This weekend's live broadcast of BBC's Saturday Kitchen came to a temporary but joyous halt as the show celebrated a major achievement for one of its star chefs.
A Surprise Interruption
During the episode on November 15, presenter Matt Tebbutt was joined by chefs Vivek Singh and Jess Shadbolt in the studio. The culinary segment was in full swing, with Vivek preparing a traditional kadhai chicken and Jess creating beaujolais braised duck legs. However, the cooking was momentarily paused for a special reason.
As Vivek began explaining his dish, drinks specialist Olly Smith interrupted the flow to acknowledge the chef's remarkable career milestone. Vivek had revealed that his restaurant group had expanded, stating, "I opened another Cinnamon Kitchen in The Queen's Hotel in Leeds earlier on in the year, and so that makes it six for us."
Celebrating a Culinary Empire
Vivek went on to detail his restaurant portfolio, which focuses on modern Indian dining. He expressed particular pride in his flagship venue, The Cinnamon Club, located in the Old Westminster Library, which is about to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
The surprises were not over. Olly Smith then delivered another piece of fantastic news live on air. He announced that "the British Indian Good Food Guide has just published their list of the 100 best Indian restaurants in the UK, and you've been named as one of the very best in London."
A Labour of Love Recognised
A visibly thrilled Vivek Singh responded to the double celebration, saying, "Thanks very much. In the 25th year, it's quite something. We're really proud of it. It really has been a labour of love that restaurant. It's just continued to evolve and continued to push boundaries in one of the most beautiful dining rooms in London."
The show, which also featured segments with Olly Murs discussing his new album Knees Up and a demonstration on creating a traditional Chinese takeaway favourite, seamlessly returned to its scheduled programming, leaving the cast and audience buzzing from the unexpected and well-deserved recognition.
Saturday Kitchen is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
