Alex tackles the Gilpin, a fine-dining hotel in the Lake District. This much-loved family-run business is desperate to find a new executive head chef. After months of fruitless searching, the Cunliffe family have failed to find the right person who will care as much about their business as they do. They've now turned to Alex for help and are offering up to a six-figure salary for the right candidate.

Over a week, Alex will offer up nine candidates to be put through a rigorous interview process. As well as testing their technical cooking skills, all candidates will have a face-to-face interview and a chance to cook a signature dish that shows off their best work. But at the end of the week, only one can get the job.

There is only one place left in the final, and the pressure is on for the final three candidates. They kick off by plucking and preparing a partridge fit for a fine-dining menu. 24-year-old Pierre Koffmann protege Ben is on a mission to gain a Michelin Star in his own right and impresses with his theatrical creations, whereas Simon has to convince them he really wants the job with his job-hopping CV.