at a food fair.
Tonight, she'll be
front of house at Dynasty.
[Rebecca] For anybody
that hasn't tried Korean food,
I think this will be,
like, a great, like,
first experience for them.
[narrator] Tomorrow,
in just 24 hours,
the investors will be arriving
for a private lunch.
So, this evening,
both restaurants will open
to the Manchester public
for their one and only
practice run.
It's their soft launch
with 50% off.
It will test every part
of their service.
Not everything will go
according to plan,
but that's the whole point.
They need to be ready
for when the investors
arrive tomorrow.
-Good morning.
-[Marita] Good morning.
-I'm Fred, how are you?
-Hi, I'm Marita, how are you?
-Marita, nice to meet you.
-You, too.
Tell me what is
this concept Bubble&?
Bubble&, yes.
It's all about
bubble and squeak.
So, was it like
a eureka moment for you?
Well, it was for me, yeah,
and when I got
the support from Marita,
"Great idea, great idea,"
it was like,
"Okay, now you
just got to do it."
So what's your vision for it?
I mean, is it like
a one-site operation...
-No.
-Or is it something
you want to roll out?
-No.
-[Marita]
We'd love to see it globally,
-if possible. Why not?
-[Fred] Globally.
World domination.
-Bubble&, New York.
Why not?
-[Fred] I get it.
-It's classic...
-And it hits the heart of
a lot of English people.
-Family values.
It's very important.
-Oh, 100 percent.
But it's never done before,
so for me I can't help
to think this is either genius
or the other way.
We're going genius.
[laughs]
Great.
Well, listen,
have a great day.
You got, I'm sure,
a lot of work to do
with your mise en place.
And I'll see you later on.
-Thank you.
-Thank you.
[Fred]
Rupert and Marita
are a great team.
They believe in their product.
But in a restaurant,
we hardly invent anything.
We recycle.
There are only so many
genuinely new ideas.
So it's either those guys
had a moment of genius,
or there's a reason why
it hasn't been done before.
[narrator] Rupert spent years
working as a head chef,
and his menu
and prices tonight
have been adapted
for a restaurant setting.
There's the classic
bubble and squeak topped with
organic egg and hollandaise
at £11.
Bubble and halloumi
cheese curry is also £11.
And Rupert's new
seasonal special,
bubble and wild
pheasant and sprouts,
costs £14.
[Rupert] There's just
so much involved
in what I do.
I'm almost putting
restaurant food
in a street-food scene.
You know, I'm trying
to put something square into
a round hole sometimes.
-Shiso is done.
-Yeah.
[Jay]
Can you do the mix for
the tempura batter?
[narrator] In Dynasty,
Jay's hoping Korean food
will be part of
the growing trend
for Asian cuisine.
One in six UK restaurants
is now Japanese,
Chinese, or Thai.
At the heart of Korean cooking
is its famous spicy pickle.
So, this is my, uh,
this is my kimchi,
my whole cabbage kimchi.
Basically, kimchi is like
a staple in Korea.
Every family has
their own recipe.
It's secret in their family.
It's about 560 leaves,
each one pasted,
by hand, with chili and garlic.
[Fred] Morning. How are you?
I'm Fred, nice to meet you?
Nice to meet you, Fred.
This is Rebecca.
-Nice to meet you. How are you?
-Hi, nice to meet you. Hello.
[Fred] So, why Korea?
What is it that
you like about Korean food?
-I love spice.
-[Fred] Right.
But I also really like
all the other flavors like
garlic and soy and sesame.
Are people ready
for Korean cuisine?
I think we're at that point
where people want food
that's great taste,
big bowl of flavors,
and all the dishes
are small plates.
-Is it for sharing?
-It's for sharing, yeah.
[Fred]
Are you big on your kimchi?
-Yeah. Oh,
I can show you my kimchi.
-Yeah?
-There you go.
-Thank you very much.
Wow.
It's very, very good.
Very good.
That level of expertise
is amazing.
This is really
what Korean food is about.
-If you
can't do kimchi...
-That's it.
-Forget it.
-Get out of the game.
-Yeah.
-[both chuckle]
Good luck, Jay.
-Nice to meet you.
-See you later.
[narrator] Jay makes
everything on his menu
to order.
Tonight, he'll be cooking
roasted pumpkin in a
Japanese curry sauce,
priced £6,50.
Charred wedges of hispi cabbage
with sweet miso,
tahini and apple at £7.
And bibimbap,
fried Korean rice balls
with seaweed and homemade
red-chili mayo at £3,50.
[Jay]
There's a lot to do still,
but as we're getting
through the prep
and ticking off things
then you know that
it's starting to come together.
It's getting closer
and closer to service
so, yeah.
[narrator] It's 6:00 p.m.
Doors open in an hour.
Both Bubble& and Dynasty
will be joined by two
experienced local staff
to help with service.
Welcome to Bubble&.
Yeah, hello.
I'm Marita from Bubble&.
-How are you?
-I'm good, thank you.
[narrator] And Jay wants
every diner to receive a full
traditional Korean welcome.
[Jay] People will
walk through the door
and we will all
try and shout
welcome in Korean
based on the cue
from you, Rebecca.
[speaking Korean]
Even if you don't
say it quite right,
it will sound fine
when we all say it together.
We're gonna say...
[speaks incorrect Korean]
[in English] I forgot.
I don't know. I'll have to...
I'll have to read.
I don't know
Real customers are
gonna start walking
through the doors,
so we need to just
smash it for them, yeah?
What are we gonna say
whenever people walk in?
[all speaking Korean]
Let's do it. Come on.
-Hi, guys.
-Hello.
How are you?
Welcome to Bubble&.
Every service
is like a battle.
The troops must be primed
and ready for anything.
[greeting in Korean]
Hello.
Welcome to Dynasty.
[Fred]
Tonight, the customers expect
great food and great service,
and nothing else will do.
Two fried bibimbap,
one pumpkin.
Yes, Chef.
Hello. [greeting in Korean]
[greeting in Korean]
[Fred] Oh, very nice.
What a welcome.
[waiter] So we're gonna go
with the bibimbap
and the mushroom stew.
-I've got to have the kimchi.
-You've got to have the kimchi.
[staff greeting in Korean]
I love the welcome.
Its such a lovely touch.
Something you just don't
think about having
when you see it.
And then you usually
go, like, Indian or, like,
you know, steakhouse.
-I think we're just gonna
order everything.
-Yeah?
Is anyone listening to me?
Okay, great. Aubergine.
Four aubergine altogether.
One with chorizo.
[narrator] He may never have
run Dynasty as
a restaurant before,
but tonight, Jay wants
every plate to look
and taste the part.
Order up, please.
Jay is so intense in there.
He's running the show
by himself almost.
He's such a perfectionist.
He cooks everything
a la minute.
It means cook to order.
And that puts
a lot of pressure
on the kitchen.
Aubergine, mushroom
and grill tempura...
I'll do the mushrooms now.
Can you portion out
four kimchis for me?
Otherwise,
we're not gonna be able
to get them out.
[Jay] Very, very nervous,
a little bit panicked.
We've got a lot to get done.
It'll be two seconds
on your aubergine.
I'll just see where it is.
Still waiting on food
for table one.
So I need
one more aubergine,
mushroom with cauliflower.
[Jay]
Yeah, that's gone.
-They said they haven't had it.
-Okay, we'll do it.
[Rebecca]
Table number five, yeah?
-Table eight.
-Table number eight, sure.
Here you go. Enjoy, guys.
[narrator] But when
the food finally finds
its way to the table,
the customers are impressed.
Really nice texture,
really crispy.
[woman] Very fresh as well.
[man] Yeah.
Kimchi is very nice.
Enjoyed that a lot.
This is amazing.
Every little mouthful.
I think some of the foods
were really simple as well,
like that cabbage.
You probably won't think that
you'd get that
out of a cabbage.
I'm actually gonna have
cabbage again after this.
Well, you know, I could
eat like this maybe
two or three times a week.
Then he'd have to go back
to his pasta...
Then I'd have to go back
to my carbonara
and spaghetti bolognese.
[all chuckling]
[narrator] Tomorrow,
the investors arrive for
their private lunch.
Tonight, Bubble&'s customers
are about to have a first taste
of high-end
fried mash and cabbage.
Okay, new order.
Two lamb, one halloumi,
a greens and a carrots, okay?
Hey, guys, are you all right?
Yeah?
Is it okay for me
to get a dish?
-[Rupert] Whichever
one you want.
-Maybe your classic.
[Rupert] The classic?
Yeah, of course.
Why not.
Perfect.
Thank you very much.
That's delicious.
[woman 1] Is it?
[woman 2] Mmm.
[Fred] This is proper
English grub.
Cabbage and potato.
And they want to build
an empire out of it.
[narrator] Bubble&
will need repeat business
if they're to capture
a slice of the average
£50 a week
we now spend
on eating out.
I like to see empty plates.
Now, what is bubble and squeak?
The squeak is different.
Isn't the squeak different?
[woman]
I think it's something
that everybody likes,
but you'd never normally
base a meal around it.
[woman 2]
Everything tasty.
It's spot on.
However, I don't think
bubble and squeak
has got legs
in this day and age,
'cause bubble and squeak
is a dish served
in the war times.
And I think with millennials
in this day and age,
they'll go,
-"What...is that?"
-Yeah.
Last night, both restaurants
felt the pressure.
But that's to be expected.
Good morning, guys.
I know from experience
that every service
is an opportunity
to learn, make corrections,
and do better.
-Good morning.
-[Jay] Good morning.
Today,
the investors are coming.
Their food, their vision,
their financials must
stack up enough
to get that vital investment.
Uh, yeah,
put the sesame on top.
Now I'm just
starting to feel
the pressure a little bit.
Today, it's just
all or nothing on the food.
It's a £600,000 lunch.
Essentially what it is.
I told my daughter
that my mascot
is a Korean tiger,
so she wrote this
little message to me.
She's my little taster,
she's my little everything.
So, yeah,
it really is just nice
to have a little support
from family.
[narrator]
Over the next two days,
the investors will test
the restaurants
customer service
and business plans.
But today's private lunch
in two hours time
is all about the food.
It doesn't feel real,
the investment bit,
yet.
Yeah, something you dream of.
You're almost that far away
from having the restaurant.
It just...
It feels almost tingly.
[laughs]
-How are you? Good morning.
-[Marita] Good morning.
-[Rupert] Morning, Fred.
-How's it going?
You had a good night
last night?
Yeah, very good.
Enjoyed last night.
-The people liked it, huh?
-I think so.
We got a good response.
Are you confident
you can produce
the same quality today?
Yeah, definitely, yeah.
Can you convince them
that there is room for
bubble and squeak
as a concept
on the high street?
I think so because
you go to a sushi restaurant,
you have sushi,
you go to a pasta restaurant,
you have pasta.
You go to bubble and squeak,
you're not just getting
bubble and squeak.
It's bubble and squeak
plus more.
The thing is it tastes good
because of you.
-Because you can cook.
-Yeah, my recipe, everything.
And if I'm not there,
they still get the same
quality product.
Good, good.
Well, look,
I wish you good luck.
-[Rupert] Cheers. Take care.
-Thank you.
[narrator]
On Bubble&'s guest list,
David Page.
He's grown some of
the UK's biggest
restaurant brands
including PizzaExpress,
Gourmet Burger Kitchen,
and Franco Manca.
When I first got
involved in Pizza,
which was, uh, 1973,
everybody thought
it was a fad.
I tasted sushi 25 years ago
and I never thought
it would come to the UK.
So I'm keen to be
part of the journey
with people who
think of new ideas.
And then you come
to the investment decision,
which is,
is this product
ready for the UK market?
Will it ever be ready
for the UK market?
[narrator] David's competition
is international restaurateur
and chef, Atul Kochhar,
looking to expand
his investment portfolio.
I'm looking for opportunities
to be able to operate
on high street.
Bubble and squeak can really
scale up in very big numbers,
in my opinion.
