Great task idea with loads of potential this week; the teams have to create their own fast food outlet then pitch and sell it to people in the industry.
Team Logic: Tom, Helen
Team Venture: Jim, Natasha, Susan
Karen Brady as usual looks like a cat caught in the headlights, but Alan does grace us with a visit first thing in the morning in central London to deliver the task in person. This task is a great opportunity for the wannabe’s to be creative and original. To be honest I am quite jealous of this task, I would love to have the chance to do this- I cannot believe I just said that about The Apprentice.
Logic are running with a fast-food spin on British cuisine, and with Helen in charge Tom is going to end up being a bit whipped. Helen (a rather trim individual who looks like she doesn’t eat that much anyway) gets the best job of creating and tasting all the pies she thinks will work well. These guys can have quite a catchy and cute approach to the marketing and design of their English fast-food place and play on names of famous dead Brits for inspiration.
Jim takes charge of Venture and dashes around various Mexican places trying to get a flavour for the process and popular dishes. Your man then heads off to the industrial kitchen to create some Mexican food and seems to be doing a great job.
His branding team in London come up dry with a name and concept so go to Jim for advice on the name. Then they come back to him again for the menu…then back to Jim for the final decision on the concept- Just based on this, I do hope Jim doesn’t get the boot.
The next day…
Venture’s team just consists of Jim, as he puts out fires all over the place, and Susan and Natasha do a bit of cleaning. Natasha, even when trying to be polite and serve customers is still awkward and not soon after opening disorganisation sets in, as a guy waits 10 minutes for “fast food”. “Caracas” gets more business but doesn’t quite please to the same degree as Logic’s concept of “MyPy”
Logic seem to have a good balance and have a great concept which is eye catching to both Brits and tourists. They get a lot of compliments for their food and the service seems speedy, all in all they have a more successful test-run.
Lord Sugar’s day (the day after that one)…
Today the teams need to pitch their chain, brand and business to the Shug and industry experts. Dominos and McDonalds join the tasting hit squad, so no pressure guys. There are four categories to be judged on; customer service, standard of meal and menu, restaurants brand identity and marks for demonstrating how their concepts will work long term.
Caracas seems a bit slow on the service and there are a few qualms about the portion size and structure of the food, i.e. Alan Sugar can’t hold a Fajita. The idea is simple but catchy and I just couldn’t listen to Natasha’s awkward pitch. But from Susan’s ramblings I think it went okay but not great.
MyPy gets off to a much more swingin’ start, the service is fast, the concept and brand seem to be greatly appreciated for its simplicity and catchiness- if that’s a word?
The Board room day…
The results from the industry big wigs were tallied up and then given an average score over all the categories. Sadly, Venture comes out with a measly 4/10. Logic on the other hand averaged 7/10; a big jump from their opposition, which means Tom and Helen have made it to the final.
Alan calls their bluff on their business plan and profit margins, or lack thereof. Natasha is walking proof that a degree isn’t always a good thing, she boasts a BA (Hons) in International Hospitality Management which is directly applicable to this task, this task that she failed abysmally. The lesson here is…do not do a degree with a fancy name and no substance because if you do, Alan Sugar will throw it back in your masculine face, Natasha.
The girl’s gang up a tiny bit on Jim when they get called back into the board room and it’s a miracle Natasha’s mouth isn’t getting her sacked on the spot. The wannabe’s do a bit of begging, pleading and desperately scrapping to put in the last word so as not to get eliminated. Susan gets a rather tentative talk from Sir Alan and we wonder if it’s leading up to a sacking…
Reject of the week- This week Natasha gets the boot, leaving Jim and Susan to go through to the final
Quote of the week- Helen wins this week as she shows she hasn’t learned a dam thing about teamwork since the show began several weeks ago “I suppose I’m most nervous about Tom, [will he] be able to replicate what’s in my head, that’s probably my biggest worry”- this proves that Tom probably won’t be able to do anything right.
Wannabe of the week- Tom is my wannabe of the week as he was greatly complimented by his teammate by the end of it all and got the chance to flourish without getting flustered.
