The Big Family Cooking Showdown
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''The Big Family Cooking Showdown'', often referred to as simply ''Cooking Showdown'' or ''BFCS'', is a
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
team cooking competition. The first season was hosted by ''Great British Bake Off'' winner
Nadiya Hussain Nadiya Jamir Hussain (''née'' Begum; born 25 December 1984) is a British television chef, author and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the sixth series of BBC's ''The Great British Bake Off'' in 2015. Since winning, she ...
and
Zoe Ball Zoe Louise Ball (born 23 November 1970) is a British broadcaster and presenter. She was the first female host of the Radio 1 and Radio 2 breakfast shows for the BBC, and in 2024 was confirmed as the second-highest paid BBC presenter after G ...
. Each week, two teams of three family members competed in three challenges, judged by
Michelin Michelin ( , ), in full ("General Company of the Michelin Enterprises P.L.S."), is a French multinational tyre manufacturing company based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes '' région'' of France. It is the second largest t ...
starred chef
Giorgio Locatelli Giorgio Locatelli (born 6 April 1963) is an Italian Michelin starred chef and restaurateur working and living in the United Kingdom. Early life Locatelli was brought up in Corgeno in the comune of Vergiate on the banks of Lake Comabbio, northe ...
and cookery teacher
Rosemary Shrager Rosemary Jacqueline Shrager (' Worlledge; born 21 January 1951) is a British chef and TV presenter, best known for being an haute cuisine teacher on the reality television programme '' Ladette to Lady'', and as a judge on '' Soapstar Superchef ...
. The winners in each of eight heats moved on to the semi-finals, consisting of three episodes. The three semi-final winners then progressed to the final episode where the winning family was selected. ''The Big Family Cooking Showdown'' premiered on BBC Two on Tuesday, 15 August 2017, then moved to Thursday evenings on 31 August to avoid a scheduling conflict with ''
The Great British Bake Off ''The Great British Bake Off'' (often abbreviated to ''Bake Off'' or ''GBBO'') is a British television baking competition, produced by Love Productions, in which a group of amateur bakers compete against each other in a series of rounds, atte ...
'' on Channel 4. On 9 May 2018, the BBC announced that the show would return for a second season of 14 episodes airing in a new slot of 7pm. The second season aired multiple episodes per week, beginning on 15 October 2018. The show returned with a refreshed style and modified format, and without any of the original line-up of presenters or judges featured in the first series. Presenter and ''
Celebrity MasterChef ''MasterChef'' is a British competitive cooking reality show produced by Endemol Shine UK and Banijay and broadcast in 60 countries around the world. The show initially ran from 1990 to 2001 and was revived in 2005 as ''MasterChef Goes Large' ...
'' winner
Angellica Bell Angellica Bell (born 24 March 1976) is a British television presenter, television and radio presenter, best known for her presenting on CBBC between 2000 and 2006. She is also known for providing occasional cover on ''The One Show'' and for c ...
was joined by Michelin starred chef
Tommy Banks Tom, Thomas, or Tommy Banks may refer to: Arts * Thomas Banks (sculptor) (1735–1805), English sculptor * Thomas Joseph Banks (1828–1896), also known as Thomas John Banks, British painter * Thomas P. Banks (1848–1888), Australian church organ ...
to host and co-judge the second series. After viewership and ratings fell below expectations, BBC announced that the show would be cancelled.


Production and Format

In both the first and second season of the competition, each team consists of three family members. However, otherwise the two seasons of the show are somewhat distinct in terms of production style and format.


''Season One''

The first season of the series, The ''Cooking Showdown'' kitchen is located in the main barn at the Quadrangle Trust, near Shoreham in
Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...
. Each heat featured two teams, while each semi-final and the final featured three teams. There were 12 episodes in total, and one episode aired per week. Season one featured two judges,
Giorgio Locatelli Giorgio Locatelli (born 6 April 1963) is an Italian Michelin starred chef and restaurateur working and living in the United Kingdom. Early life Locatelli was brought up in Corgeno in the comune of Vergiate on the banks of Lake Comabbio, northe ...
and
Rosemary Shrager Rosemary Jacqueline Shrager (' Worlledge; born 21 January 1951) is a British chef and TV presenter, best known for being an haute cuisine teacher on the reality television programme '' Ladette to Lady'', and as a judge on '' Soapstar Superchef ...
, and two presenters
Nadiya Hussain Nadiya Jamir Hussain (''née'' Begum; born 25 December 1984) is a British television chef, author and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the sixth series of BBC's ''The Great British Bake Off'' in 2015. Since winning, she ...
and
Zoe Ball Zoe Louise Ball (born 23 November 1970) is a British broadcaster and presenter. She was the first female host of the Radio 1 and Radio 2 breakfast shows for the BBC, and in 2024 was confirmed as the second-highest paid BBC presenter after G ...
. Only one of the presenters would travel to the home visit challenge, which took place in the contestants' homes. However, both presenters were present in the barn, except for the final episode, which didn't feature Zoe Ball.


Heats

In each episode, two teams comprising three family members competed in three time-limited rounds. At the end of the three rounds, a winner was selected, who moved on to one of a series of semi-final rounds. * Round 1: The £10 Challenge (1 hour and 15 minutes): In the £10 Challenge, the teams must prepare two courses for four on a budget. * Round 2: Home Visits Challenge (1 hour and 30 minutes): Each team cooks and serves a main course and a dessert for the judges in their own home kitchen. * Round 3: Impress the Neighbours Challenge (2 hours and 15 minutes): The teams returned to the barn to create their finest starter and a main course, with no budget.