The biggest challenge
is to standardize a product,
so we have to keep
this product really simple
and straightforward.
How they stretch
one basic product
to encompass
a number of different tastes
is gonna be
very interesting.
It's only potato and cabbage,
but who knows? This might be
the real diamond.
-[Marita] Hello.
-Hello.
-[Marita] Welcome.
-How are you?
Welcome to Bubble&.
How are you?
Hi, Atul. Rupert.
Rupert, Atul.
It's good to meet you.
Hello, David.
Nice to meet you.
So there are house bubbles
and the seasonal bubbles.
And they have three starters.
It sounds like a good plan.
Yeah. Bubble and pheasant?
-Bit upmarket.
-Definitely.
[narrator] Today,
Bubble& will serve
all their starters,
all their mains,
and all their puddings.
[Marita] So what you have here
is our beautiful
smoked ham-hock starter.
And here you have
our roasted golden
beetroot starter
with some shallot crisps.
-So bon appetit...
-Thank you very much.
It's beautiful.
It's more of
a fine-dining to me.
Very posh and very lovely.
It won't get many fans
anywhere other than
quite posh suburbs.
It can't be humble restaurant.
It's sort of completely
the antithesis of what
I thought I was gonna get.
-Anyway, we'll see what happens
in the next course.
-Yeah.
[narrator]
Dining at Dynasty today,
five-star hotelier,
Lydia Forte.
She's looking for new ideas
for her luxury hotels
in the UK
and across Europe.
It's really hard to find
the right idea.
There's a lot of elements
that come together to make
a great concept.
Jay is someone who has
a lot of experience
in the kitchen.
And he's been to Korea.
He's spent a lot of time there.
So I'm excited to see
what he's come up with.
[narrator] Joining her,
Darrel Connell of food
and leisure group, Imbiba.
They've invested over
50 million pounds
in new bar
and restaurant chains.
[Darrel] With Dynasty,
it depends how complex
the food is.
If it's super
high-end Korean
and very complicated,
I think that will struggle.
There is a reason why
pizza restaurants
and burger restaurants
are successful,
because everybody likes
pizzas and burgers.
The consumer does not
want to be intimidated.
The product needs
to appeal to many,
not just a one-off restaurant.
[Lydia] I actually don't know
Korean food very well,
but I'll be interested to see
how it comes across
to an untrained
palette like me,
because I think
a lot of customers
will be like me
and haven't
experienced it yet.
[both greeting in Korean]
-Hello, hello.
-How are you?
-Hi, how are you?
-Welcome.
-Lydia.
-I'm Jay, nice to meet you.
-Hi. Darrell.
-Nice to meet you.
-Jay, very nice to meet you.
-This is Rebecca.
What we're gonna do
for you today is kind of
the whole experience,
so we're gonna bring out
the entire menu.
[Darrel] So, it's obviously
plant-based.
-Yes.
-And then you add meat.
So, yeah, we kind of flipped
the script a little bit
in the sense that,
if you go to
a regular restaurant,
you'd have about
three or four options
that are gonna be
vegetarian or vegan.
Uh, what we've done is
we've done it
the other way around.
So our hero is the veg.
-Great. That's really exciting.
-[Jay] Thank you.
[narrator] Jay's menu today
is a showcase
of his best dishes.
Seaweed flat bread,
vegetable tempura,
and fragrant shiso leaves
with plum ketchup.
I can't think
what it's similar to.
-From a culinary perspective,
it's quite intimidating.
-It is.
I'm looking at
this menu thinking,
"What am I having?"
God, I'm not quite sure.
So, this is our bibimbap
and then on top
is a gochujang mayo.
-It does look great.
-[Darrel] It does.
I like that
it's individual.
That is really, really tasty.
Mmm-hmm.
[Rebecca]
This is a seasonal tempura.
We have sweet potato
and shiso leaf.
That is really
beautiful looking.
Mmm-mmm.
That's really yummy.
This is really good tempura.
It's really light.
They seem to be
enjoying everything.
And everything's going out
at a nice pace.
And, yeah,
they seem to be smiling,
which is important.
It's uh...
It looks like
it's going well.
[Rebecca] Right, gentleman,
this is the bubble
and classic squeak.
So this is the dish
that started it all.
[narrator] At Bubble&,
the bubble and squeak
mains are served.
Mmm. Delicious.
[Atul] How does it
taste with the egg? Good?
[David] Mmm, pretty good egg.
Yeah, good quality egg.
-Beautifully done.
-[David] Brilliant bacon.
[Marita] Beautiful.
Here is our beautiful
bubble and lamb.
Actually, I think
it looks better
than it tastes.
There's hardly any flavor,
to be honest.
Yeah.
[David] Hmm.
It seems like they're having
a really good conversation
about every bite.
They're really
studying it, like...
[Rupert] Well, let's hope
it's a good thing.
I don't know.
I don't know
if they're saying...
I don't know.
Yeah, I forgot the first one,
but I'll remember this.
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
This is the sage-roasted
pheasant breast
and confit leg.
You've got some
glorious bread sauce there,
which Rupert makes with
gluten-free bread crumbs.
-[Atul] Go for it, David.
-Okay.
It's very important
that they like it,
because, otherwise,
there's no concept,
there's no way forward.
If you don't like the food,
you're not gonna invest,
are you?
-Nice.
-Hmm.
In French casinos,
at the roulette table,
there is a very famous saying,
[speaking French]
[in English] Basically
it means, place your bets,
the wheel is spinning.
And right now in Bubble&,
the wheel is spinning.
[David] My issue is the price.
If they're gonna go
into that mid-market segment,
they're competing
against a hamburger
of £7,95 or £8,95...
Main courses were
between £11 to £16
for potato and mash
and the topping.
That's too expensive.
-[Atul] Let's put
some numbers here.
-Yeah.
-Six pounds for a starter.
-Yeah.
And then £11 for
a bubble and squeak.
-Yeah.
-That makes £17.
-A glass of wine...
At least £5?
-At least.
Twenty-two,
and maybe a dessert then.
Twenty two and six.
-Yeah, you're looking at...
-[whistles] £28.
And 10 percent service charge,
so that makes it £30.
Thirty quid a head.
So we're sitting here,
and we've got to evaluate this
at 30 quid a head.
Franca Manca is £9,50 a head.
-So, £9,50 per head?
-That's our average spender.
People can come in,
have a pizza and a drink
for less than £10.
Some dishes were just
amazingly beautiful,
some were not so.
Now, as a business,
yes it's a great concept.
Whether it works
as a restaurant,
I'm doubtful about it.
Some really good cooking.
Thank you, Atul.
-Lovely host.
-Thank you.
-See you soon. Take care.
-Bye-bye.
I think there's quite a lot
of confusing messages in there.
Now, if you're an investor
and you got a restaurant,
you gotta grab hold of it
and understand every single
part of it.
And that includes
the food being delicious,
delivered at a right price,
you like it
so you're proud of it,
and you think that
the UK public will get it
straight away
because it's something
they understand,
they don't have
to think about it,
and it's the right price.
I don't know about you,
but I haven't felt
that I haven't eaten any meat.
-Have you?
-[Darrel] Yeah, yeah.
[chuckles]
[Jay] We've got two versions.
This is the mushroom,
and this is the lamb version
with exactly the same stew,
so the meat eaters don't feel
like they're missing out.
[all laughing]
-There's gonna be sort of...
-No, no, no, no.
-Please enjoy.
-Thank you.
It's really nice.
It is really, really nice.
Is it strong enough,
as a food offering,
to continue to come back?
I loved tasting that food.
It was really unusual,
but at the same time
approachable.
Great selection of dishes.
I think there were very
few dishes which weren't
really exceptional.
[speaking Korean]
The "quality of the food"
box has been ticked,
so, that's one hurdle closer
to the finish line,
I think.
Through the noren curtains.
[Darrel] The food quality
was exceptional.
Jay and the team
did a great job.
Thank you very much.
Bye.
[Darrel] We've seen that
he's a great chef,
but it could be quite
an intimidating menu.
And there are no, sort of,
safe, go-to dishes
on that menu.
Obviously being plant-based,
there wasn't much meat,
which is definitely a trend.
Right. Shall we clear up?
-Yes.
-Let's clear up.
[narrator] Tomorrow lunchtime,
the pressure builds.
The investors will see
how well the restaurants cope
when they're full of
paying customers.
But today isn't over.
Jay and Rupert and Marita
now face a high-stakes
business meeting,
one hour with the investors
to go through their finances
and future plans.
[all greeting in Korean]
-How are you, guys?
-Yeah, good.
-How did it go, Jay?
-I'm super positive about it.
-Very good.
-[Jay] Yeah.
So, in a few moments
you will have
the finance meeting.
-Are you confident with that?
-Yeah.
I... You know,
this is my strength,
and that's why
I need to partner up
with someone
whose strength is numbers.
So you cook,
they do the numbers.
-Perfect combination.
-Absolutely.
That's what it's about, right?
-Great, great.
Listen, good luck.
-Thank you very much.
-[speaking Korean]
-Take care. Bye.
See you tomorrow.
[narrator] Lydia and Darrel
see Dynasty as a serious
business opportunity,
so they'll both have
a private meeting with Jay.
Deciding whether
to go for Jay or not
is such a big decision
because we have a limited
number of sites.
And we actually have
a lot of choice
in who we put
into those sites.
Most chefs want to be
in luxury five-star hotels.
[Darrel] The bar restaurant
sector in the UK, really,
in a simple term,
fall into two counts.
The business people
that happen to run restaurants,
or the restaurateurs who happen
to run businesses.
And Jay, that's a
restaurant guy first
and a business guy second.
[Lydia] Hi, Jay.
-How are you?
-Good to see you again.
[narrator] Jay is asking
for a £600,000 investment.
In a smart suit,
not like the other chefs.
I'm more comfortable
in my whites, but yeah.
I mean,
my experience today
was really great.
I loved your concept.
The way that you've evolved
the Korean food,
you're riding on the wave
of something which is
a Korean trend
-which is starting to happen,
which I like.
-Yeah.
-It's modern Asian.
-Exactly.
Actually, what was
really fascinating...
Your food was really different.
The proposition was really...
I genuinely couldn't think
of any culinary experience
that I've had recently
that was in any way similar.
-Honestly,
that means so much...
-It's true.
-So I was just looking
at your business plan...
-Sure.
It's quite ambitious margins.
I've kept the team
quite tight, um,
based on my assumptions...
At a 45 cover restaurant,
you don't want to have
too many members of staff
behind the counter.
Personally, I think you might
have slightly underestimated
how many team members you need.
Jay's assumptions of what
his staff costs would be
were very low.
From his figures,
I did a quick calculation
and it looked like
he was gonna get
each waiter
to work 11 shifts a week.
And that means that,
basically, no one ever
gets the day off. Ever.
We've two options.
Dynasty as a really special,
one-site restaurant business,
or you're kind of
managing director of
a restaurant roll-out.
What's the dream?
I don't want to build
a huge chain of restaurants
that are the same name.
It's about keeping that
kind of friendly, unique,
local neighborhood
kind of feel to a restaurant.
I like that.
I look at myself as
creating a portfolio
-of really interesting
concepts.
-Okay.
But all around
a similar thread,
a similar theme.
So, it would be
a collection of Asian
bars and restaurants
-as opposed
to Dynasty being...
-[Jay] Yeah.
-...fifteen Dynastys
across the UK.
-Absolutely.
His idea about
creating, effectively,
a hub of Asian restaurants
which he's creating
and curating new concepts
within it,
is an interesting one.
It's not something
we thought about.
[narrator] During the meeting,
Lydia and Darrel
can choose to spell out
the offer they'll make
if, and only if,
they decide to invest tomorrow.
I am looking to bring in
new and exciting concepts
-into some of our luxury,
five-star hotels.
-Sure.
If we brought you in,
I would be looking to invest
about half a million.
The way it would work
is that we would invest
all the money,
we'd do up the space,
you would own your brand
and your concept
-and you would help us
set it up to your spec.
