Ready Steady Cook

*Ready Steady Cook*
Ready Steady Cook
Starring	Fern Britton; (1994 - 2000); Ainsley Harriott; (2000 - present)
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of episodes	1500+; (Original series); 102; (Celebrity specials)
Production
Producer	Endemol
Running time	45 minutes
Original release
Network	BBC Two; (Original series); BBC One; (Celebrity specials)
Release	24 October, 1994 - present; (Original series) –; ; 11 July, 1997 - 3 January, 2003; (Celebrity specials)

Ready Steady Cook is a BBC daytime TV cooking programme first aired in 24 October, 1994. The programme was hosted by Fern Britton from 1994 until 2000 when celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott became the new host. The present duration of the programme is 45 minutes.

Basic format

Two members of the public, or occasionally sporting or other celebrities, provide two celebrity chefs with a bag of ingredients they have bought, usually to a set budget of £5. The two teams are designated "red tomato" and "green pepper" (referred to as "red kitchen" and "green kitchen" after the August 2007 revamp, though the tomato and pepper motifs still feature on the guests' aprons, and in the show's logo). Occasionally the permitted budget is increased: a so-called Bistro Bag allows for ingredients of up to £7.50, while the Gourmet Bag may have a value of up to £10. On some occasions, they have used a £3.50 Budget Bag. Also on a few shows, a Lucky Dip Bag was used. It contained ten food items. The chef with closed eyes picked out half of the items at the beginning. At the halfway mark, the chef randomly picked a sixth item. The sixth item could help or hinder the chef. It is implied that the chefs have no prior knowledge of the ingredients they will have to prepare, although it is unknown whether this is the case or not.

In more recent times there have been more celebrity guests than members of the general public.

The Main Course

The chefs proceed to make several dishes out of the said ingredients (and a generously stocked kitchen containing basic ingredients and spices), in 20 minutes, with the help of the contestants and the programme host. As the contestants taste the prepared dishes, the host asks the chef some questions about the food. Prior to the September 2006 programme season it was customary for the chefs to name their dishes, which usually included a pun. Naming of the dishes continues to take place.

The creations are voted on by the studio audience, who hold up a card showing either a red tomato or green pepper to represent each of the teams. The winner receives a cash prize of £100, which celebrity guests donate to charity (an example the regular guests will sometimes follow). The runner-up receives a hamper which includes a variety of items, such as a set of knives, pasta and sauces, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

A new set was introduced on 27 August 2007 and the cards used to conduct the vote were replaced with handsets. The prizes were also changed, the winner now being awarded a plate and the loser a mug. There has been a massive out cry from fans who feel that the show has been down graded and the previous sets looked much better ^{[citation needed]} , it's still to be seen whether the sets will be changed.

Quickie bag

The quickie bag section of the show then follows. This was introduced in 2000, the same year Ainsley Harriott became presenter, extending the programme to 45 minutes. The contents of the quickie bag used to be decided on by the series producer and a home economist. Their decision was based on produce that is currently in season or unusual ingredients that haven't featured on the show recently.

In late August 2007, the quickie bag changed format with the bag being brought in by an organisation, company or public member who challenge the chefs to prepare the dish.

The two chefs each get a chance to describe what they would cook using the bag of ingredients. The audience members vote for which chef they would most like to see cook. The winner then has 10 minutes to prepare the described dishes, with the help of the other chef and the host. The hectic preparation of the chosen chef's suggested dishes often includes a slight element of chaos and ad-libbing along the way. A viewer's question relating to a cooking problem is usually put to the chefs, further adding to the pressure upon them to complete their dishes in the time allowed.

Scheduling

Each programme lasts forty five minutes and the show is aired five times per week on the BBC Two channel (usually from 1630hrs-1715hrs). Repeats of the show are sometimes shown on UKTV Food. During the winter break the show's time slot is occupied by Food poker.

Current Ready Steady Cook Chefs

Old Chefs

Richard Cawley
Patrick Anthony
Mark Gregory
Alastair Little
Valentina Harris
Thane Prince
Anthony Tobin
Kevin Wooford
Anthony Worrall Thompson

External links