Plot

The venue for tonight's third programme is Momma Cherri's Soul Food Shack, an intimate forty-seater a stone's throw from Brighton's sea front. Big soul momma, owner CHARITA JONES, produces a menu of irresistibly unique classics from the Deep South. The food's hard to fault but the punters are nowhere to be seen, Head Chef Brian and a rag-tag collection of part-timers are taking the mickey - and despite working a seven-day week Charita's got an empty restaurant and a £65,000 debt. If ever there was a case of too many cooks, this is it. Charita's a natural, but she's never made a profit on the restaurant and is now facing financial disaster. Can Gordon successfully shut her out of the kitchen, get the chef back on the boil and put the soul back into the business, or will the shack shut up shop for good?—Anonymous

Welcome to Momma Cherri's in Brighton. Charita Jones is a hard working "momma" with a chef that isn't allowed to take charge of his kitchen... This is the first time Gordon returns his plate EMPTY!!

According to Gordon this is one of his biggest successes, and we now know that Charita has a book about "Soul in a bowl" which seems rather succesfull... The concept is simple, pay for the table not for the food, turn over your tables two or three times and everything should be smooth.. Freshly made food that gets frozen is also banned from now.

This episode is not as much about ignorant and not caring staff, this is more of well-meaning people who where in dire need of a mentor to lay down the rules and reinsert the passion for food & cooking... Charita also learns to trust her head chef and let him do the work while she does what she is best at; being the host. A quick insight from Gordon reminds them of the fact that what customers spend on food they also spend on alcohol...

Enjoy!

-KJG