-Okay.
Thank you very much.
Lydia potentially offered
half a million pounds
to open a restaurant
within one of their hotels.
Just amazing.
I'm really chuffed.
-Thank you. Good to see you.
Take care.
-Bye.
[Lydia] Overall,
his model does work.
That leaves me wondering
how he's gonna
perform tomorrow.
How he can deal with service
for a big number of people.
I want to see
what the feedback is
from those guests,
'cause it's one thing
him telling me that last night
went really well,
but it's another thing
to actually see it
with my own eyes.
The biggest question mark is,
how scalable
is the proposition
and getting our heads around
not backing Dynasty,
but effectively backing you
to curate and develop other
Asian cuisine concepts,
which is not something
I really thought about.
For us, it's about
how we're gonna
scale a concept,
a brand in the
bar-restaurant space.
The commercial success
is important,
and there is
an ambition around that.
It's creating
a portfolio of restaurants
that still has
an exit strategy.
With Darrel,
there isn't a clear-cut offer
at this stage,
but what's interesting
is that he's not
closed any doors.
[Darrel]
We're talking about here
potentially investing in one of
the nicest blokes you're ever
likely to meet.
So, would we want
to partner with Jay?
Absolutely.
But the big question for us is,
what are we actually backing?
And I think that needs
a huge amount more thought.
[narrator] Now,
it's Bubble&'s turn.
As David and Atul
are in competition,
Rupert and Marita
now face an hour alone
with each investor.
They're asking for
£140,000.
-Hello.
-Hi, Marita, how are you?
-Good. Good to see you again.
-Good to see you, too.
Hey, Rupert.
Talking about Bubble&...
It's almost like
you haven't said completely
bubble and what?
We couldn't trademark it as
bubble and squeak,
'cause it's a food.
If you can't call it
bubble and squeak,
you've got bubble.
It's very helpful to have
what you serve
above the shop.
The Real Greek
or Pizza Fast.
Bubble &...
What does it mean?
And even if you knew
it meant bubble and squeak,
people of my kids' generation
wouldn't know
what it meant either.
Could an investor
convince you
to change the name if need be?
-For me, yes.
-[Rupert] I think
we're open to it, yeah...
-We're open to it.
-That's good to know.
-I thought your menu pricing
was a bit expensive.
-Okay.
Say you get your price point
even £1,50 or £2,00 too high
in those first four months...
You'll have a lot of
first visitors who'll be
very complimentary
about your food
and they won't come back.
Essentially,
you're looking at
£18 for lunch,
-and £33,60 for dinner.
-Mmm-hmm.
Do you think there's
a potential for people
to pay that sort of money?
Um, yeah, I do. I think so.
[Atul] Doesn't matter
if it's paired with
a salmon or caviar
or lamb fillet for that matter.
It's a humble product.
How you tweak it,
how you wrap it up,
in which wrapper you put it,
it's still going to remain
what it is,
and there has to be
a sensible price for it,
in my opinion.
[narrator] David and Atul can
now choose to outline
their potential offer
or wait until after
tomorrow's service.
My investment reticence
is based on the fact of
will this concept
be acceptable
going forward and opening
a number of stores?
I'm still waiting
to be convinced.
-We'll convince you.
-We'll convince you, yeah.
The whole premise of it
being based around
bubble and squeak
has got...
I've got an issue with.
I've got to obviously
sleep on it.
And then have
another meal tomorrow
and see what happens.
-It's a good concept,
don't get me wrong.
-Okay.
But it's a concept
that needs a little more work.
If we could tweak the price,
if we could tweak the product,
-maybe charge
eight to 12 pounds...
-Yeah, sure.
So you appeal
to larger number of people.
And then that's the concept
which can be taken into
multiple units more easily.
You were looking at
£140,000 investment,
in my opinion,
this investment would be
at least
£200,000-£250,000, no less.
I do want to see
the service tomorrow
and then let's see.
Good luck.
Thank you for your time,
Atul.
-Thanks for sharing all
your thoughts, as well.
-Thank you.
-[Rupert] Appreciate it.
See you again.
-Thank you, Rupert.
In terms of my interest
in this business
at the moment,
I'm around 60-40.
So, 40 I'm not interested.
Uh, I would need to
dig deeper to understand
whether I really can put
all my money into it or not.
I think he could get
a sense very quickly
that we are open to change,
so change in name...
-Positives that have
come out of it.
-Changes in menu...
That's business.
Tomorrow, the service...
Hopefully we can do
ourselves justice and, um,
we'll see
how people are enjoying
all the different flavors
of the bubble and squeak.
[Fred] Both restaurants
came to Manchester
determined to get
the investment that would
put them on the high street.
But both face serious issues.
[narrator] Today, Jay and
Marita and Rupert open
one final time.
The investors want to see
the restaurants cope
with a full service,
and discover
the public's appetite for these
two brand new ideas.
It's the very last chance
to prove they're
worth the money
they're asking for.
[Jay] Today, it feels
much more like we're running
a proper restaurant.
And we're really out
to kind of impress everyone
that walks through the door.
It really is important
that we try and get
two offers on the table.
Hopefully, any kind of
questions Darrel had
I answered them last night
as best as I could.
And, um, today,
hopefully we can just
win him over
with the service and
the experience that he's gonna
have in the restaurant.
[Rupert] They were
concerned about the price
so I thought,
"Well, let's just show
some flexibility.
"Okay, we've taken that
on board."
I'm gonna take a pound
of everything.
It might not be enough
for what they want to see,
but at least it shows that
we're thinking about it
and we've taken on board
what they've said.
[narrator] But an hour
before service,
one investor is having
second thoughts.
-Morning, Darrel.
-Good morning, Fred.
-How are you? You okay?
-I'm very well.
How are you?
Good to see you.
Yeah, very well, thank you.
So what's the story today?
What's going on?
On a standalone basis,
Dynasty is absolutely
worth investment,
but from an Imbiba perspective,
it's just a challenge,
because we, what we do,
our whole business model is
multiple bars and restaurants
rather than single site.
And I tried to convince myself
that we could somehow
make it work,
we could somehow
find a way,
but actually,
it's not what we do.
It would be disingenuous
for me to turn up today
at lunch
and go through the motions
when I just know
it's not the Imbiba
business model.
It's just not worth
the investment for Imbiba.
Can't reiterate enough.
He's a special character
and he's got a huge future
in this industry.
[Jay] Twenty minutes.
Can we do everything
in 20 minutes?
-Have we got...
Left outstanding?
-[woman] Yes, we can.
Yeah? No?
Everything in...
Everything in 20 minutes.
[greeting in Korean]
-[greeting in Korean]
-How are you? You all right?
-How are you?
-Nice to see you again.
-I've got a bit of
bad news for you.
-Okay.
Darrel Connell from Imbiba
has decided to pull out.
Mmm, yeah. Okay.
That's a shame.
Your restaurant is not
quite the fit for him.
Fair enough.
But Lydia Forte,
she can't wait to see
your place in action today
after that fantastic
lunch yesterday.
We're now just gonna be
focused on getting Lydia
to have a great time here.
-You've got everything
to win here.
-Yeah.
-So...
-Yeah, onwards and upwards.
-Good luck, Jay.
See you later.
-See you later.
I guess I'm really
disappointed by that.
Personally,
I would have
liked him to come today
and gone through
the experience with customers.
It is what it is
and, you know,
you can't control that.
Lydia's coming in,
and we're just gonna give her
a great experience.
[narrator] At Bubble&,
Rupert and Marita also have
a lot to prove.
Right now I'm feeling
nervous, you know.
We've got to deliver
again today.
[narrator]
With no clear offer
on the table,
it's their last chance
to impress.
Hello.
Welcome to Bubble&.
[Atul] I know that,
for Rupert and Marita,
it's a big day.
While I'm a little forgiving,
I'm also observing
whether people like it
or they don't like it.
I want to see the energy
between the two.
If they're husband and wife
then, you know,
sometimes it's a great formula,
sometimes it's a recipe
for disaster.
[David] Bubble and squeak...
I just can't get
my head around
a restaurant business
based on it.
However, I'm going back
to have some more food
and looking forward
to see how they work,
see how the customers react.
They may change my mind.
How are we doing?
Thank you for coming again.
Hello, Atul.
Hi, Marita, how are you?
So, gentleman,
I just wanted to point out
just a couple of
things we've done
differently today.
-You'll notice that some of
the prices have changed.
-Oh, yeah.
[bell dings]
-Well, that's good.
-Yeah, yeah.
And they've changed this.
Redefining bubble and squeak.
-I like that.
-Yeah, very good.
And this actually explains
what they're doing.
I like that.
It's a new concept
and never been done before,
so you have to prepared
to change your track
all the time
till you become successful.
That's the mantra
to be followed.
So, they're already flexible,
which is good.
Take this is table seven.
Then you got halloumi,
two goat's cheese to come.
[woman] I think it's good
because you can come here
and someone can have brunch,
but someone can have lunch
at the same time.
[Rupert] Investors.
Classic halloumi and a lamb.
They want to test
that lamb again.
Their taste buds might be
a bit different today.
[Lydia] Today,
I'm very interested to see
that the public
isn't too shocked
by what
they're being presented.
People are willing
to try something new,
but the flavors have to be
somewhat approachable.
Can it tick all the boxes?
Let's see.
[all greeting in Korean]
[Jay] Hey, do you mind
sitting at the bar?
-No, I'm really happy
sitting there.
-Great. Thank you.
[Rebecca]
Would you like a drink?
Maybe some sparkling water?
-I'll try one of your
Bocha teas.
-[Rebecca] Yes, of course.
-And a still water, please,
as well.
-And a still water.
[man] Check on, Chef.
Two bibimbap, one aubergine,
one pumpkin.
[Lydia] I want to see
a convivial atmosphere,
I want to see
the sharing plates,
I want to see
people passing
each other food,
talking about the food.
I'm basically hoping that
the guests are going to enjoy
the experience.
[narrator] At Bubble&,
the mains are served.
First, the lamb
that failed to convince
yesterday...
The taste is same
like yesterday.
Oh, really?
So he obviously needs
some help from you, possibly.
[narrator]
Next, the bubble and classic.
This is a classic
for a reason, huh?
[David] As good as yesterday.
[Atul] Yeah.
My food is every bit
as delicious as yesterday.
Can I get a seaweed...
Seaweed flat bread, please?
The atmosphere is good,
people seem to be
intrigued by the menu,
by the food.
[Jay] Order up, please.
Service.
Food's going out much quicker.
Uh, we've got a system
and it's good.
-[Lydia] Hi, guys. Do you mind
if I catch you on your way out?
-Not at all.
How was your experience today?
Did you have a nice meal?
It was great.
It's not something that
I normally would've chosen,
but as something different
it was really nice.
So why did you choose it?
Korean food's not huge
at the moment in Manchester,
but definitely
very interesting.
Lovely balance
of different flavors.
It's all vegan as well,
did you realize?
You feel good eating it.
I'd totally try it again,
wouldn't we?
-Definitely try it again.
Yeah.
-It was nice.
Well, I'm really glad
you enjoyed it.
That's good to hear.
[man] Food was fantastic.
Not the sort of things
I would normally typically pick
from the menu,
but amazingly tasty
when we had them
and really well delivered.
It was great, yeah. Fantastic.
Great. So, if this were
here permanently,
is this something
that you would come back to?
Yeah, definitely.
[Atul] How are you doing?
[woman] Good. How are you?
[Atul] How's the meal been
so far for you?
-Oh, it's been lovely.
Really nice.
-Oh, good.
Yeah, like, it's so simple,
but, like,
there's just so much flavor.
-And what did you eat?
-Bubble and lamb
on the recommendation.
-Okay.
-Yeah.
-You liked it?
-Oh, loved it.
-It's really, really nice.
-[Atul] Was the portion
too big, or...
No, it was good portion-size,
I thought.
-Would you order that again?
-[woman] Yeah.
Cool. Cool.
