The heart. An incredibly powerful organ.
Working constantly without ever having to stop.
The perfect plumbing system in eternal operation.
I neglected mine.
But every system needs care.
Neglect leads to pressure building beneath the surface.
Just like an artery, when a pipe gets blocked,
the pressure builds somewhere else down the line.
And by the time it's discovered,
the damage has already been done.
It's just a matter of time before the whole thing blows.
Service.
Charity auctions.
The playground for the rich and bored.
-Welcome to the Penrose. -Thanks.
You could look a little less pleased with yourself.
I can hear you purring from here.
This is exactly what I wanted.
Dazzle the local money and land ourselves an investor.
How could they not be dazzled? Look at the place.
Fingers crossed.
We still need 80,000
for the deposit for the spa.
They spend that on wine.
Or bizarre beauty therapies...
-SAM: Welcome. -Hello.
...involving a sheep's placenta.
Thank you for agreeing to all this.
Sam shall go to the ball.
Although I only met him once,
I hated Mason Elliot from the minute I saw him.
Mr. Elliot, I'm so glad you could make it.
My pleasure.
Beautiful place you have here.
Well, I'd be happy to give you a tour at some point.
Sounds good.
Wait, wait.
When I heard you were on a comfort break,
I presume we were talking about a trip to the loo,
not a Mediterranean cruise.
Aren't you supposed to be front of house tonight?
-Well, this needed finishing! -When are you gonna trust me?
I do trust you.
I'm just dreading being paraded out there like an exotic monkey.
Sam says now.
It's cryptic, but I'm sure you can figure it out.
Oh, save me, please.
-No can do. -Traitor.
-Sam's friend... -Yes?
Wants a word.
Since when was Mason Elliot Sam's friend?
Should that name mean something to me?
Yes, Dio. It really should.
Gina Benelli.
I've heard so much about you.
All good, I hope.
Better than good.
Legendary, even.
Your food this evening was exquisite.
The risotto in particular.
Elegant, luxurious, earthy.
So, what brings you to Cornwall?
I thought you found the southwest
too provincial for fine dining.
I hope you don't believe everything you read.
These journalists blow every little sentiment
completely out of proportion.
So it's just a pleasure trip, then, is it?
Not quite. I'm here because I was invited.
Invited? By who?
Your business partner.
Would you just excuse me?
I'd love to have you cook for me sometime.
We're pretty much booked up at the moment,
but we'll try and squeeze you in.
SAM: Thank you so --
GINA: Could I just steal you for a moment?
Why in God's name would you invite Mason Elliot?
SAM: Why wouldn't I?
You heard what happened in Marlborough
when he took over the Heron.
Three places had to close their doors within a month!
I thought he might be interested in investing.
That man does not invest.
He devours.
The dessert should've been out 10 minutes ago.
My fault. He's been too busy feeding me.
Teresa!
Ohh, mia figlia!
Okay, I can't actually breathe.
I wasn't expecting you to arrive till next week!
Yeah, surprise.
Teresa! Ohh!
Where's Michael?
Um...
Well? Where is he?
We broke up.
And I really don't want to talk about it.
Oh, what's he done now?
-Excuse me? -Mum, please.
Well, obviously it's something pretty bad.
She wouldn't have come all this way on her own.
Why are you assuming it was his fault?
Is that a serious question?
Oh, my God, stop. Please stop.
Stop. I just want to go to bed.
Oh.
-Nicely done, Sam. -Me?
It was you who was drilling her for information.
Drilling? I was just trying to find out what actually happened.
Exactly. There's no point in assuming anything until --
Ah! She ate it!
-It's show time. -Let's go.
Now, as many of you know,
tonight's cause is very close to our hearts.
It means so much to be able to host this event
and to offer the first lot --
a bespoke dinner for two,
cooked by our magnificent Gina Benelli.
Come on up here, Gina.
Shall we begin at £200?
£200.
£300.
Excellent. 300.
£1,000.
-WOMAN: Oh!
I have a request.
I would like Miss Benelli to come to where we're staying
and cook for us there.
This is not what we agreed.
For that honor, surely you could donate a bit more.
-£3,000. -Can we have a little talk?
Sold.
I'm not going to do it. I absolutely refuse to do it.
Congratulations.
I don't think you have much of a choice.
He just bought you, fair and square.
The glory days are over, I'm afraid.
-They've even put me to work. -How come?
Well, every penny goes to the deposit for Sam's spa.
But I don't mind sharing if you don't.
No, yeah. Thanks.
You didn't ask where Michael is.
It's none of my business.
Doesn't stop anyone else in this family.
Do you know, the most humiliating thing
is that Mum was right.
She said it all along it wouldn't work.
