I’m really sorry this is so late, but I’ve been a bit all over the shop in the past few days. But, better late than never, is Sarah Willingham’s verdict on week seven of The Restaurant. It also serves as a nice little preview for tomorrow night’s finale, which should be pretty amazing (although I have to admit that there’s no travelling to France to cook for Raymond’s family). It was a pretty dramatic episode last week, and Tim and Lindsie were given the boot. But not after and extraordinary bit when he admitted to Raymond he wouldn’t hire him, and then previously meek and mild Lindsie battling their corner. Anyway, go over the jump and you can read what Sarah had to say…

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TV Scoop: Before we get to Thursday’s amazing episode, I’d like to talk a bit about the fussy eaters episode. I thought we saw a bit of a different side to Tim, because he was really starting to get flustered.
Sarah Willingham: Yeah. I mean… I feel the need to defend him a little bit. I think that if a table of ten had booked – 25 per cent of your customers – and they were from a vegetarian or vegan side of things, it would have been highly unlikely that they wouldn’t have mentioned it when they booked. I think normally they would be told, but Tim and Lindsie were told three hours before and he had already done his food order. Now, there’s no doubt whatsoever he could have better prepared for it, but I do think if a table of vegans book in advance they will tell you.

TVS: But still… a plate of sauteéd cabbage?
SW: Absolutely awful.

TVS: Not great…
SW: No, really, really awful! He had got nothing to give because he cooks everything with butter.

TVS: A case of not really adapting to the situation?
SW: I just think it was a really tough challenge, and we did take that into account.

TVS: OK, the other guys…
SW: Yeah, they had some fine diners and some celiacs.

TVS: My heart was in my mouth when James and Ali served the celiac little girl some biscuit…
SW: I know! That was awful! This is what happens so much in restaurants. It may well be that the manager knows what’s going on, but that doesn’t mean anything to the people on the floor if they don’t know what’s going on. Everyone needs to communicate – front of house, at the pass. There’s no doubt whatsoever that anything going to that table should have been treble checked. When we used to have people with nut allergies we used to keep a small section of utensils – saucepans, plates, knives, forks – that had never been touched by any nuts. You have to take that so seriously. In fact, in some of the larger chains they keep injection pens for people, just in case.

TVS: OK, so let’s talk about the main event… Thursday’s episode.
SW: It was by far the best episode I’ve seen, I really think that.

TVS: Let’s talk about David. What’s he like?
SW: Oh, David’s really lovely.

TVS: But he’s the Silent Killer. I’m convinced he was a Ninja in another life. One look from him could surely kill.
SW: Hahaha! You know, they have such high standards in his restaurant. They have two Michelin stars, the same as Raymond. He’s part-owned and run that restaurant for 17 years. Talk about somebody who knows what they’re doing. He’s fastidious and his attention to detail is to the point of being anal. But you have to be. If you’re going to keep the standards in your restaurant so high for so long, you have to.

TVS: You entered the fray too… I felt that Thursday’s episode was all about polishing and trying to smooth down the rough edges, and you helped with the business side of things…
SW: I took all of them through a lengthy session and told them what they had done right and, if was running their restaurants, what I’d do differently.

TVS: Now, James and Ali took on board what you said and implemented it (more of a brasserie-style service)… and even though there were a few things they did wrong (no bread, Ali being very nervous again and not introducing himself to the customers for ages), they do seem to be improving…
SW: Well, to be honest, the owner or front of house in a brasserie wouldn’t be expected to go and introduce himself. However. They were very, very special guests and if ever there was a time to make an impression, that was then. There’s no way I would left it that late. He should have been taking them to their table.

TVS: Now, Russell and Michelle. There was a stage last night when I really thought they were for the chop, because it was almost meltdown for him last night. He lost all his confidence and was convinced he was going to get booted out! Even when you were giving them some advice, it seemed to me that they were just smiling and nodding, smiling and nodding.
SW: All the couples were under a tremendous amount of pressure, and getting to the final is so massive. I think Russell and Michelle had had a couple of very big days, where they had been visited by all three of us. The practical side of just being in Raymond’s kitchen could be, on the one hand, really inspiring or, on the other hand, utterly daunting and draining. It really must take a lot out of you, like the front of house session they had with David. On top of all that, and the last thing you need, is for me to come along and talk business. Sitting in Le Manior, I just think everybody was just so nervous, they just wanted to know what the outcome was.

TVS: Yeah, and you really felt that tension. Russell did get a standing ovation from his diners and it was great to see a smile back on his face. But let’s talk about that moment, the Tim and Lindsie moment. I’d like to talk about Lindsie first, because out of everyone she has been on a real journey. To begin with Tim was the dominant partner in that relationship, but last night I thought Lindsie was terrific and she was bossing Tim around.
SW: Wasn’t she amazing?! When Tim sat there and told Raymond he wouldn’t hire himself… wow. I felt like crying, never mind anyone else. I just could not believe he had said that.

TVS: I guess you weren’t expecting him to say that!
SW: Not at all! Not at all! You could see it on my face. I just felt like screaming, “No! What are you doing?!” I was really, really surprised, and obviously Lindsie was mortified.

TVS: Well, she just leapt into action…
SW: She was amazing.

TVS: And that moment really encapsulated her transformation. It was an amazing piece of television. Do you think Tim effectively sealed his fate with that admission, or were his food costs and margins just too dodgy?
SW: That was the big thing. The big, big, big concern with Tim. We were very unforgiving with him because he had such an amazing background. I’ve hired people like him who have done his job, so I know how well trained he was and how good someone has to be to do that job. I think that was what was so disappointing. They were such a great couple, really strong and brilliant together. I also loved a lot of their morals and values. I really did think they were great. I just think you can’t take a risk on somebody who had such consistently high food costs. The highest I’ve ever seen. The thing is he knows how not to have high food costs, and to come down very heavy on managers who have high food costs.

TVS: That ultimately did for him. It must have such a tough decision, though. What was it like for you guys having to make it?
SW: To sit there listening to all of this, on the day… it was always, always difficult to close down restaurants but in the early rounds it was easier because some of the couple were just not made for this world. But there are people like Tim and Lindsie who I really willed to go on and stay in this industry, because they could have a fantastic restaurant. I’d go and eat in their restaurant. I just know that with more time and training and for Tim to become a bit more focused, they could become really successful. But it’s very hard to tell people who you’ve grown to like and have a lot of time for that their dream is over. That’s really tough. None of us enjoy it at all, but we’re there to find one partner for Raymond, not three. We just can’t lose sight of that.

TVS: And it’s final next week!
SW: I know! Oriental Express! How exciting is that?! It’s a really fantastic show.