[Atul] A concept
like bubble and squeak.
Do you think that works?
I wouldn't purposely come out
for a meal in the evening,
maybe, for something like that,
but for a daytime treat...
The fillings were good.
I always like to think that
if my restaurant can
always make money
on every mealtime,
breakfast, lunch, dinner.
That's the best scenario,
to be honest.
It's an important question,
and how I take it
and how far I take it...
I really need to put
my mind together on it
and do some numbers, too.
[David] They seem to be
very adaptable,
very keen to learn.
They quickly redid the menu,
redefining bubble and squeak.
They've got it in there,
what they're serving.
It's called Bubble&.
It's absolutely brilliant.
She's obviously
pretty good at marketing.
She knows her stuff.
She's got a lot of experience.
And combined with his cooking,
they're a great team.
[Rupert]
Did they say anything?
You know, they had some
really constructive
things to say.
-Oh, okay.
-Really constructive.
Oh, okay. Cool.
[greeting in Korean]
[Lydia] Thank you. Bye, Jay.
That was a really great lunch,
and it's confirmed to me
that the concept is attractive
and that Jay can perform.
But he's given me
a lot to think about.
Is a luxury, five-star hotel
the right location
for Jay's concept?
I'm not sure.
Well done.
Well done.
[Jay] So if I had to sum up
today's lunch,
it felt like Dynasty
was really alive.
[exhales]
[sniffles]
[exhales]
Feels really good.
[sighs]
Better get back to work.
[narrator] Lunch is over.
Now the pressure
is on the investors.
They have to decide
whether the idea is worth
their money.
[Fred] How are you guys?
[Rupert] Hi, Fred,
you all right?
-How was it today?
-Good service.
Well, the investors
now have a deadline,
and they have one hour
to come back, on the clock,
and make you an offer.
So if they walk
through the door,
game is on.
If they don't then
it's game over.
-All right? Good luck.
-Thank you.
Cheers, Fred.
Thanks a lot.
[narrator]
Bubble& came here
looking for £140,000.
The deadline is 6:30 p.m.
David and Atul could both
walk through the door
and make competing offers,
or Rupert and Marita
could walk away with nothing.
We were talking earlier about,
was there anything
we could've done different?
And this is just, you know,
this is who we are.
-This is...
-Yeah.
-It's our brand and what we do.
-That's what we do.
And if, you know,
they're not the
right investors,
then so be it.
We have to find a way
doing it on our own, or...
Maybe there's another
investor out there.
One minute to go.
[Marita groans]
Marita, Rupert,
your time is up.
Okay.
I'm sorry.
-It's okay.
-Oh...
It wasn't meant to be.
[David] I'm not
gonna invest in
Bubble& because
it's not ready yet
for the high street.
The menu needed fixing.
Price, portions, ingredients.
That's quite a lot to fix.
You shouldn't go posh
with bubble and squeak,
like you shouldn't
go posh with pizza.
[Fred] You know what?
Your kids are gonna be
so proud of you.
-You've given it your all.
-[Marita] Mmm-hmm.
You proved them, you know,
what you can do
and what you're about.
We don't feel
we let ourselves down, did we?
No. No, no.
[narrator] But there's still
an opportunity
for Rupert and Marita.
-Atul.
-Can I join you?
Of course.
Come take a seat.
[narrator]
The investor deadline
may have passed,
but Atul has decided
to make a late entrance.
Thanks for coming back.
Cheers, Atul.
Guys, I don't have
an offer for you,
but I have a proposal.
Oh.
-Provided you're willing
to listen to me.
-Of course.
Absolutely!
I just feel that the project,
at this stage, is not ready.
It's not a concept that we can
put in the restaurant yet.
[Rupert] Mmm-hmm.
However, it'll be a shame
if I didn't come out to help.
[Rupert] Mmm-hmm.
According to me,
it'll take good
six to nine months
to work together
and develop the concept.
And by the end of it,
if the project is ready,
if you feel that it's good
and I feel it's good,
and my team has got
confidence in it,
then we can go and talk about
investing money with you,
and I think
it'll cost us about
£150,000 to £200,000.
And if it's acceptable,
then let's shake hands
and move on.
-It's a generous proposal.
-Yes.
And also that
we get to work with you
and you get to develop our food
with us, together.
Maybe nine months
down the line
I'll have a massive smile
on my face
and we would be
planning not one,
maybe two, three
restaurants.
-Thank you so much.
-Thank you, Atul.
It means a lot.
-I think it's a great thing
you've offered us.
-Oh, thank you.
That's very, uh...
Very generous of you.
I'm very happy
to be part of your project,
and I hope you feel likewise.
Thank you.
-What a gift.
-Oh!
That is the best outcome ever.
Cheers, guys.
See you later. Come on.
Give me a hug.
[Rupert]
We can learn off that, so, um,
you know, it's not gonna be
plain sailing...
Everything's... You know,
gold dust, there's gonna be
ups and downs still, but...
Oh, wow.
I'm at peace now.
[narrator]
Now it's Jay's turn to wait.
Darrel has pulled out.
Jay's only hope of investment
rests with Lydia.
She has until 8:00 p.m.
to make an offer.
What are you thinking?
Um... [clears throat]
What drink
I'm gonna have at the bar.
[chuckles]
What are you gonna have?
Well, it's either gonna be
beer or champagne,
isn't it?
[chuckles]
-[Fred]
Whether you get it or not...
-Mmm.
No one will ever forget
what you did in here
for the last three days.
Your passion, your ethos,
your food.
It's amazing
what you've done here.
Thank you.
Trying to vision.
Good vision, good thoughts.
If you start to vision what
something would look like,
then you kind of,
you know,
helps the mind focus.
Three minutes.
-[Lydia] Hi, Jay
-[laughs]
-Lydia.
-Hi.
Hello.
-How are you?
-Good. How are you?
Hi. How you doing?
Very glad to see you.
Well, I'm happy to see you.
-Um...
-[Fred] Take a seat.
So, Lydia.
I absolutely love the concept,
-and I absolutely think
the food is delicious...
-Thank you.
-And I think
you're brilliant, so...
-Thank you.
-I'm really happy.
-What is your offer?
What is your vision?
Rocco Forte hotels would like
to bring you to Berlin,
um, to our luxury,
five-star Hotel de Rome.
We'd like to set you up
in a residency
so that we can get you
cooking straightaway.
And if that all
goes to plan,
we can find you
a more permanent site
within the group,
specced out
to your heart's content.
And if we do that
it would be about
a half a million investment.
[laughs]
Let's just do the maths
for this one.
Three days ago, set up
a pop-up restaurant concept,
something that I've been
working on for
a couple of years.
Today, I'm walking away
with a restaurant
in a luxury hotel group
in Europe, in Berlin,
with potentially
half a million on the table.
I mean, yeah.
That's brilliant!
Feeling number one
at the moment.
-Open that champagne.
-[all laughing]
[Lydia]
We have, right now,
chefs with a total
of nine Michelin Stars
in our hotels,
so I'm really excited
to bring him into that crowd.
I think he deserves it.
I think our hotel guests,
but also Berlin,
are gonna really love it
and I'm excited
to offer that to them.
-[Fred] Can I propose a toast?
-Absolutely. Please do.
-Well done. To Dynasty.
-To Dynasty.
To Dynasty.
Hold on. What you're saying is
very well-established brands...
You just said they're average.
Our burger is better
than what is out there
at the moment.
Big statement.
Got to back it up now.
This is a problem.
We've hardly made a dent
into any of them.
Is that not a worry?
[theme music playing]
I've worked in the
restaurant industry
for 25 years.
Right now,
the UK's restaurant scene
is the envy of the world.
And all it takes
is one great idea
to make a fortune
on the high street.
But has the next
generation of restaurants
got what it takes to become
a multi-million pound business?
Over the next six weeks,
here in Manchester,
the food capital of the north,
twelve of the most exciting
new restaurant ideas
are in with a chance
of a life-changing investment
from some of the UK's most
respected investors.
These are the men and woman
who can turn an idea
into a national brand.
We're looking at putting
a lot of money into the
absolute best concept.
This is the kind of model
that you dream of.
If I find the right operator,
I'll be fighting for it.
[Fred] Each week,
the investors will give
the people behind
two great new food ideas
a unique opportunity.
Ah, this is brilliant!
-[Fred] Their own
pop-up restaurant.
-[bell dings]
Right, rock and roll, man.
[Fred] They'll have
just three days to prove...
Nobody seems to know
the table numbers.
[Fred]
...they've got what it takes...
-That's a disaster.
-[Fred] ...to make it
on the high street.
When you start to rush,
that's when you start to make
more mistakes.
-There's a big backlog of
customers at the door.
-Yeah, yeah, yeah.
What are you gonna
do about it?
If I was to invest,
it'll take half a million
to £750,000.
Time to make some dough.
[Fred]
After the three days,
will the investors walk
back into the restaurant...
[sighs]
[Fred]
...and make them an offer?
It's a £600,000 lunch.
We are not gonna leave
without an investment.
I'm sorry, the time is up.
The doors are open
for business.
Welcome to
Million Pound Menu.
[Fred] What does it take
to create a smash-hit
restaurant business?
Speak to
a restaurant investor
and they'll tell you
their decisions are based
on four things.
The people, the idea,
the business,
and above all, the food.
That first bite, is it worth
hundreds of thousand
of pounds of investment?
So what is the next big idea
to get us queuing for a table?
We might be about to find out.
So, this is our signature
Libertine Burger.
Double ground beef patty,
American cheese,
bright pickles.
[narrator] The men and woman
behind some of the most
successful businesses
on the high street
met to choose some of the best
new restaurant ideas for
a three-day trial run pop-up.
[man] Jollof Box
is not a fast food.
This is gourmet food,
come down, and taste
Africa in a box.
Certainly got a lot of
energy about it.
Reminds me a lot of
something I saw
in South Africa.
[narrator] They were looking
for the two entrepreneurs
with the strongest food,
brand, and business plan.
We require an investment
of £225,000.
[narrator] Then, each investor
had to decide whether they like
the concept enough
to try it in Manchester.
I can't think of a single place
it wouldn't work,
I can't think of
a single person that
wouldn't want to eat it.
I'm absolutely all over this.
[narrator] The first idea
to get their attention,
a husband and wife who want
to modernize an old-fashioned
English classic.
Bubble and squeak,
a piece of mash potato with
a little bit of cabbage.
It's very versatile.
You can put anything with it,
but there's nothing
on the market
that shows people
how good British food
actually is.
Number seven!
[narrator] Rupert and Marita
want £140,000
to get Bubble&
started on the High Street.
Our vision is to launch
our first Bubble& restaurants
and then go national.
And after that, international.
I'm surprised no one's done
bubble and squeak before.
I haven't seen it.
-You got a base product...
-Potatoes.
...which is effectively
rather stable in terms of price
like pasta and rice.
My name is David Page.
I was Chief Executive of
PizzaExpress.
This bubble and squeak
looks like the classic
restaurant roll out.
What you do need
is a filling base for any idea.
So in pizza restaurant,
obviously the base,
and then you can put
toppings on.
And then they can flex
the pricing on the menu,
which is a very good idea.
I would go here
to try it once as a novelty.
But do people think that
people would return and have it
again and again and again?
I quite like the concept,
to be honest,
because humble potato
can be very creative.
It's not just one flavor
you're looking at.
My name is Atul Kochhar.
I became the first Indian chef
to get a Michelin Star.
This is quite
an exciting proposition,
to be honest.
I know it's potato and cabbage.
It's such a simple product,
but as chef I know
what all I can add to it
to make it more exciting.
My name is
Jay Morjaria,
and I'm a food
and beverage consultant
based in London,
and I'd like to introduce you
to my brand, Dynasty.
[narrator] Next, a chef
who believes Britain's ready
to fall in love
with sophisticated Korean food.
It's a brand-new restaurant
concept serving modern,
east-Asian small plates,
ideal for sharing.
