The Restaurant (UK series 2)

The second series of The Restaurant is a television series that aired in the United Kingdom on BBC Two from 10 September to 29 October in 2008. Auditions took place in Manchester and London during March and April 2008. (The series aired in the United States on BBC America in early 2009 under the title "Last Restaurant Standing.")

Raymond Blanc keeps his role in the series, and nine couples once again compete for the chance to open their own restaurant backed by Blanc.

In July 2009 the winners, Russell Clement & Michele English, launched their own venture The Cheerful Soul in the Hare and Hounds in Marlow, Buckinghamshire (the site of the restaurant of the runners-up, Alasdair Hooper & James Knight-Pacheco). On 30 July 2010 Russell and Michele announced (on their blog) that they were leaving The Cheerful Soul.

In 2009, the BBC announced that Alasdair & James would feature in a spin-off series, provisionally titled Plate Expectations, in early 2010. The series, which finally aired under the title Out of the Frying Pan, follows them as they launch their own event catering business.

The contestants that took part in the series were (in reverse order of elimination):

James is now married and living in Dubai working as a head chef. Alasdair is running the Dartmouth Ice-cream Company, Dartmouth, Devon. He lives with his fiancé Jessica Quick, who is an Occupational Therapist, and their baby daughter Isla.

^Note 1 : All couples were in the challenge in the first week; Raymond revealed that only 8 of the 9 couples would receive a restaurant.
^Note 2 : Raymond did not nominate a restaurant of the week in Week Five, as he thought that none of the restaurants met the required standard.
^Note 3 : None of the three restaurants were put directly through to the final as Raymond thought that each couple had its own strengths and weaknesses.

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