Ainsley's National Trust Cook Off

Ainsley Harriott joins chefs Ben Ebbrell and Cyrus Todiwala in the kitchen garden at Blickling Hall, Norfolk, to oversee a culinary challenge. The three will each devise and cook the Dish of the Day, with Harriott judging who ultimately succeeds.

The episode is a cooking programme that brings together celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott with fellow chefs Ben Ebbrell and Cyrus Todiwala. It’s presented as a stand‑alone instalment in which the three cooks meet to test their culinary skills under Harriott’s guidance. Set in the kitchen garden of Blickling Hall in Norfolk, the trio faces a simple yet demanding brief: each chef must conceive and execute the “Dish of the Day”. The challenge unfolds in the garden’s own produce‑rich surroundings, prompting the participants to select fresh, seasonal ingredients and turn them into a finished plate that meets the day’s brief. Harriott acts as the adjudicator, watching the chefs as they move from concept to cooking. The episode follows the chefs through the entire process – from scouting the garden for inspiration, through the preparation and cooking stages, to the final presentation of their dishes. By the end, viewers see how Ebbrell and Todiwala each interpret the brief, while Harriott evaluates their creations against the set criteria. The setting at Blickling Hall provides a distinctive backdrop, linking the competition to the estate’s historic kitchen garden and reinforcing the focus on fresh, locally sourced produce.