[narrator] Jay wants £600,000
to set up the first
vegan friendly Dynasty.
[Jay] People who want
a new experience
in a curious diner
is what we're going for,
really.
And there's a lot
of them out there.
I like that
it's a Korean fusion.
It ticks a lot of boxes
in terms of being on trend.
I'm Lydia Forte.
I work for my family business,
a collection of luxury
five-star hotels across Europe.
It looks fresh,
the dishes are appealing
and colorful,
which are great for
an Instagram generation.
But it's also healthy
but not too restrictive.
I'm hoping that maybe
Korean is the new Peruvian.
And I think it's great to be
able to offer something
which is exciting
and bring in
a totally new clientele
to the space.
Whilst it's focused
on the vegan
and plant-based sector,
it will have meat and fish,
which I think
is very important,
particularly,
we don't want to alienate
large groups of people.
I'd very much
like to go out and meet Jay
and look at it further.
Dynasty is
an interesting concept.
The whole Asian cuisine market
is in ascendancy.
It's a food category
that people enjoy.
We are looking to find
the next big
casual-dining concept
that will, you know,
sweep away the competition.
[narrator]
The ideas have been chosen.
With two investors
interested in each concept,
there might be
a fight over Dynasty
and Bubble&.
[Fred]
Dynasty and Bubble&
arrive in Manchester
to open their doors
to the public
for the very first time.
The next 72 hours
could well change their lives
and business fortune forever.
Will they be able
to secure an investment
from some of the most
respected restaurant investors
in the country,
or will they leave
empty-handed?
[narrator] The two ideas
will take over identical
existing restaurant sites
just 100 yards apart.
Today,
Marita and Rupert, and Jay
are about to see
their new restaurants
for the first time.
-Oh, look!
-[chuckles]
-Bubble&.
-That's our restaurant.
-Oh, my God.
-Ah, it looks great.
[narrator] Over the last month,
they've been working
with a designer
to being their
restaurant to life.
This is so tangible now.
-[gasps] Look at the
living wall.
-They've done it, look.
They've done a good job.
It's real.
You can touch it.
[narrator] Four years ago,
Rupert and Marita
gambled everything
and set up a stall
selling bubble and squeak
on the south coast.
[Marita]
What can I get for you?
-Can I get a large
classic squeak, please?
-You got it.
[Rupert]
Came home from work one day
and said to my wife,
"What do you think
of this idea of
bubble and squeak?"
I was like, "Bubble and what?"
By that time
we'd had one child
and then another.
She had a baby girl
bouncing around
on the front, you know.
Yeah, in the freezing cold,
you know, with her
little, like, snowsuit...
[Rupert]
Customers loved it, though.
[Marita]
They probably felt
sorry for us...
[both chuckle]
Look at that American lady
in Winchester
talking about
bubble and squeak.
[narrator]
Their foods won awards,
and now the customers queue
to pay between seven
and ten pounds a dish.
Rupert and Marita
want an investor to commit
£140,000 to help them grow.
It's like a child, isn't it?
The child just wants you
to believe in them, you know.
It's just kind of
like that thing.
You just want the investor
to believe in you and say,
"Yeah, that's exactly
what I want.
"I can see
where you're going."
[narrator] Opposite Bubble&,
42-year-old Jay Morjaria
is also about to see
his restaurant
for the first time.
[Jay chuckles]
Oh, wow!
Looks really cool.
Oh, my God.
I love the bamboo and the...
Oh, my God,
my light box.
I never thought
I'd see that up
in, like, that big.
[narrator] Seven years ago,
Jay gave up his job
as a furniture buyer
to train as a chef.
Now, he's a consultant
for other people's restaurants
and runs Dynasty
as an occasional supper club.
[Jay] My parents ran Indian
vegetarian restaurants,
so cooking's always been
a passion for me,
and one of the things
I've always enjoyed
is Korean food.
So I decided that
I was gonna spend
a bit of time in Korea.
I worked in restaurants
to learn a bit more about
the traditional Korean cooking,
but I've always wanted
to own a restaurant.
[narrator] Jay's looking for
£600,000 to open Dynasty
so he can establish the first
of a collection of restaurants.
Sorry.
I'm getting emotional now.
It's just been
a massive journey for me.
I feel that I've got
the right concept,
I've got the right experience.
It's everything that
I've kind of just wanted
for such a long time now.
So, yeah, I want it bad.
[chuckles]
[narrator] Both restaurants
have brought their
own teams to help.
Six at a time,
into the ice water,
and do it like
one minute 45, okay?
Could you work over there?
'Cause that's garlic.
[narrator] Jay met Rebecca
at a food fair.
Tonight, she'll be
front of house at Dynasty.
[Rebecca] For anybody
that hasn't tried Korean food,
I think this will be,
like, a great, like,
first experience for them.
[narrator] Tomorrow,
in just 24 hours,
the investors will be arriving
for a private lunch.
So, this evening,
both restaurants will open
to the Manchester public
for their one and only
practice run.
It's their soft launch
with 50% off.
It will test every part
of their service.
Not everything will go
according to plan,
but that's the whole point.
They need to be ready
for when the investors
arrive tomorrow.
-Good morning.
-[Marita] Good morning.
-I'm Fred, how are you?
-Hi, I'm Marita, how are you?
-Marita, nice to meet you.
-You, too.
Tell me what is
this concept Bubble&?
Bubble&, yes.
It's all about
bubble and squeak.
So, was it like
a eureka moment for you?
Well, it was for me, yeah,
and when I got
the support from Marita,
"Great idea, great idea,"
it was like,
"Okay, now you
just got to do it."
So what's your vision for it?
I mean, is it like
a one-site operation...
-No.
-Or is it something
you want to roll out?
-No.
-[Marita]
We'd love to see it globally,
-if possible. Why not?
-[Fred] Globally.
World domination.
-Bubble&, New York.
Why not?
-[Fred] I get it.
-It's classic...
-And it hits the heart of
a lot of English people.
-Family values.
It's very important.
-Oh, 100 percent.
But it's never done before,
so for me I can't help
to think this is either genius
or the other way.
We're going genius.
[laughs]
Great.
Well, listen,
have a great day.
You got, I'm sure,
a lot of work to do
with your mise en place.
And I'll see you later on.
-Thank you.
-Thank you.
[Fred]
Rupert and Marita
are a great team.
They believe in their product.
But in a restaurant,
we hardly invent anything.
We recycle.
There are only so many
genuinely new ideas.
So it's either those guys
had a moment of genius,
or there's a reason why
it hasn't been done before.
[narrator] Rupert spent years
working as a head chef,
and his menu
and prices tonight
have been adapted
for a restaurant setting.
There's the classic
bubble and squeak topped with
organic egg and hollandaise
at £11.
Bubble and halloumi
cheese curry is also £11.
And Rupert's new
seasonal special,
bubble and wild
pheasant and sprouts,
costs £14.
[Rupert] There's just
so much involved
in what I do.
I'm almost putting
restaurant food
in a street-food scene.
You know, I'm trying
to put something square into
a round hole sometimes.
-Shiso is done.
-Yeah.
[Jay]
Can you do the mix for
the tempura batter?
[narrator] In Dynasty,
Jay's hoping Korean food
will be part of
the growing trend
for Asian cuisine.
One in six UK restaurants
is now Japanese,
Chinese, or Thai.
At the heart of Korean cooking
is its famous spicy pickle.
So, this is my, uh,
this is my kimchi,
my whole cabbage kimchi.
Basically, kimchi is like
a staple in Korea.
Every family has
their own recipe.
It's secret in their family.
It's about 560 leaves,
each one pasted,
by hand, with chili and garlic.
[Fred] Morning. How are you?
I'm Fred, nice to meet you?
Nice to meet you, Fred.
This is Rebecca.
-Nice to meet you. How are you?
-Hi, nice to meet you. Hello.
[Fred] So, why Korea?
What is it that
you like about Korean food?
-I love spice.
-[Fred] Right.
But I also really like
all the other flavors like
garlic and soy and sesame.
Are people ready
for Korean cuisine?
I think we're at that point
where people want food
that's great taste,
big bowl of flavors,
and all the dishes
are small plates.
-Is it for sharing?
-It's for sharing, yeah.
[Fred]
Are you big on your kimchi?
-Yeah. Oh,
I can show you my kimchi.
-Yeah?
-There you go.
-Thank you very much.
Wow.
It's very, very good.
Very good.
That level of expertise
is amazing.
This is really
what Korean food is about.
-If you
can't do kimchi...
-That's it.
-Forget it.
-Get out of the game.
-Yeah.
-[both chuckle]
Good luck, Jay.
-Nice to meet you.
-See you later.
[narrator] Jay makes
everything on his menu
to order.
Tonight, he'll be cooking
roasted pumpkin in a
Japanese curry sauce,
priced £6,50.
Charred wedges of hispi cabbage
with sweet miso,
tahini and apple at £7.
And bibimbap,
fried Korean rice balls
with seaweed and homemade
red-chili mayo at £3,50.
[Jay]
There's a lot to do still,
but as we're getting
through the prep
and ticking off things
then you know that
it's starting to come together.
It's getting closer
and closer to service
so, yeah.
[narrator] It's 6:00 p.m.
Doors open in an hour.
Both Bubble& and Dynasty
will be joined by two
experienced local staff
to help with service.
Welcome to Bubble&.
Yeah, hello.
I'm Marita from Bubble&.
-How are you?
-I'm good, thank you.
[narrator] And Jay wants
every diner to receive a full
traditional Korean welcome.
[Jay] People will
walk through the door
and we will all
try and shout
welcome in Korean
based on the cue
from you, Rebecca.
[speaking Korean]
Even if you don't
say it quite right,
it will sound fine
when we all say it together.
We're gonna say...
[speaks incorrect Korean]
[in English] I forgot.
I don't know. I'll have to...
I'll have to read.
I don't know
Real customers are
gonna start walking
through the doors,
so we need to just
smash it for them, yeah?
What are we gonna say
whenever people walk in?
[all speaking Korean]
Let's do it. Come on.
-Hi, guys.
-Hello.
How are you?
Welcome to Bubble&.
Every service
is like a battle.
The troops must be primed
and ready for anything.
[greeting in Korean]
Hello.
Welcome to Dynasty.
[Fred]
Tonight, the customers expect
great food and great service,
and nothing else will do.
Two fried bibimbap,
one pumpkin.
Yes, Chef.
Hello. [greeting in Korean]
[greeting in Korean]
[Fred] Oh, very nice.
What a welcome.
[waiter] So we're gonna go
with the bibimbap
and the mushroom stew.
-I've got to have the kimchi.
-You've got to have the kimchi.
[staff greeting in Korean]
I love the welcome.
Its such a lovely touch.
Something you just don't
think about having
when you see it.
And then you usually
go, like, Indian or, like,
you know, steakhouse.
-I think we're just gonna
order everything.
-Yeah?
Is anyone listening to me?
Okay, great. Aubergine.
Four aubergine altogether.
One with chorizo.
[narrator] He may never have
run Dynasty as
a restaurant before,
but tonight, Jay wants
every plate to look
and taste the part.
Order up, please.
Jay is so intense in there.
He's running the show
by himself almost.
He's such a perfectionist.
He cooks everything
a la minute.
It means cook to order.
And that puts
a lot of pressure
on the kitchen.
Aubergine, mushroom
and grill tempura...
I'll do the mushrooms now.
Can you portion out
four kimchis for me?
Otherwise,
we're not gonna be able
to get them out.
[Jay] Very, very nervous,
a little bit panicked.
We've got a lot to get done.
It'll be two seconds
on your aubergine.
I'll just see where it is.
Still waiting on food
for table one.
So I need
one more aubergine,
mushroom with cauliflower.
[Jay]
Yeah, that's gone.
-They said they haven't had it.
-Okay, we'll do it.
[Rebecca]
Table number five, yeah?
-Table eight.
-Table number eight, sure.
Here you go. Enjoy, guys.
[narrator] But when
the food finally finds
its way to the table,
the customers are impressed.
