The Great Cookbook Challenge with Jamie Oliver — Season 1

Jamie Oliver leads the quest to find the next big name in cookery, as foodies from all walks of life pitch compete for the chance to publish their own cookbook. The contestants must pitch their ideas and serve their signature dishes to Louise Moore, MD of Penguin Michael Joseph, food critic Jimi Famurewa and cookbook author Georgina Hayden, with the eventual winner being awarded their very own publishing deal. The first six cooks nervously await their turn to prepare a dish that best explains the concept and appeal of their potential book idea.

Jamie Oliver introduces the second group of contestants hoping to secure a publishing deal. The three candidates pitch their ideas for cookbooks themed around lasagnes, seasonal produce and Asian-inspired recipes to judges Jimi Famurewa, Georgina Hayden and Louise Moore - but only two of them will go forward to the challenge stage of the series.

Jamie Oliver meets the third and final group of six would-be cookbook authors, who present their pitches for books revolving around unsung ingredients, low waste meals and drawing inspiration from travel. The contestants present their ideas and serve their signature dishes to Louise Moore, MD of Penguin Michael Joseph, food critic Jimi Famurewa and cookbook author Georgina Hayden, before two are selected to go through to the next stage.

The final six cooks create two dishes to try and impress the judges. The first must be a weeknight meal that is quick and simple to make, and the cooks rise to the occasion with chicken tikka lasagne, a Filipino stew, chilli tofu stir-fry, a vegan take on beef noodles, a creamy coconut dahl, and a chicken and black bean stir-fry. The second challenge is a weekend family feast. The resulting dishes include a roast pork dinner, lemongrass lamb chops, and a venison and fig pasta-free lasagne.

Just five cooks remain in the battle to win a cookbook publishing deal with Penguin Michael Joseph. This week, the focus is on the look of the dishes that the cooks must prepare. Jamie Oliver sets the first challenge, in which one of the country's most divisive vegetables, the Brussels sprout, is the key ingredient in a dish that the cooks photograph on their phones.

The remaining contestants face two challenges in the semi-final. First, they must cook in front of the judges for the first time in a live cooking demonstration. After this, they must prepare a lavish meal to be photographed, producing a visual feast that looks good enough to go in a double-page spread of the cookbook they hope to produce.

Jamie Oliver hosts the final of the quest to find the next big name in cookery. Just three cooks remain, each needing to prove to judges Louise Moore, Jimi Famurewa and Georgina Hayden that their book idea is the one to seal the deal. For their final challenge, the cooks must present their book concept and their range of recipes to representatives of the book buying world. As well as designing the front cover for their potential book, they must cook a feast of six very different dishes to represent the range and ambition of the recipes that will feature within their book's pages.