Paying tribute to Jean Eavis, co-founder of the Glastonbury festival, Nicholas serves his take on ‘shrooms and cider.’ ‘There’s a lot going on,’ says Tom, as he tucks in to mushroom and spelt ragout with spiced tempura lion’s mane, fermented red pepper, roasted oyster mushrooms glazed in tamari pickle, cider-pickled candy beetroot and sesame and cider vinegar sauce, split with chive oil. Tracy likes the lightness of the tempura, but Lorna is unhappy with the workshy mushroom that’s ‘not doing it’s job as well as it could do.’

In honour of eighteenth-century chemist Humphrey Davy, Amber fills test tubes with smoked rapeseed oil, sorrel and parsley oil and pickled beetroot reduction, and the judges happily whip up the dressing for their dish of beetroot cones on beetroot ketchup, garnished with sunflower seeds and dots of lemon gel. Well, I say ‘happily’ but maybe not. Lorna says, ‘it’s nice’ but her face is less impressed, and Tracy and
Ed agree it’s ‘missing textures.’ ‘If the stuff that was in the bowl was as exciting as the sauce, it would be a great dish,’ Tom concludes.

Following in the footsteps of fossil hunter, Mary Anning, Nicholas gives his fish course a touch of the Jurassic coast. Onto the plate goes brill stuffed with dill and seaweed mousse, barbecued leek, cucumber and sea vegetable salad and tempura brill frills. Ed is easily distracted by the satisfyingly beautiful swirls of ammonite-shaped Parmesan soda bread and accompanying seaweed butter, which Tracy deems to be ‘right nice.’ ‘Amazing!’ is Tom’s opinion of the roasted fish bone and Fino sherry sauce, but Lorna grimaces at the ‘sloppy’ mousse. Poor Nicholas – he really can’t please everyone. Taking direction from Michael Caines, he's increased the quantity of mousse. Now Tom thinks there’s too much and Lorna says it's not needed at all!

David ‘Tatty’ Muirhead, who was awarded an MBE for his work supporting Cornish fishermen is the inspiration for Amber’s haddock confited in brown butter, which she serves with a net-like tangle of daikon radish salad, white fennel and sea beet purée, a rich West Country perry sauce, and a buckwheat cracker dotted with brandade and fennel mayonnaise. ‘Too many creamy textures for me,’ says Tracy, who is also struggling to ‘get the fennel.’ The fish and sauce are judged to be ‘delicious,’ but Tom isn’t a fan of the ‘windy’ daikon and Ed agrees it’s ‘bitter.’

Hoping for some sweeter notes in the judging chamber, Amber serves her Vaughan Williams themed main, ‘The Lark Ascending,’ which is actually a medley of hogget. Alongside the pan-fried leg is a braised shank shepherd’s pie, with grilled baby leeks, black garlic, whipped ewe’s curd, pickled girolles, watercress purée and hogget gravy. Paper larks take flight from the serving boxes, which Ed calls, ‘terrifying.’ The shepherd’s pie is a real crowd pleaser but there’s a lukewarm reception for the ‘stingy’ slices of meat and ‘cold’ gravy. ‘This dish has a lot going for it, but it needs a lot of work,’ says Tom.

Pioneering cheese maker, Edith Cannon inspires Nicholas to pair his ex-dairy rib of beef with a Cheddar and truffle panisse, Ogleshield cheese and buttermilk sauce, caramelised onion, barbecued cavolo nero, pickled walnut ketchup and a beef jus with wild garlic capers. Ed happily chews away like a cow in pasture, but Lorna finds much to beef about. ‘Way too overpowering and strong’ is her view of the cheese
sauce, and Tracy agrees. ‘I love it!’ declares Tom, emphatically insisting, ‘for me, this is dish of the day.’

As the judges face off over differing opinions, it’s the turn of sorbets to go head-to-head in the pre-dessert. Amber serves her blackberry one with honey and lemon curd, whilst Nicholas’s is mango flavoured with coconut panna cotta. Lorna prefers the latter, but Tom, Ed and Tracy opt for Amber’s.

Amber’s beautifully crafted book-themed dessert includes a ‘page’ of tempered white chocolate, which covers a bowl of hay-infused set cream, fermented strawberries, honeycomb and strawberry gel. Finally, there’s some harmony in the judging chamber as Ed declares, ‘I’m having a lovely time eating this,’ and all agree it’s ‘delicious.’ Tracy says the accompanying honey parfait and charcoal biscuit sandwich is ‘magical,’ and Lorna concludes that it’s ‘definitely a banquet-worthy dish.’

Channelling Sir Christopher Wren’s reconstruction work after the great fire of London, Nicholas serves a white chocolate dome of coffee and caramelised honey mousse with almond and brown butter cake, rising from a little mound of chocolate and coffee ash. Ed likes the butterscotch flavour but says it’s ‘going sweet on sweet.’ ‘You’ve got to soldier through it,’ says Tom, wearily.

Fortunately for Tom, there’s no need to call for reinforcements, as a perfect score for Amber’s dessert despatches her to finals week. As for that somewhat fractious atmosphere in the judging chamber, well Joseph’s peace keeping skills may yet prove useful.