Really nice texture,
really crispy.
[woman] Very fresh as well.
[man] Yeah.
Kimchi is very nice.
Enjoyed that a lot.
This is amazing.
Every little mouthful.
I think some of the foods
were really simple as well,
like that cabbage.
You probably won't think that
you'd get that
out of a cabbage.
I'm actually gonna have
cabbage again after this.
Well, you know, I could
eat like this maybe
two or three times a week.
Then he'd have to go back
to his pasta...
Then I'd have to go back
to my carbonara
and spaghetti bolognese.
[all chuckling]
[narrator] Tomorrow,
the investors arrive for
their private lunch.
Tonight, Bubble&'s customers
are about to have a first taste
of high-end
fried mash and cabbage.
Okay, new order.
Two lamb, one halloumi,
a greens and a carrots, okay?
Hey, guys, are you all right?
Yeah?
Is it okay for me
to get a dish?
-[Rupert] Whichever
one you want.
-Maybe your classic.
[Rupert] The classic?
Yeah, of course.
Why not.
Perfect.
Thank you very much.
That's delicious.
[woman 1] Is it?
[woman 2] Mmm.
[Fred] This is proper
English grub.
Cabbage and potato.
And they want to build
an empire out of it.
[narrator] Bubble&
will need repeat business
if they're to capture
a slice of the average
£50 a week
we now spend
on eating out.
I like to see empty plates.
Now, what is bubble and squeak?
The squeak is different.
Isn't the squeak different?
[woman]
I think it's something
that everybody likes,
but you'd never normally
base a meal around it.
[woman 2]
Everything tasty.
It's spot on.
However, I don't think
bubble and squeak
has got legs
in this day and age,
'cause bubble and squeak
is a dish served
in the war times.
And I think with millennials
in this day and age,
they'll go,
-"What...is that?"
-Yeah.
Last night, both restaurants
felt the pressure.
But that's to be expected.
Good morning, guys.
I know from experience
that every service
is an opportunity
to learn, make corrections,
and do better.
-Good morning.
-[Jay] Good morning.
Today,
the investors are coming.
Their food, their vision,
their financials must
stack up enough
to get that vital investment.
Uh, yeah,
put the sesame on top.
Now I'm just
starting to feel
the pressure a little bit.
Today, it's just
all or nothing on the food.
It's a £600,000 lunch.
Essentially what it is.
I told my daughter
that my mascot
is a Korean tiger,
so she wrote this
little message to me.
She's my little taster,
she's my little everything.
So, yeah,
it really is just nice
to have a little support
from family.
[narrator]
Over the next two days,
the investors will test
the restaurants
customer service
and business plans.
But today's private lunch
in two hours time
is all about the food.
It doesn't feel real,
the investment bit,
yet.
Yeah, something you dream of.
You're almost that far away
from having the restaurant.
It just...
It feels almost tingly.
[laughs]
-How are you? Good morning.
-[Marita] Good morning.
-[Rupert] Morning, Fred.
-How's it going?
You had a good night
last night?
Yeah, very good.
Enjoyed last night.
-The people liked it, huh?
-I think so.
We got a good response.
Are you confident
you can produce
the same quality today?
Yeah, definitely, yeah.
Can you convince them
that there is room for
bubble and squeak
as a concept
on the high street?
I think so because
you go to a sushi restaurant,
you have sushi,
you go to a pasta restaurant,
you have pasta.
You go to bubble and squeak,
you're not just getting
bubble and squeak.
It's bubble and squeak
plus more.
The thing is it tastes good
because of you.
-Because you can cook.
-Yeah, my recipe, everything.
And if I'm not there,
they still get the same
quality product.
Good, good.
Well, look,
I wish you good luck.
-[Rupert] Cheers. Take care.
-Thank you.
[narrator]
On Bubble&'s guest list,
David Page.
He's grown some of
the UK's biggest
restaurant brands
including PizzaExpress,
Gourmet Burger Kitchen,
and Franco Manca.
When I first got
involved in Pizza,
which was, uh, 1973,
everybody thought
it was a fad.
I tasted sushi 25 years ago
and I never thought
it would come to the UK.
So I'm keen to be
part of the journey
with people who
think of new ideas.
And then you come
to the investment decision,
which is,
is this product
ready for the UK market?
Will it ever be ready
for the UK market?
[narrator] David's competition
is international restaurateur
and chef, Atul Kochhar,
looking to expand
his investment portfolio.
I'm looking for opportunities
to be able to operate
on high street.
Bubble and squeak can really
scale up in very big numbers,
in my opinion.
The biggest challenge
is to standardize a product,
so we have to keep
this product really simple
and straightforward.
How they stretch
one basic product
to encompass
a number of different tastes
is gonna be
very interesting.
It's only potato and cabbage,
but who knows? This might be
the real diamond.
-[Marita] Hello.
-Hello.
-[Marita] Welcome.
-How are you?
Welcome to Bubble&.
How are you?
Hi, Atul. Rupert.
Rupert, Atul.
It's good to meet you.
Hello, David.
Nice to meet you.
So there are house bubbles
and the seasonal bubbles.
And they have three starters.
It sounds like a good plan.
Yeah. Bubble and pheasant?
-Bit upmarket.
-Definitely.
[narrator] Today,
Bubble& will serve
all their starters,
all their mains,
and all their puddings.
[Marita] So what you have here
is our beautiful
smoked ham-hock starter.
And here you have
our roasted golden
beetroot starter
with some shallot crisps.
-So bon appetit...
-Thank you very much.
It's beautiful.
It's more of
a fine-dining to me.
Very posh and very lovely.
It won't get many fans
anywhere other than
quite posh suburbs.
It can't be humble restaurant.
It's sort of completely
the antithesis of what
I thought I was gonna get.
-Anyway, we'll see what happens
in the next course.
-Yeah.
[narrator]
Dining at Dynasty today,
five-star hotelier,
Lydia Forte.
She's looking for new ideas
for her luxury hotels
in the UK
and across Europe.
It's really hard to find
the right idea.
There's a lot of elements
that come together to make
a great concept.
Jay is someone who has
a lot of experience
in the kitchen.
And he's been to Korea.
He's spent a lot of time there.
So I'm excited to see
what he's come up with.
[narrator] Joining her,
Darrel Connell of food
and leisure group, Imbiba.
They've invested over
50 million pounds
in new bar
and restaurant chains.
[Darrel] With Dynasty,
it depends how complex
the food is.
If it's super
high-end Korean
and very complicated,
I think that will struggle.
There is a reason why
pizza restaurants
and burger restaurants
are successful,
because everybody likes
pizzas and burgers.
The consumer does not
want to be intimidated.
The product needs
to appeal to many,
not just a one-off restaurant.
[Lydia] I actually don't know
Korean food very well,
but I'll be interested to see
how it comes across
to an untrained
palette like me,
because I think
a lot of customers
will be like me
and haven't
experienced it yet.
[both greeting in Korean]
-Hello, hello.
-How are you?
-Hi, how are you?
-Welcome.
-Lydia.
-I'm Jay, nice to meet you.
-Hi. Darrell.
-Nice to meet you.
-Jay, very nice to meet you.
-This is Rebecca.
What we're gonna do
for you today is kind of
the whole experience,
so we're gonna bring out
the entire menu.
[Darrel] So, it's obviously
plant-based.
-Yes.
-And then you add meat.
So, yeah, we kind of flipped
the script a little bit
in the sense that,
if you go to
a regular restaurant,
you'd have about
three or four options
that are gonna be
vegetarian or vegan.
Uh, what we've done is
we've done it
the other way around.
So our hero is the veg.
-Great. That's really exciting.
-[Jay] Thank you.
[narrator] Jay's menu today
is a showcase
of his best dishes.
Seaweed flat bread,
vegetable tempura,
and fragrant shiso leaves
with plum ketchup.
I can't think
what it's similar to.
-From a culinary perspective,
it's quite intimidating.
-It is.
I'm looking at
this menu thinking,
"What am I having?"
God, I'm not quite sure.
So, this is our bibimbap
and then on top
is a gochujang mayo.
-It does look great.
-[Darrel] It does.
I like that
it's individual.
That is really, really tasty.
Mmm-hmm.
[Rebecca]
This is a seasonal tempura.
We have sweet potato
and shiso leaf.
That is really
beautiful looking.
Mmm-mmm.
That's really yummy.
This is really good tempura.
It's really light.
They seem to be
enjoying everything.
And everything's going out
at a nice pace.
And, yeah,
they seem to be smiling,
which is important.
It's uh...
It looks like
it's going well.
[Rebecca] Right, gentleman,
this is the bubble
and classic squeak.
So this is the dish
that started it all.
[narrator] At Bubble&,
the bubble and squeak
mains are served.
Mmm. Delicious.
[Atul] How does it
taste with the egg? Good?
[David] Mmm, pretty good egg.
Yeah, good quality egg.
-Beautifully done.
-[David] Brilliant bacon.
[Marita] Beautiful.
Here is our beautiful
bubble and lamb.
Actually, I think
it looks better
than it tastes.
There's hardly any flavor,
to be honest.
Yeah.
[David] Hmm.
It seems like they're having
a really good conversation
about every bite.
They're really
studying it, like...
[Rupert] Well, let's hope
it's a good thing.
I don't know.
I don't know
if they're saying...
I don't know.
Yeah, I forgot the first one,
but I'll remember this.
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
This is the sage-roasted
pheasant breast
and confit leg.
You've got some
glorious bread sauce there,
which Rupert makes with
gluten-free bread crumbs.
-[Atul] Go for it, David.
-Okay.
It's very important
that they like it,
because, otherwise,
there's no concept,
there's no way forward.
If you don't like the food,
you're not gonna invest,
are you?
-Nice.
-Hmm.
In French casinos,
at the roulette table,
there is a very famous saying,
[speaking French]
[in English] Basically
it means, place your bets,
the wheel is spinning.
And right now in Bubble&,
the wheel is spinning.
[David] My issue is the price.
If they're gonna go
into that mid-market segment,
they're competing
against a hamburger
of £7,95 or £8,95...
Main courses were
between £11 to £16
for potato and mash
and the topping.
That's too expensive.
-[Atul] Let's put
some numbers here.
-Yeah.
-Six pounds for a starter.
-Yeah.
And then £11 for
a bubble and squeak.
-Yeah.
-That makes £17.
-A glass of wine...
At least £5?
-At least.
Twenty-two,
and maybe a dessert then.
Twenty two and six.
-Yeah, you're looking at...
-[whistles] £28.
And 10 percent service charge,
so that makes it £30.
Thirty quid a head.
So we're sitting here,
and we've got to evaluate this
at 30 quid a head.
Franca Manca is £9,50 a head.
-So, £9,50 per head?
-That's our average spender.
People can come in,
have a pizza and a drink
for less than £10.
Some dishes were just
amazingly beautiful,
some were not so.
Now, as a business,
yes it's a great concept.
Whether it works
as a restaurant,
I'm doubtful about it.
Some really good cooking.
Thank you, Atul.
-Lovely host.
-Thank you.
-See you soon. Take care.
-Bye-bye.
I think there's quite a lot
of confusing messages in there.
Now, if you're an investor
and you got a restaurant,
you gotta grab hold of it
and understand every single
part of it.
And that includes
the food being delicious,
delivered at a right price,
you like it
so you're proud of it,
and you think that
the UK public will get it
straight away
because it's something
they understand,
they don't have
to think about it,
and it's the right price.
I don't know about you,
but I haven't felt
that I haven't eaten any meat.
-Have you?
-[Darrel] Yeah, yeah.
[chuckles]
[Jay] We've got two versions.
This is the mushroom,
and this is the lamb version
with exactly the same stew,
so the meat eaters don't feel
like they're missing out.
[all laughing]
-There's gonna be sort of...
-No, no, no, no.
-Please enjoy.
-Thank you.
It's really nice.
It is really, really nice.
Is it strong enough,
as a food offering,
to continue to come back?
I loved tasting that food.
