Marco's Great British Feast
Author
Discussion

grumbledoak

Original Poster:

32,155 posts

249 months

Wednesday 16th July 2008
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No doubting the bloke's abilities, but this show is varying from condescending, bordering racist, to just toe-curlingly weird. That bit with him in the supermarket, he may as well have been from Mars.

Anyone else watching this?

smiller

12,172 posts

220 months

Wednesday 16th July 2008
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We've been watching the whole series, and - yes, you're right - he's very eccentric. It seems that more Michelin stars = exponentially increased ego stroking.

The gulls eggs appetiser was curious as mrs m worked in Gibraltar for a few years with the RAF, and - whilst there - tried gulls eggs with breakfast. Apparently they were hurl Eggs with a background flavour reminiscent of rotting fish (they were eggs from Herring Gulls though; maybe Black Headed Gulls eggs are different?).



escargot

17,122 posts

233 months

Thursday 17th July 2008
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I'm finding it pretty funny so far.

He is incredibly condescending and arrogant but it makes good TV.

One thing that did strike me as odd though, he was smoking in his pub yet his car registration number was a 57 (sept 07), this was after the smoking ban came into force. Equally, if he has an employed driver (Mr Ishi) he's not allowed to smoke in the car either. He clearly doesn't give a st but it is something that he could be pulled up about.

Cara Van Man

29,977 posts

267 months

Thursday 17th July 2008
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made me laugh when he got 'threatening' with the crew.

Does he seriously think staring like Paddington bear is scarey?

To me, scarey is putting a knife through your own hand, on purpose.

grumbledoak

Original Poster:

32,155 posts

249 months

Thursday 17th July 2008
quotequote all
Cara Van Man said:
To me, scarey is putting a knife through your own hand, on purpose.
I couldn't decide how scary he was - he's quite a big bloke, seemingly bordering on psychotic, with a knife in his hand... hehe

Cara Van Man

29,977 posts

267 months

Thursday 17th July 2008
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he pissed me off a bit the way he walked around the supermarket expecting everybody to recognise him.

and the way he handled the fish on the counter.

If I leant over and fondled the fish I'm sure I'd get a filleting knife through the eye at my local Morrissons.

dcw@pr

3,516 posts

259 months

Thursday 17th July 2008
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weirdest program i've seen in ages

brum

5,892 posts

222 months

Thursday 17th July 2008
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It's a terrible programme - which is sort of what makes it watchable. Christ alone knows how he can taste anything with the amount of fags he gets through.
If i were going to his 'feast' of the 'very best of british food' i'd be properly pissed off to get a starter of Ham followed by Fish Pie. I reckon thats just about a pass for GCSE Home Economics.

escargot

17,122 posts

233 months

Friday 18th July 2008
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I must confess to being slightly surprised by the fish pie. I'd have thought some decent scottish beef or welsh lamb would be better.

Cara Van Man

29,977 posts

267 months

Friday 18th July 2008
quotequote all
escargot said:
I must confess to being slightly surprised by the fish pie. I'd have thought some decent scottish beef or welsh lamb would be better.
but scottish or welsh is foreign, so wouldn't be eligible for his feast

TIGA84

5,410 posts

247 months

Friday 18th July 2008
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He's a genuine mental case. But also a complete genius.

Thats whats interesting.

Read his book, you'll see why. He's always been a bit mental/arrogant/smoked 40 red marlboro a day/perfectionist/childish.

He can cook though, I think he's gone for utterly utterly simple stuff with a twist because he's cooked so much complicated stuff over the years. Look at GR on F word, the dishes are pretty simple, anyone with a modicum of kitchen experience could cook 90% of what comes out of that kitchen, easy.

Davey S2

13,287 posts

270 months

Friday 18th July 2008
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Cara Van Man said:
escargot said:
I must confess to being slightly surprised by the fish pie. I'd have thought some decent scottish beef or welsh lamb would be better.
but scottish or welsh is foreign, so wouldn't be eligible for his feast
Great BRITISH Feast. Not English feast.

