Paul Ainsworth’s Cornish Duckling Shocks Michael Caines | Great British Menu | S6 E21

Three South West heavyweights collide in a high-stakes starter round. Michelin-starred precision meets playful invention as Paul Ainsworth, Andre Garrett and John Hooker battle to open the People’s Banquet in style. Michael Caines pushes them to deliver shareable showstoppers: a cocotte of spring vegetables with Wiltshire-cured pork cheek, slow-roast pork belly with mustard apple and pickles, and a witty Cornish duckling with pancakes, rhubarb and smoked duck Scotch eggs. One chef burns a key element, another runs late with a fryer hiccup, and a classic French approach is questioned for being too safe. Who nails the brief for a street-party feast, and who learns a harsh lesson about scale, seasoning and spectacle? The margins are tight, the critiques sharper, and the lead changes in a single plate. Watch to see which dish gets guests talking, why a tiny tweak changes everything, and how confidence holds under pressure. Dive into the most competitive Great British Menu starters yet. Watch now to catch the scores, the shocks, and the dish that takes the early lead. #GreatBritishMenu #PaulAinsworth #MichaelCaines #AndreGarrett #JohnHooker #CornishDuck #ScotchEggs #PorkBelly