It was really unusual,
but at the same time
approachable.
Great selection of dishes.
I think there were very
few dishes which weren't
really exceptional.
[speaking Korean]
The "quality of the food"
box has been ticked,
so, that's one hurdle closer
to the finish line,
I think.
Through the noren curtains.
[Darrel] The food quality
was exceptional.
Jay and the team
did a great job.
Thank you very much.
Bye.
[Darrel] We've seen that
he's a great chef,
but it could be quite
an intimidating menu.
And there are no, sort of,
safe, go-to dishes
on that menu.
Obviously being plant-based,
there wasn't much meat,
which is definitely a trend.
Right. Shall we clear up?
-Yes.
-Let's clear up.
[narrator] Tomorrow lunchtime,
the pressure builds.
The investors will see
how well the restaurants cope
when they're full of
paying customers.
But today isn't over.
Jay and Rupert and Marita
now face a high-stakes
business meeting,
one hour with the investors
to go through their finances
and future plans.
[all greeting in Korean]
-How are you, guys?
-Yeah, good.
-How did it go, Jay?
-I'm super positive about it.
-Very good.
-[Jay] Yeah.
So, in a few moments
you will have
the finance meeting.
-Are you confident with that?
-Yeah.
I... You know,
this is my strength,
and that's why
I need to partner up
with someone
whose strength is numbers.
So you cook,
they do the numbers.
-Perfect combination.
-Absolutely.
That's what it's about, right?
-Great, great.
Listen, good luck.
-Thank you very much.
-[speaking Korean]
-Take care. Bye.
See you tomorrow.
[narrator] Lydia and Darrel
see Dynasty as a serious
business opportunity,
so they'll both have
a private meeting with Jay.
Deciding whether
to go for Jay or not
is such a big decision
because we have a limited
number of sites.
And we actually have
a lot of choice
in who we put
into those sites.
Most chefs want to be
in luxury five-star hotels.
[Darrel] The bar restaurant
sector in the UK, really,
in a simple term,
fall into two counts.
The business people
that happen to run restaurants,
or the restaurateurs who happen
to run businesses.
And Jay, that's a
restaurant guy first
and a business guy second.
[Lydia] Hi, Jay.
-How are you?
-Good to see you again.
[narrator] Jay is asking
for a £600,000 investment.
In a smart suit,
not like the other chefs.
I'm more comfortable
in my whites, but yeah.
I mean,
my experience today
was really great.
I loved your concept.
The way that you've evolved
the Korean food,
you're riding on the wave
of something which is
a Korean trend
-which is starting to happen,
which I like.
-Yeah.
-It's modern Asian.
-Exactly.
Actually, what was
really fascinating...
Your food was really different.
The proposition was really...
I genuinely couldn't think
of any culinary experience
that I've had recently
that was in any way similar.
-Honestly,
that means so much...
-It's true.
-So I was just looking
at your business plan...
-Sure.
It's quite ambitious margins.
I've kept the team
quite tight, um,
based on my assumptions...
At a 45 cover restaurant,
you don't want to have
too many members of staff
behind the counter.
Personally, I think you might
have slightly underestimated
how many team members you need.
Jay's assumptions of what
his staff costs would be
were very low.
From his figures,
I did a quick calculation
and it looked like
he was gonna get
each waiter
to work 11 shifts a week.
And that means that,
basically, no one ever
gets the day off. Ever.
We've two options.
Dynasty as a really special,
one-site restaurant business,
or you're kind of
managing director of
a restaurant roll-out.
What's the dream?
I don't want to build
a huge chain of restaurants
that are the same name.
It's about keeping that
kind of friendly, unique,
local neighborhood
kind of feel to a restaurant.
I like that.
I look at myself as
creating a portfolio
-of really interesting
concepts.
-Okay.
But all around
a similar thread,
a similar theme.
So, it would be
a collection of Asian
bars and restaurants
-as opposed
to Dynasty being...
-[Jay] Yeah.
-...fifteen Dynastys
across the UK.
-Absolutely.
His idea about
creating, effectively,
a hub of Asian restaurants
which he's creating
and curating new concepts
within it,
is an interesting one.
It's not something
we thought about.
[narrator] During the meeting,
Lydia and Darrel
can choose to spell out
the offer they'll make
if, and only if,
they decide to invest tomorrow.
I am looking to bring in
new and exciting concepts
-into some of our luxury,
five-star hotels.
-Sure.
If we brought you in,
I would be looking to invest
about half a million.
The way it would work
is that we would invest
all the money,
we'd do up the space,
you would own your brand
and your concept
-and you would help us
set it up to your spec.
-Okay.
Thank you very much.
Lydia potentially offered
half a million pounds
to open a restaurant
within one of their hotels.
Just amazing.
I'm really chuffed.
-Thank you. Good to see you.
Take care.
-Bye.
[Lydia] Overall,
his model does work.
That leaves me wondering
how he's gonna
perform tomorrow.
How he can deal with service
for a big number of people.
I want to see
what the feedback is
from those guests,
'cause it's one thing
him telling me that last night
went really well,
but it's another thing
to actually see it
with my own eyes.
The biggest question mark is,
how scalable
is the proposition
and getting our heads around
not backing Dynasty,
but effectively backing you
to curate and develop other
Asian cuisine concepts,
which is not something
I really thought about.
For us, it's about
how we're gonna
scale a concept,
a brand in the
bar-restaurant space.
The commercial success
is important,
and there is
an ambition around that.
It's creating
a portfolio of restaurants
that still has
an exit strategy.
With Darrel,
there isn't a clear-cut offer
at this stage,
but what's interesting
is that he's not
closed any doors.
[Darrel]
We're talking about here
potentially investing in one of
the nicest blokes you're ever
likely to meet.
So, would we want
to partner with Jay?
Absolutely.
But the big question for us is,
what are we actually backing?
And I think that needs
a huge amount more thought.
[narrator] Now,
it's Bubble&'s turn.
As David and Atul
are in competition,
Rupert and Marita
now face an hour alone
with each investor.
They're asking for
£140,000.
-Hello.
-Hi, Marita, how are you?
-Good. Good to see you again.
-Good to see you, too.
Hey, Rupert.
Talking about Bubble&...
It's almost like
you haven't said completely
bubble and what?
We couldn't trademark it as
bubble and squeak,
'cause it's a food.
If you can't call it
bubble and squeak,
you've got bubble.
It's very helpful to have
what you serve
above the shop.
The Real Greek
or Pizza Fast.
Bubble &...
What does it mean?
And even if you knew
it meant bubble and squeak,
people of my kids' generation
wouldn't know
what it meant either.
Could an investor
convince you
to change the name if need be?
-For me, yes.
-[Rupert] I think
we're open to it, yeah...
-We're open to it.
-That's good to know.
-I thought your menu pricing
was a bit expensive.
-Okay.
Say you get your price point
even £1,50 or £2,00 too high
in those first four months...
You'll have a lot of
first visitors who'll be
very complimentary
about your food
and they won't come back.
Essentially,
you're looking at
£18 for lunch,
-and £33,60 for dinner.
-Mmm-hmm.
Do you think there's
a potential for people
to pay that sort of money?
Um, yeah, I do. I think so.
[Atul] Doesn't matter
if it's paired with
a salmon or caviar
or lamb fillet for that matter.
It's a humble product.
How you tweak it,
how you wrap it up,
in which wrapper you put it,
it's still going to remain
what it is,
and there has to be
a sensible price for it,
in my opinion.
[narrator] David and Atul can
now choose to outline
their potential offer
or wait until after
tomorrow's service.
My investment reticence
is based on the fact of
will this concept
be acceptable
going forward and opening
a number of stores?
I'm still waiting
to be convinced.
-We'll convince you.
-We'll convince you, yeah.
The whole premise of it
being based around
bubble and squeak
has got...
I've got an issue with.
I've got to obviously
sleep on it.
And then have
another meal tomorrow
and see what happens.
-It's a good concept,
don't get me wrong.
-Okay.
But it's a concept
that needs a little more work.
If we could tweak the price,
if we could tweak the product,
-maybe charge
eight to 12 pounds...
-Yeah, sure.
So you appeal
to larger number of people.
And then that's the concept
which can be taken into
multiple units more easily.
You were looking at
£140,000 investment,
in my opinion,
this investment would be
at least
£200,000-£250,000, no less.
I do want to see
the service tomorrow
and then let's see.
Good luck.
Thank you for your time,
Atul.
-Thanks for sharing all
your thoughts, as well.
-Thank you.
-[Rupert] Appreciate it.
See you again.
-Thank you, Rupert.
In terms of my interest
in this business
at the moment,
I'm around 60-40.
So, 40 I'm not interested.
Uh, I would need to
dig deeper to understand
whether I really can put
all my money into it or not.
I think he could get
a sense very quickly
that we are open to change,
so change in name...
-Positives that have
come out of it.
-Changes in menu...
That's business.
Tomorrow, the service...
Hopefully we can do
ourselves justice and, um,
we'll see
how people are enjoying
all the different flavors
of the bubble and squeak.
[Fred] Both restaurants
came to Manchester
determined to get
the investment that would
put them on the high street.
But both face serious issues.
[narrator] Today, Jay and
Marita and Rupert open
one final time.
The investors want to see
the restaurants cope
with a full service,
and discover
the public's appetite for these
two brand new ideas.
It's the very last chance
to prove they're
worth the money
they're asking for.
[Jay] Today, it feels
much more like we're running
a proper restaurant.
And we're really out
to kind of impress everyone
that walks through the door.
It really is important
that we try and get
two offers on the table.
Hopefully, any kind of
questions Darrel had
I answered them last night
as best as I could.
And, um, today,
hopefully we can just
win him over
with the service and
the experience that he's gonna
have in the restaurant.
[Rupert] They were
concerned about the price
so I thought,
"Well, let's just show
some flexibility.
"Okay, we've taken that
on board."
I'm gonna take a pound
of everything.
It might not be enough
for what they want to see,
but at least it shows that
we're thinking about it
and we've taken on board
what they've said.
[narrator] But an hour
before service,
one investor is having
second thoughts.
-Morning, Darrel.
-Good morning, Fred.
-How are you? You okay?
-I'm very well.
How are you?
Good to see you.
Yeah, very well, thank you.
So what's the story today?
What's going on?
On a standalone basis,
Dynasty is absolutely
worth investment,
but from an Imbiba perspective,
it's just a challenge,
because we, what we do,
our whole business model is
multiple bars and restaurants
rather than single site.
And I tried to convince myself
that we could somehow
make it work,
we could somehow
find a way,
but actually,
it's not what we do.
It would be disingenuous
for me to turn up today
at lunch
and go through the motions
when I just know
it's not the Imbiba
business model.
It's just not worth
the investment for Imbiba.
Can't reiterate enough.
He's a special character
and he's got a huge future
in this industry.
[Jay] Twenty minutes.
Can we do everything
in 20 minutes?
-Have we got...
Left outstanding?
-[woman] Yes, we can.
Yeah? No?
Everything in...
Everything in 20 minutes.
[greeting in Korean]
-[greeting in Korean]
-How are you? You all right?
-How are you?
-Nice to see you again.
-I've got a bit of
bad news for you.
-Okay.
Darrel Connell from Imbiba
has decided to pull out.
Mmm, yeah. Okay.
That's a shame.
Your restaurant is not
quite the fit for him.
Fair enough.
But Lydia Forte,
she can't wait to see
your place in action today
after that fantastic
lunch yesterday.
We're now just gonna be
focused on getting Lydia
to have a great time here.
-You've got everything
to win here.
-Yeah.
-So...
-Yeah, onwards and upwards.
-Good luck, Jay.
See you later.
-See you later.
I guess I'm really
disappointed by that.
Personally,
I would have
liked him to come today
and gone through
the experience with customers.
It is what it is
and, you know,
you can't control that.
Lydia's coming in,
and we're just gonna give her
a great experience.
[narrator] At Bubble&,
Rupert and Marita also have
a lot to prove.