Oh, self-pity this late gives me indigestion.
Listen, it's better to regret the things you did
rather than those you didn't.
Remember the good times,
and move on.
Welcome home, sweet pea.
Michael, Teresa's home.
Please call me when you get this.
I just need to know you're okay.
I was never really a morning person.
I preferred the chaos and clutter of the night.
But Gina was always up with the birds.
It was her favorite time of the day,
when she didn't have to share the world with anyone.
Or her kitchen.
Buongiorno.
You know, a little distance
between a parent and child can be healthy.
You lived with Leo for most of your adult life.
And he behaved like an infant for most of his.
Point proven.
Mm.
I know you've set your heart on that spa,
but don't you think that selling your business partner
is going a step too far?
Oh, don't be so dramatic.
Anyway, you'd be more rented than sold.
Look, we both know what this is really all about.
The fact is that my prodigal child has returned,
and yours has done a runner and left Teresa high and dry.
Why are you insisting on blaming him?
You have no reason whatsoever --
No reason?
He had slept with half of Cornwall
by the time he was 18.
It's no surprise that he's gone global.
My son's sex life is none of your business.
Yes, it is, when it directly affects
my daughter's well-being.
Oh! Stop!
Call the bloody plumber!
Do you want to talk about what happened?
Fuck no. I want to talk about anything but.
Well, this place was mind-numbingly boring
without you here.
Glad to hear it.
That doesn't bode well.
We'll have to shut off the supply for 24 hours.
What?! I have guests to feed!
I warned Leo, told him those pipes needed replacing,
but he kept telling me to patch them up.
How much are we talking here?
You're looking at around about 8,000.
What happened to mates' rates, Steve?
I made your wedding cake in 1996.
Now, that was a good cake.
How can I feed 40 people with no running water?
You can't. We'll have to close the restaurant for the night.
You can call the guests yourself to personally apologize.
This is a joke, right?
Oh, no. Of course.
You're punishing me for calling Michael a slut.
Don't be ridiculous. This is business.
I refuse to repeat Leo's stupid mistakes.
I can't believe he's still fucking us over
from beyond the grave.
I heard about the great flood. What can I do to help?
Start gathering the animals in heterosexual pairs?
Don't even joke.
I have visions of Gina cooking in a life jacket.
I'm pretty sure you can charge extra for that.
Seriously, though, I want to help.
I'm not looking for a free ride here.
Okay. You can start tonight.
Front of house with Mimi.
Though watch your step. She's been a bit waspish lately.
I thought waspish was her default setting.
Teresa.
I'm sorry if he hurt you.
I can't.
Shall I say it in Spanish? Cantonese?
There's nothing I can do
about peacocks fornicating outside your window
at 2:00 in the morning.
I am so sorry to hear you were disturbed.
Uh, let me find you a bottle of something nice
to make up for it.
That would be most considerate.
The entire plumbing system beneath the kitchen
needs to be replaced.
And Michael still isn't returning my calls.
Have I done something to annoy you?
You've hardly spoken a word to me all week.
Don't be needy, dear.
It's so unbecoming in a woman of your age.
I was thinking -- Monday night.
Monday's my night off.
Yeah, of course, but we are losing business.
What's your point?
Let me have them.
I've been working really hard on a menu.
You know, there's more to running a kitchen
than just cooking.
Like what?
Like managing a service,
like overseeing the staff.
You're responsible for every dish that leaves this kitchen,
and by proxy, for the reputation of the Penrose itself.
You don't think I'm up to it?
I just don't think you're ready.
-These just came for you. -Oh.
"I'll send my driver at 7:00 p.m.
Yours, Mason."
Honestly, thinks he can just click his fingers
and I'll come running.
ADAM: You're kidding.
I'd give my right arm for a chance to cook for Mason Elliot.
Please don't be rude to him.
Ah!
Did you find your breakfast this morning?
Find it? I had to hike my way around it.
Do you know, whatever happened out there...
...I want you to know that I'll always be on your side.
I don't want you on my side.
It's just gonna cause problems for you and Sam,
and things seem to be going pretty well.
Oh, don't fool yourself.
Our problems are varied and many.
How come you're all fancied up.
What? What do you mean?
On a scale of one to ten, just how attractive is this man?
Oh, don't be so ridiculous. This is stupid.
Shut up. Take that.
-Gina Benelli? -Uh-huh.
Thought you could use some company.
-What if I don't want any? -Tough.
Here you are.
10 years today.
STEVE: 10 years.
To Edna.
Edna.
You hungry?
Yeah, I can eat.
GINA: How long is Mr. Elliot staying?
He hasn't specified.
Welcome.
I'm so glad you're here.
Well, you got lucky.
We had to close the kitchen for the night.
