Contestants have 2½ hours in the Red, Yellow and Blue kitchens to produce a three-course meal for 4 people with a budget of £35.  The meals are judged by host Loyd Grossman, a chef and a celebrity.

There are a number of stages to the competition.  First is the completion of the application form, and from this the organisers select 16 people from each of the nine regions to participate in a non-televised ‘cook-off’ at a local catering college.  Three people from each region are then selected to partake in the televised rounds of the competition, which comprise the 1st round heats, semi-final and grand final.

The prizes for the winner include a food processor, a special event at a top restaurant where the winning menu is re-created, a week at Alastair Little’s cooking school in Italy and £3000 to spend on a gastronomic holiday anywhere in the world.