Right now I'm feeling
nervous, you know.
We've got to deliver
again today.
[narrator]
With no clear offer
on the table,
it's their last chance
to impress.
Hello.
Welcome to Bubble&.
[Atul] I know that,
for Rupert and Marita,
it's a big day.
While I'm a little forgiving,
I'm also observing
whether people like it
or they don't like it.
I want to see the energy
between the two.
If they're husband and wife
then, you know,
sometimes it's a great formula,
sometimes it's a recipe
for disaster.
[David] Bubble and squeak...
I just can't get
my head around
a restaurant business
based on it.
However, I'm going back
to have some more food
and looking forward
to see how they work,
see how the customers react.
They may change my mind.
How are we doing?
Thank you for coming again.
Hello, Atul.
Hi, Marita, how are you?
So, gentleman,
I just wanted to point out
just a couple of
things we've done
differently today.
-You'll notice that some of
the prices have changed.
-Oh, yeah.
[bell dings]
-Well, that's good.
-Yeah, yeah.
And they've changed this.
Redefining bubble and squeak.
-I like that.
-Yeah, very good.
And this actually explains
what they're doing.
I like that.
It's a new concept
and never been done before,
so you have to prepared
to change your track
all the time
till you become successful.
That's the mantra
to be followed.
So, they're already flexible,
which is good.
Take this is table seven.
Then you got halloumi,
two goat's cheese to come.
[woman] I think it's good
because you can come here
and someone can have brunch,
but someone can have lunch
at the same time.
[Rupert] Investors.
Classic halloumi and a lamb.
They want to test
that lamb again.
Their taste buds might be
a bit different today.
[Lydia] Today,
I'm very interested to see
that the public
isn't too shocked
by what
they're being presented.
People are willing
to try something new,
but the flavors have to be
somewhat approachable.
Can it tick all the boxes?
Let's see.
[all greeting in Korean]
[Jay] Hey, do you mind
sitting at the bar?
-No, I'm really happy
sitting there.
-Great. Thank you.
[Rebecca]
Would you like a drink?
Maybe some sparkling water?
-I'll try one of your
Bocha teas.
-[Rebecca] Yes, of course.
-And a still water, please,
as well.
-And a still water.
[man] Check on, Chef.
Two bibimbap, one aubergine,
one pumpkin.
[Lydia] I want to see
a convivial atmosphere,
I want to see
the sharing plates,
I want to see
people passing
each other food,
talking about the food.
I'm basically hoping that
the guests are going to enjoy
the experience.
[narrator] At Bubble&,
the mains are served.
First, the lamb
that failed to convince
yesterday...
The taste is same
like yesterday.
Oh, really?
So he obviously needs
some help from you, possibly.
[narrator]
Next, the bubble and classic.
This is a classic
for a reason, huh?
[David] As good as yesterday.
[Atul] Yeah.
My food is every bit
as delicious as yesterday.
Can I get a seaweed...
Seaweed flat bread, please?
The atmosphere is good,
people seem to be
intrigued by the menu,
by the food.
[Jay] Order up, please.
Service.
Food's going out much quicker.
Uh, we've got a system
and it's good.
-[Lydia] Hi, guys. Do you mind
if I catch you on your way out?
-Not at all.
How was your experience today?
Did you have a nice meal?
It was great.
It's not something that
I normally would've chosen,
but as something different
it was really nice.
So why did you choose it?
Korean food's not huge
at the moment in Manchester,
but definitely
very interesting.
Lovely balance
of different flavors.
It's all vegan as well,
did you realize?
You feel good eating it.
I'd totally try it again,
wouldn't we?
-Definitely try it again.
Yeah.
-It was nice.
Well, I'm really glad
you enjoyed it.
That's good to hear.
[man] Food was fantastic.
Not the sort of things
I would normally typically pick
from the menu,
but amazingly tasty
when we had them
and really well delivered.
It was great, yeah. Fantastic.
Great. So, if this were
here permanently,
is this something
that you would come back to?
Yeah, definitely.
[Atul] How are you doing?
[woman] Good. How are you?
[Atul] How's the meal been
so far for you?
-Oh, it's been lovely.
Really nice.
-Oh, good.
Yeah, like, it's so simple,
but, like,
there's just so much flavor.
-And what did you eat?
-Bubble and lamb
on the recommendation.
-Okay.
-Yeah.
-You liked it?
-Oh, loved it.
-It's really, really nice.
-[Atul] Was the portion
too big, or...
No, it was good portion-size,
I thought.
-Would you order that again?
-[woman] Yeah.
Cool. Cool.
[Atul] A concept
like bubble and squeak.
Do you think that works?
I wouldn't purposely come out
for a meal in the evening,
maybe, for something like that,
but for a daytime treat...
The fillings were good.
I always like to think that
if my restaurant can
always make money
on every mealtime,
breakfast, lunch, dinner.
That's the best scenario,
to be honest.
It's an important question,
and how I take it
and how far I take it...
I really need to put
my mind together on it
and do some numbers, too.
[David] They seem to be
very adaptable,
very keen to learn.
They quickly redid the menu,
redefining bubble and squeak.
They've got it in there,
what they're serving.
It's called Bubble&.
It's absolutely brilliant.
She's obviously
pretty good at marketing.
She knows her stuff.
She's got a lot of experience.
And combined with his cooking,
they're a great team.
[Rupert]
Did they say anything?
You know, they had some
really constructive
things to say.
-Oh, okay.
-Really constructive.
Oh, okay. Cool.
[greeting in Korean]
[Lydia] Thank you. Bye, Jay.
That was a really great lunch,
and it's confirmed to me
that the concept is attractive
and that Jay can perform.
But he's given me
a lot to think about.
Is a luxury, five-star hotel
the right location
for Jay's concept?
I'm not sure.
Well done.
Well done.
[Jay] So if I had to sum up
today's lunch,
it felt like Dynasty
was really alive.
[exhales]
[sniffles]
[exhales]
Feels really good.
[sighs]
Better get back to work.
[narrator] Lunch is over.
Now the pressure
is on the investors.
They have to decide
whether the idea is worth
their money.
[Fred] How are you guys?
[Rupert] Hi, Fred,
you all right?
-How was it today?
-Good service.
Well, the investors
now have a deadline,
and they have one hour
to come back, on the clock,
and make you an offer.
So if they walk
through the door,
game is on.
If they don't then
it's game over.
-All right? Good luck.
-Thank you.
Cheers, Fred.
Thanks a lot.
[narrator]
Bubble& came here
looking for £140,000.
The deadline is 6:30 p.m.
David and Atul could both
walk through the door
and make competing offers,
or Rupert and Marita
could walk away with nothing.
We were talking earlier about,
was there anything
we could've done different?
And this is just, you know,
this is who we are.
-This is...
-Yeah.
-It's our brand and what we do.
-That's what we do.
And if, you know,
they're not the
right investors,
then so be it.
We have to find a way
doing it on our own, or...
Maybe there's another
investor out there.
One minute to go.
[Marita groans]
Marita, Rupert,
your time is up.
Okay.
I'm sorry.
-It's okay.
-Oh...
It wasn't meant to be.
[David] I'm not
gonna invest in
Bubble& because
it's not ready yet
for the high street.
The menu needed fixing.
Price, portions, ingredients.
That's quite a lot to fix.
You shouldn't go posh
with bubble and squeak,
like you shouldn't
go posh with pizza.
[Fred] You know what?
Your kids are gonna be
so proud of you.
-You've given it your all.
-[Marita] Mmm-hmm.
You proved them, you know,
what you can do
and what you're about.
We don't feel
we let ourselves down, did we?
No. No, no.
[narrator] But there's still
an opportunity
for Rupert and Marita.
-Atul.
-Can I join you?
Of course.
Come take a seat.
[narrator]
The investor deadline
may have passed,
but Atul has decided
to make a late entrance.
Thanks for coming back.
Cheers, Atul.
Guys, I don't have
an offer for you,
but I have a proposal.
Oh.
-Provided you're willing
to listen to me.
-Of course.
Absolutely!
I just feel that the project,
at this stage, is not ready.
It's not a concept that we can
put in the restaurant yet.
[Rupert] Mmm-hmm.
However, it'll be a shame
if I didn't come out to help.
[Rupert] Mmm-hmm.
According to me,
it'll take good
six to nine months
to work together
and develop the concept.
And by the end of it,
if the project is ready,
if you feel that it's good
and I feel it's good,
and my team has got
confidence in it,
then we can go and talk about
investing money with you,
and I think
it'll cost us about
£150,000 to £200,000.
And if it's acceptable,
then let's shake hands
and move on.
-It's a generous proposal.
-Yes.
And also that
we get to work with you
and you get to develop our food
with us, together.
Maybe nine months
down the line
I'll have a massive smile
on my face
and we would be
planning not one,
maybe two, three
restaurants.
-Thank you so much.
-Thank you, Atul.
It means a lot.
-I think it's a great thing
you've offered us.
-Oh, thank you.
That's very, uh...
Very generous of you.
I'm very happy
to be part of your project,
and I hope you feel likewise.
Thank you.
-What a gift.
-Oh!
That is the best outcome ever.
Cheers, guys.
See you later. Come on.
Give me a hug.
[Rupert]
We can learn off that, so, um,
you know, it's not gonna be
plain sailing...
Everything's... You know,
gold dust, there's gonna be
ups and downs still, but...
Oh, wow.
I'm at peace now.
[narrator]
Now it's Jay's turn to wait.
Darrel has pulled out.
Jay's only hope of investment
rests with Lydia.
She has until 8:00 p.m.
to make an offer.
What are you thinking?
Um... [clears throat]
What drink
I'm gonna have at the bar.
[chuckles]
What are you gonna have?
Well, it's either gonna be
beer or champagne,
isn't it?
[chuckles]
-[Fred]
Whether you get it or not...
-Mmm.
No one will ever forget
what you did in here
for the last three days.
Your passion, your ethos,
your food.
It's amazing
what you've done here.
Thank you.
Trying to vision.
Good vision, good thoughts.
If you start to vision what
something would look like,
then you kind of,
you know,
helps the mind focus.
Three minutes.
-[Lydia] Hi, Jay
-[laughs]
-Lydia.
-Hi.
Hello.
-How are you?
-Good. How are you?
Hi. How you doing?
Very glad to see you.
Well, I'm happy to see you.
-Um...
-[Fred] Take a seat.
So, Lydia.
I absolutely love the concept,
-and I absolutely think
the food is delicious...
-Thank you.
-And I think
you're brilliant, so...
-Thank you.
-I'm really happy.
-What is your offer?
What is your vision?
Rocco Forte hotels would like
to bring you to Berlin,
um, to our luxury,
five-star Hotel de Rome.
We'd like to set you up
in a residency
so that we can get you
cooking straightaway.
And if that all
goes to plan,
we can find you
a more permanent site
within the group,
specced out
to your heart's content.
And if we do that
it would be about
a half a million investment.
[laughs]
Let's just do the maths
for this one.
Three days ago, set up
a pop-up restaurant concept,
something that I've been
working on for
a couple of years.
Today, I'm walking away
with a restaurant
in a luxury hotel group
in Europe, in Berlin,
with potentially
half a million on the table.
I mean, yeah.
That's brilliant!
Feeling number one
at the moment.
-Open that champagne.
-[all laughing]
[Lydia]
We have, right now,
chefs with a total
of nine Michelin Stars
in our hotels,
so I'm really excited
to bring him into that crowd.
I think he deserves it.
I think our hotel guests,
but also Berlin,
are gonna really love it
and I'm excited
to offer that to them.
-[Fred] Can I propose a toast?
-Absolutely. Please do.
-Well done. To Dynasty.
-To Dynasty.
To Dynasty.
Hold on. What you're saying is
very well-established brands...
You just said they're average.
Our burger is better
than what is out there
at the moment.
Big statement.
Got to back it up now.
This is a problem.
We've hardly made a dent
into any of them.
Is that not a worry?
[theme music playing]