There will be thirty six chefs all exhaling with relief that their work is done. The run throughs, the trials, the ups and downs all finalised in five hours of sheer pressure under the gaze and spotlight of the world's press, media and army of travelling fans.
There were some highs and lows today, a huge variance in the foo
d styles from finite petit to, at times, perhaps big and clumsy!
The Finish meat platter was a colossus of a design that rotates and is carried by four chefs as it spins and turns along the line of judges. The cheeks of the platter bearers redden and puff under the weight as they near the end of the judges gauntlet.
Their menus are eye catching as they pop up, princess castle style, that expand and jump up becoming three dimensional, from the flat card page to a castle from the best fairytales where maidens are locked in the tallest tower and dragons with fire breath lay on guard (anyone else watched Shrek???)
The Netherlands dishes look good, France's main course is a clean,
beautifully presented piece of work that is paraded to a fanfare of chanting fans, Allez la France, the Cockerel stands tall and proud on home soil.
So homeward bound now, aboard the coach en route to our hotels. We sit and plan for Wednesday, the big day nears, a nation expects.
The three lions are roaring in Lyon!!!!
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