Cara Van Man

29,977 posts

267 months

Friday 18th July 2008
quotequote all
Davey S2 said:
Cara Van Man said:
escargot said:
I must confess to being slightly surprised by the fish pie. I'd have thought some decent scottish beef or welsh lamb would be better.
but scottish or welsh is foreign, so wouldn't be eligible for his feast
Great BRITISH Feast. Not English feast.
I still stand by what I said. smile

TpdNotts

879 posts

219 months

Friday 18th July 2008
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Its funny how Marco's accent is one moment upper class English and in the next breath he sounds like a Yorkshireman. The amount of times he says 'this Mr Ishi' and 'that Mr. Ishi' really annoys me. He is so condescending to the poor chap. Marco is no doubt a great chef but he's still a scary beast. I pity his poor ex-wives! All in all I've enjoyed watching the show and the dishes created. His commitment to British food is admirable.

Anyone for squirrel?

Davey S2

13,287 posts

270 months

Friday 18th July 2008
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TpdNotts said:
His commitment to British food is admirable.
B0ll0cks!

If you want to see someone get really enthused about British food then have a look at Rick Stein's food Heroes.

Marco's programme is just a rehash of that and the Great British Menu combined.

To be honest its a pretty st programe and if it wasnt for the fact that it involves a scary eccentric nutter I wouldnt watch it. The foods ok but hardly inspiring.

TpdNotts

879 posts

219 months

Friday 18th July 2008
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Davey S2 said:
TpdNotts said:
His commitment to British food is admirable.
B0ll0cks!

If you want to see someone get really enthused about British food then have a look at Rick Stein's food Heroes.

Marco's programme is just a rehash of that and the Great British Menu combined.

To be honest its a pretty st programe and if it wasnt for the fact that it involves a scary eccentric nutter I wouldnt watch it. The foods ok but hardly inspiring.
I've seen Rick Stein's Food Heroes. Same enthusiasm; different approach. Two different sorts of egos perhaps. The fact that chefs are willing to travel round this country and use great tasting local produce dishes is to be commended, whoever they are.

B0ll0cks: is that edible?

escargot

17,122 posts

233 months

Saturday 19th July 2008
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I certainly think MPW's efforts are much more contrived than Rick Stein.

Marco strikes me as someone who's been out of it (in more ways than one) for so many years that he's lost touch.

Rick Stein on the other hand seems to have bags more enthusiasm for truly great produce.

smiller

12,172 posts

220 months

Saturday 19th July 2008
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I've never seen a Rick Stein dish on TV that looks like anything but something really tasty that someone with a little bit of cooking nous can do at home. MPW is clearly enthusiastic about British food, but that gulls egg with mayo was presented in a Michelin Star style; something that Stein would never do.

I admire what the likes of MPW and Heston do, especially in terms of methods and presentation but it has never moved me to visit their eateries.

I would love to eat at Rick Stein's restaurant though (and - even though it will never happen - a restaurant run by The Two Fat Ladies Clarissa and Jennifer).

v8 westy

940 posts

270 months

Saturday 26th July 2008
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Davey S2 said:
TpdNotts said:
His commitment to British food is admirable.
B0ll0cks!

If you want to see someone get really enthused about British food then have a look at Rick Stein's food Heroes.

Marco's programme is just a rehash of that and the Great British Menu combined.

To be honest its a pretty st programe and if it wasnt for the fact that it involves a scary eccentric nutter I wouldnt watch it. The foods ok but hardly inspiring.
we went to padstow last year with the intention of eating at rick steins having been lured by his enthusiasm for british food on tv,
before we went into one of the restaurants we looked into the shops he has on the quayside, the supposedly fresh fish had eyes sunk deep into thier sockets which usually means they are far from fresh, a quick glance at the restaurant menu prices confirmed that we would not be eating what looked like 5 day old fish
we left thoroughly dissapointed because we had believed ricks spiel and the reality is we can buy better fresher fish in our local supermarket

Goughie

616 posts

205 months

Sunday 27th July 2008
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Very funny story about MPW. My former boss, a chap called Tony Allan used to be best mates with Marco. Both chefs, although Tony stopped to start a very successful fish supply business and then a chain of fih eateries simply called "fish!". During an interview with a newspaper, Tony recounted a "true" story of Marco running out of squid ink (used for making pasta and risotto nero, i.e. black pasta/rissotto) and replacing it with biro ink! I have been told by those who pass tattle (need to be careful here!) that (and I quote) "it's the sort of thing thsat Marco would do, he doesn't give a f***!") Now, I'm not for one minute suggesting that this is true, but it appeared in print in a national newspaper and Tony was taken to court by MPW. The result? A cool £1m libel setlement. Nice work if you can get it!