In the first heat, Ajay and Petra created tantalising desserts such as 

• a savoury wakame seaweed flavoured brioche with lobster, yuzu gel and caviar
• a Venetian mask showpiece with Sablé Breton flavoured with grains of paradise (a type of pepper), coconut mousse, sudachi jelly (a small green citrus fruit from Japan), mango compote, citrus sponge and white chocolate feuilletine base
• a trompe l’oeil showpiece in the form of a highly artistic chocolate amenity (a decorative chocolate sculpture) guitar with a hidden pecan pie amp made with pecan mousse, miso, pumpkin and sherry vinegar
• custard tarts with rhubarb gel, black pepper, candied pistachio and rhubarb rose

Judge Benoit Blin said of the custard that it was “the most flavoursome rhubarb you can get, and the rest is adding on to elevate”, while judge Cherish Finden said “the eating sensation is so beautiful.”

In the second heat, Bharat and John created delights including

• onion seed spiced savoury croissants with cumin, coriander, chilli and chicken tikka filling
• a choux showpiece with almond praline and blood orange eclairs and dark chocolate cream and morello cherry buns
• trompe l’oeil showpiece with a hidden tarte tartin, cinnamon Sablé Breton, crème fraiche and vanilla mousse
• deconstructed sticky toffee pudding with date sponge, vanilla Leite crème and a smoked caramel sauce in a tempered chocolate sphere
• Charlotte à la russe with fingerless ladyfinger sponges, pistachio bavarois sandwiched with raspberry jelly.

Judge Cherish Finden said of the sticky toffee pudding: “It’s like a treasure box in there. You’ve echoed the essence of sticky toffee pudding”, while also complimenting on the team’s take on Charlotte à la russe, saying “the combination of the raspberry and pistachio is indulgent.”