Gino D'Acampo on the edge

Celebrity chef Gino D'Acampo was in Alderley Edge today, Wednesday April 27th, on a mission to prove that 'There's No Taste Like Home'.

I was invited along to Grill on the Edge to observe filming of the new ITV1 show which celebrates home cooks.

Gino helped three home cooks re-create family recipes which have been passed down the generations - taking them out of the home and into a professional kitchen.

Alderley Edge resident's Rachael Grantham and Christine Munro competed against Duncan Evans from Chester, with the winning dish having the honour of staying on the restaurant's menu for one month from the date the show airs.

Each contestant prepared historic family dishes; Rachael cooked 'Great Grandpa Percy's Wild Boar Ravouli', Christine cooked 'Grandma Ellen's Chicken Stew' and Duncan served up 'Grandpa Wild's Cheshire Pork Pie' to a packed restaurant of paying customers.

After everyone had eaten the home cooked dish of their choice, Gino spoke with the families of each chef while the 55 diners provided written feedback on the dish they had ordered.

Speaking after the cameras had stopped rolling Rachael told me "I loved every minute of it. I really would do it again straight away. It's been fantastic.

"Thanks to Gino and all the chefs in the kitchen, they were really amazing."

Christine, who stepped in at last minute, told me "I didn't have long to think about it, which is a good thing. It was really really hard work because it wasn't my kitchen and I didn't know where everything was.

"Now it's over I enjoyed it, it was an experience. Gino asked me if I'd like to do it again though and I said no."

Before announcing the winner, the celebrity chef praised them all for their hard work, saying "you did brilliant, brilliant food."

You will have to wait until 'There's No Taste Like Home' airs, which I understand will be on ITV1 at the end of August, in order to find out which dish was awarded a coveted place on the menu at Grill on the Edge for the following month.

Photos: Ben Lowe and Andy Foy from Grill on the Edge with Gino D'Acampo. Crowds waiting outside the restaurant, Christine Munro with her family, Rachael Grantham with Gino D'Acampo and her parents Gill and Mike.