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The three chefs are halfway through their heat, and the pressure is mounting. Unexpectedly, today one of the chefs leaves the competition, and Richard and Susan invite the eliminated chef back to cook their entire menu. Will they agree to return?

One chef is creating an ambitious Hogwarts Feast honouring Harry Potter, which features a steak and kidney wellington and a range of tasty accompaniments. One of the other chefs is basing their dish on Little Pig Robinson by Beatrix Potter. The final chef is recreating a wedding breakfast based upon the Owl and the Pussycat, cooking mallard, kidney’s and heart. Will veteran Richard Corrigan’s high expectations be met or will he be left wanting more?

After a few mistakes in the mains, presenter Susan Calman asks the chefs to prepare a pre-dessert. This is the second of the new mini-courses which will be served at this year’s banquet. Richard blind-tastes and ranks them to use in the case of a tie today, so the chefs need to produce the very best dishes they can.

After this initial taste of their pastry skills, it is on to dessert. The chefs are pulling out all the stops as this is their last chance to impress Richard and get through to the judges’ chamber tomorrow. For dessert, there is an ice cream sandwich which is an ode to wise bear Paddington and his need for emergency sandwiches. One chef creates hound-shaped chocolates and edible moss to depict Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Hound of the Baskervilles. The final dessert is an ode to Roald Dahl, a celebration of the witches and the formula which transformed children into mice!

The dessert course is always the most challenging on as many elements have to be frozen and set. Who will keep their cool and create a best-selling dish? Only two proceed to Friday’s judging and have a chance to represent the south west of England at the regional finals.