What a shame.
What about your date?
Who might that be?
The ridiculously beautiful woman who just stepped out there.
Oh, yes. Not a big drinker.
To new friends.
You know, I met Leo once.
Really?
Not long after you two were married.
We were both young and stupid, trying too hard to impress.
-He'd just bought the Penrose. -Where was this?
In a vineyard in the south of France.
He outbid me on six bottles of Château Lazar 1992.
They'd be worth a fortune now.
He told me that evening that he'd just married
the most naturally talented chef he'd ever met.
It was a great love affair, then?
Yes, it was.
So, what went wrong?
Oh, nothing, everything. Life.
That's a little tricky.
Thanks.
I have this great method for sea bass.
Maybe I should show you.
If you touch my food, I'll fillet your fingers.
At least let me taste the sauce.
Surely my donation entitles me to lick the spoon.
Maybe a bit more salt.
Do you know, I've killed for less than that.
I'm ready to serve. Do you want to call your date?
Actually, Pippa, my niece,
has already left.
I was hoping you would join me.
Well, your reputation precedes you.
Meaning?
Meaning that I know exactly who you are
and that nothing you do is accidental,
so what are you up to?
I wanted to meet you.
Really?
Really.
Ever since Leo mentioned you all those years ago,
I was intrigued,
so when I received the invitation from Sam,
I thought, "It's meant to be."
Mmm.
Do you ever get tired of people telling you
how much they love your food?
Never.
ELLIOT: Technically, you still owe me a meal.
Well, it wasn't my fault
that the dinner ended up on the floor.
Stay, and I'll make you something.
I thought your cheffing days were over.
Very special occasions only.
And it was special.
In that it will never, ever happen again.
It was good fun, though. Safe journey home.
How much are you short for the deposit?
About 80 grand.
-That's a lot of grand. -That's where you come in.
This is our budget for food purchases.
And this is the amount that Gina spent last month.
-That's more than twice. -Exactly.
-So are you up to the task? -I'll give it a shot, boss.
Michael still isn't answering my calls.
Um, he was going on a hill trek in Vietnam.
He won't have any signal up there.
I wouldn't worry.
What's all this?
Teresa wants a job, so I've tasked her
with bringing the kitchen spending under control.
I thought you said you were allergic
to any kind of formal employment.
Yeah, when I was a 15-year-old anarchist
with no need for an income.
Growing up sucks.
So did Mr. Elliot enjoy the Gina Benelli experience?
Mm, you could say that, yeah.
What the hell are you doing here?
Why do you hate me?
Just leave me alone.
-Oh, be careful!
-Sorry. -What's going on here?
Do you want the good news or the bad news?
Start with the bad.
Gonna have to keep the water off for another 12 hours.
-And the good? -I think I can do it for 7,800.
Gonna have to close the restaurant for another night.
Don't fight it.
Just find something fun to do with your night off.
-What's Mangan's? -Fish supplier.
Expensive, but Gina says they're the best.
This is absolutely impossible.
Without killing my mother, there is no way to do this.
Actually, I've got a couple of ideas.
I tried to talk to her about it yesterday.
You know what she's like.
There's no point telling her. You have to show her.
A little "welcome home" present, dear.
Oh!
When Gina was pregnant with you,
she was starving from the minute she conceived.
And Leo said that she snored like a rhino.
Well, last night, you...
I...
Take the test, dear.
It won't change the result either way.
Why don't you tell them they make the delivery
or we change the supplier?
-Is that Italian for hello? -Oh, shut up.
Whoa! What about your "this must never happen again" speech?
Seriously, I'm not here for your conversation.
You are leaving soon, though, right?
-Tomorrow. -Yeah, okay, perfect.
Perfect.
LEO: It won't bite.
No, but it could alter the course of my life forever.
True.
Better get on with it, then.
The head chef at the Heron is leaving.
This is a job offer?
I'd heard you were smooth, but, wow!
That is taking head-hunting to a whole new extreme.
It's the best restaurant in the country.
Says who?
Half a dozen critics and three Michelin stars.
I hate critics.
You should never intellectualize food.
Are you seriously telling me you haven't dreamt of this?
The Penrose is my dream job.
The Penrose is trading on
a number of faithful returning clientele.
It won't last forever.
This is what I do.
I enable talented people to become the best they can be.
So long as your name's over the door.
My name is my brand.
Yeah. And the Penrose is mine.
Besides which, I've done
the whole "mixing business and pleasure thing" before,
and it's a bad idea.
It can be whatever you want it to be.
Thanks.
But the last thing I want in my life right now
is to be answerable to a man,
personally or professionally.
I spent far too long playing second fiddle to Leo,
and I'm just not going to do it again.
