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Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton takes ten chefs with raw talent, from pubs, cafes and caterers across the UK, on the ultimate culinary journey across Europe, testing and transforming them into a kitchen brigade, fit to take on Europe’s finest restaurants.

In the first episode, the brigade land in Puglia, southern Italy, home of lovingly crafted, flavour-packed ‘cucina povera’ – literally meaning ‘kitchen of the poor’, but in cooking terms it means making the most of what you have and making the simple taste extraordinary.

Jason needs to get to grips with the differing levels of skill in his chef’s brigade quickly. He is used to running Michelin-star kitchens but most his of new brigade have never eaten in a top restaurant, let alone cooked in one, so Jason, along with his two lieutenants Dale and Andy, puts the new brigade through their paces in pasta making and other rustic Italian specialities.

The rival restaurant is a well-regarded, local favourite and Jason only has a few days to get his new brigade up to speed and working to his required level before they take over their rival’s kitchen and cook a menu chosen by their head chef for a restaurant full of locals and three expert judges. And Jason wants to win.

New recruit pub chef Reann has never even left the UK before, military chef James is overbearing in the training kitchen, private caterer Daisy struggles with her confidence and hotel chef Shivam is missing home. With pressure piling on the newly formed brigade, Jason makes the hard decision to send home one chef who isn’t gelling, and bring in new blood in the form of Livia – a rising star in the Liverpool restaurant scene. But will it be enough to beat the Italian brigade?