Semi-finals

* ''What's in the Fridge?'' tests the families creativity as home cooks. The judges provide a limited range of ingredients. Each team has 1 hour to cook a main course for 4 people. * For the ''Perfect Puddings'' challenge, each judge "carefully select a firm family favourite" for the teams to make in 1 hour and 20 minutes. * The ''Nation's Favourite With a Twist'' challenge asks families "for their unique take on a British classic." The teams have 2 hours for this challenge. All three challenges were staged in the ''Cooking Showdown'' barn.


Final

For the final, the teams faced "one long, continuous challenge." Each family was challenged to "prepare food for a big family get-together, including nibbles, main courses, and desserts."


''Season Two''

The second season was filmed in Wales. All elements of show were shot in a studio kitchen and did not feature a challenge in the contestants' own homes. A total of 16 families took part in the competition. There were 14 episodes in total of the second season, which were aired across three weeks. Up to five episodes would air per week on the weeknights. In each episode, the teams are given two tasks - one they have had time to practise at home, the other a complete surprise, testing their collective ability to work together and think on their feet. This season didn't see a return of the quartet of two judges and two presenters, but rather the duo consisting of judge
Tommy Banks Tom, Thomas, or Tommy Banks may refer to: Arts * Thomas Banks (sculptor) (1735–1805), English sculptor * Thomas Joseph Banks (1828–1896), also known as Thomas John Banks, British painter * Thomas P. Banks (1848–1888), Australian church organ ...
and
Angellica Bell Angellica Bell (born 24 March 1976) is a British television presenter, television and radio presenter, best known for her presenting on CBBC between 2000 and 2006. She is also known for providing occasional cover on ''The One Show'' and for c ...
, who also judged the contestants' cooking, as well as narrating the show.


Heats

In contrast to just two families in the first season, four families take part in each of the four heats. However, each heat runs across two episodes. At the end of the first episode of the heat, one of the four families would be eliminated. The remaining three families returned the following day, which concluded with one more family being sent out of the competition. The remaining two families would compete against each other along with two other heat-winning families in one of two the play-offs. The winners of the play-offs proceeded to the finals. * Round 1: The £10 Challenge: In season one this was a pre-prepared challenge. However in season two, the contestants have to make a £10 meal for a family of four with a surprise selection of ingredients 'purchased' in studio, if teams exceeded their budget they had to return ingredients. * Round 2: Nation's Favourite with a Twist: Each team cooks a popular dish with their own personal take. Families are aware of this dish in advance of the challenge. * Round 3: The Head-to-Head Challenge: in which families have to nominate one member to cook on their own. The dish is a surprise to the contestant, however they have the option of following an easy, medium or hard recipe, or alternatively they can go off-recipe using a '
smörgåsbord Smorgasbord or Smörgåsbord (, ) is a buffet-style meal of Swedish origin. It is served with various hot and mainly cold dishes. It assumed its present form in the 19th century, following old traditions. Smörgåsbord became known in the US ...
' of extra ingredients. The non-participating family members secretly watch from another room, commenting of their family member's progress. * Round 4: Two Key Ingredients Challenge: Families cook a meal around two star ingredients selected by the judges. They have knowledge of these ingredients prior to appearing on the show.


Results summary


''Season One''


''Season Two''


Ratings

Official episode viewing figures are from
BARB Barb or the BARBs or ''variation'' may refer to: People * Barb (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname * Barb, a term used by fans of Nicki Minaj to refer to themselves * The Barbs, a band Places * Barb, ...
.


Reception

About the location, Sally Newall, writing for ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' said, "Instead of the '' Bake Off'' tent, there's a barn conversion with a country-kitchen-meets-early-Noughties warehouse-conversion vibe. There is lots of wood, exposed brick, shiny copper lampshades and those letters with light bulbs that you tend to see at weddings. Michael Hogan, writing for ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
'' described the kitchen as a " swish barn, kitted out in twee, shabby chic style to resemble something from a glossy
interiors ''Interiors'' is a 1978 American drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. It stars Kristin Griffith, Mary Beth Hurt, Richard Jordan, Diane Keaton, E. G. Marshall, Geraldine Page, Maureen Stapleton, and Sam Waterston. Allen's first ...
magazine." Stuart Heritage of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' called it "Bland, awkward and awful".


Scheduling conflict

After
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
's announcement that they will broadcast ''
The Great British Bake Off ''The Great British Bake Off'' (often abbreviated to ''Bake Off'' or ''GBBO'') is a British television baking competition, produced by Love Productions, in which a group of amateur bakers compete against each other in a series of rounds, atte ...
'' on Tuesdays opposite ''The Big Family Cooking Show'', the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
moved the show to Thursday to avoid a scheduling conflict. The
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
said, "Channel 4's decision to move ''Bake Off'' from its long-term traditional Wednesday slot will be a surprise to many viewers who may see this as a cynical move. We never intended for our new cookery show to clash with theirs. There is room for both and we don't, in this instance, see any public value in two public service broadcasters going head-to-head in this way."


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Big Family Cooking Showdown, The 2017 British television series debuts 2018 British television series endings 2010s British cooking television series BBC Two original programming British cooking television shows British English-language television shows Reality cooking competition television series