So, as the judges assemble, Jean is left to focus his attention on friendly rival Jason, culinary director at Future Plate and chef owner of Flava Pepper in Brixton. Guest judge, campaigner and archdeacon Mina Smallman, is telling Ed, Lorna and Tom, ‘I don’t like my food fussed about… when it comes looking like a work of art and you go away still hungry.’ Tom immediately points teasingly towards Lorna, who firmly disagrees, insisting that though her food ‘looks beautiful… I make sure you still get a good feed at the same time!’

Guaranteed to still leave plenty of room for more, the canapés come exquisitely presented on little podia. Jason’s is a filo tartlet filled with black eyed pea purée, deep-fried saltfish and puffed rice. Jean’s is a lamb-filled dough ball, topped with onion salad and leek emulsion. Lorna says it’s ‘a bit greasy,’ whilst Tom is reminded of ‘a seafront doughnut’ and Mina gets the taste of ‘onion bhaji.’ ‘You’re just selling it to me even more,’ quips Ed. Jason’s is judged by Tom to be ‘a little dry,’ though he loves the spicy aftertaste. Mina favours the latter, but ‘seafront doughnut’ wins for the others.

Jean’s beautiful botanical starter features a sphere of celeriac parfait, glazed with birch jelly and served with almond and wild leaf crackers and a mushroom-shaped cep bun. Tom loves the concept and says the flavour is ‘fantastic.’ However, he points out that his parfait is ‘still a little frozen in the middle.’ Ed agrees, but for him, ‘the good outweighs the bad’ and Lorna is prepared to overlook ‘a few technical issues,’ deciding it’s ‘a really good start for the chef.’

Celebrating the multi-talented and multiple-pioneering Learie Constantine, Jason concocts a taste of Trinidad in the form of black-eyed pea and plantain patties, mango salsa, roasted aubergine purée, mango and red pepper emulsion and a drizzle of coriander oil. ‘Really delicious,’ says Ed, and Lorna thoroughly approves of the ‘warm sensation that sits on your palate,’ but Tom questions if this ‘nice dish’ is really banquet worthy.

A potentially stronger contender is Jean’s tribute to Elizabeth David, the British doyenne of Mediterranean cooking. Reworking her classic sole Veronique, he serves it barbecued with a soy, koji butter and dashi glaze, alongside potatoes en papillote, baked with a tarragon and vermouth butter, baby courgettes and a vin jaune sauce. ‘This is very befitting a banquet,’ decides Mina, and Tom agrees, ‘it’s a good ‘un.’ ‘Outstanding’ is Ed’s opinion of the fish, and though Lorna wants more salt on her potatoes, she concludes the sole and sauce are ‘beautiful.’

‘Colourful’ is an apt description for Jason’s homage to calypsonian Aldwyn Roberts, aka Lord Kitchener. Vibrant sauces of red pepper and saltfish and puréed parsley accompany his pan-fried sea bream, confited cabbage with brown rum, and a fish stock, lemongrass and cream foam. Tom’s favourite thing is the topping of frizzled saltfish, and Ed agrees ‘that’s the highlight for me.’ Mina feels it lacks the ‘theatre’ of the previous dish, but still admits, ‘I could eat it all day.’

Jason’s main course is a culinary gift to Britain’s first black postman and a champion for racial integration, Sam King. Parcelling up lentils in blanched cabbage leaves, Jason serves them with jerk spiced chicken, sweet potato purée, deep-fried plantain balls filled with plantain and vanilla purée and a Caribbean pork sauce. ‘I want to eat that chicken breast for ever,’ exclaims Tom, praising its ‘outstanding’ seasoning and ‘depth of flavour.’ However, for a postal-themed dish, it’s sad to hear that ‘everything else is lost.’

The incredible story of Charles Ignatius Sancho is the inspiration for Jean’s main course, which also mines the chef’s South African heritage. Having been told by Andi that his ‘jollof rice’ is ‘not jollof,’ it’s now safely renamed ‘smoked rice’ to accompany his feast of barbecued rack of goat, spiced potato fondant, sorrel and parsley emulsion, roasted okra, barbecued broccoli and a spiced goat stew called nkwobi. ‘This is really exciting,’ says Ed, and Tom agrees it’s ‘right up my street.’ Mina loves the ‘kick’ of the goat stew, whilst Lorna decides it’s all ‘banquet worthy.’ Tom judges it to be ‘a magical dish.’

‘This is music to my ears,’ says Andi, as Jason tells her he’s decided to ditch the controversial inclusion of onion in his pre-dessert. Now sticking with mango, he presents it three ways, as an espuma, tapioca and diced with rum. Ed says he’s ‘looking for something else,’ which may well be the onion, and all prefer Jean’s bowl of tangy Granny Smith apple, buttermilk cake and duck egg custard.

White chocolate images of Dame Jocelyn Barrow and some of her many achievements and accolades decorate Jason’s dessert of a bay leaf and tonka bean parfait, rum-glazed pineapple, jackfruit cream, hibiscus gel and spiced crumble. Tom feels the ‘pretty’ presentation isn’t matched by the ‘beige’ flavours. ‘You want something a bit more wow, don’t you?’ suggests Mina.

Can Jean bring the wow factor with his dessert? Well, most seem to think so, as they’re treated to his lesson in ‘Advanced Pudding Making,’ dedicated to Alan Rickman’s portrayal of Severus Snape. Pouring and sprinkling from vials of bramble gel and almond dust, they enhance their enchanting bowls of woodruff parfait, liquorice ganache and chocolate mousse, topped off with a blackberry tuile. Ed is no fan of the popping candy, but he still thinks it’s ‘very tasty.’ ‘I loved everything about it,’ declares Mina.

‘Of course, there can be only one winner,’ announces Andi, sending Jean through to finals week. Then, she and Tom retire to sip on their empty coffee cups and discuss the other ‘winners’ of their wild cards. Andi chooses a fish course chef and Tom chooses a main, but, in another unexpected twist, their identities are kept secret until next week. Meanwhile, charming Jean has taken to offering cuddles again. Form a orderly queue please.