I thought these modern tests were much faster.
You've been in that bathroom all night.
All right, shall we do charades? One word or two?
Four?
I'm not not pregnant.
I see.
Seriously, you do know that contraception
was a marvelous invention?
I used contraception. This isn't fair.
Apparently fertility is my fucking superpower.
I'm scared.
Well, let's be scared together.
Can you feel that?
Yes. Yes, I can.
Where are you coming from?
Mason Elliot just asked me to take over
as the head chef at the Heron.
Is this a joke?
Can you believe he actually thought
I would leave the Penrose and become one of his chef-bots?
-What did you say? -What do you think I said?
I told him where to stick his offer.
You must have really impressed him.
We've worked too hard here. As if I would just walk away.
What if there was a way to capitalize
on his professional interest in you and help the Penrose?
No way!
Don't even think about asking him to invest here.
Why not? It makes perfect sense.
He wants you, you are the Penrose,
and we need money to buy the new site.
Absolutely not.
I forbid you to go anywhere near that man.
-Forbid me? -I don't like him! Okay?
Anyway, he's leaving town this evening,
so please just let him go.
When did you have the biopsy?
Oh, couple of months ago.
Months?! Why didn't you tell anyone?
I didn't want anybody fussing. I'm old.
As death-related illnesses go, breast cancer isn't the worst.
I've always been afraid that my mind would go
and I'd end up talking to all my dead friends in some home
smelling of soup.
You can't just bury your head in the sand.
You have -- You have to do something.
Oh!
I'm so sorry. That was a terrible mistake.
I shouldn't have told you.
I'm not a child. I can handle this.
But you need to find out those results.
And you need to tell your mother you're pregnant.
Fuck that.
Tell you what --
I'll keep your secret if you keep mine.
Huh?
-Do you have a minute? -For what?
-Great, you're both here. -What's this about?
A tasting menu.
-Is this a joke? -Go on, Adam.
Well, it would allow us to cut down
on the amount of ingredients we're ordering
and save on prep time.
-Sounds great. -Absolutely not.
-Let him finish. -No need.
Tasting menus are about
tiny quantities of pretentious food
at glorified prices.
People come to the Penrose because they want a proper meal.
Sorry. I thought you understood what we're doing here.
Adam...
Do you really think that's the right way
to treat our staff?
What? This is a terrible idea.
SAM: I don't think it is.
I think it might actually be good for us.
-But you don't care about that. -No.
You only care about the Gina Benelli show.
Yeah.
God help anyone else who gets in your way.
This isn't fair.
For years, you've been the person I could always talk to,
and now you're completely shutting me out.
If you're worried about something,
then you know you can tell me.
The only thing I'm worried about, Sam, is you.
I'm sick and tired of watching you obsessing
about what isn't going right.
Gina, Michael, this place.
There are no living martyrs. They're all dead.
If there are things that you want in your life,
whether they be money or success or love,
you have to be the one who goes out and gets it.
I can't do it for you.
When I invited you down here,
I didn't mean for you to try and steal my head chef.
No chance of her defecting. She made herself quite clear.
Yes, she mentioned you didn't quite hit it off.
She said that?
More or less.
Don't be offended. Gina hates most people.
It's just the way she is.
But I don't make decisions based on emotions.
If it makes business sense, then it makes sense.
I want to expand the Penrose.
I have found the perfect coastal site for a spa nearby.
The views are incredible,
and the owner lost a ton of money
turning it into a sushi place that everyone hated,
so he needs a quick sale.
That's why you invited me to the auction.
I want us to realize our true potential.
And that is why you are the perfect partner for us.
I'm afraid I'm not. It's nothing personal.
It's just investing in the Penrose
doesn't make financial sense.
There's quite a lot of alcohol in there.
Do you ever feel as though you're the only one
that's stopping the ship from sinking?
And no one else seems to even notice?
And it is just fucking exhausting.
ELLIOT: Absolutely.
Really?
My father went to get milk when I was 12 years old
and never came back.
I had three younger siblings,
and I spent my whole life bailing water.
But that's what lifesavers do.
If it wasn't for people like us,
everyone would drown.
Can't you leave me alone?
Please, for once, just let me speak.
And then I'll go, I promise.
Your wife's heart didn't just save my life.
It made my daughter's possible.
I just wanted you to know.
I'd like to call her Edna if that's okay with you.
Yes.
Thank you.
So is it true you built your empire from nothing?
Well, I had a family to support,
so I started washing pots and pans,
I worked hard, got promoted, and so on.
And what are you now, a businessman or a chef?
Well, I'm no Gina in the kitchen.
That was a bitter pill to swallow,
thinking you're great and realizing
you're actually only mediocre at best.
So...
...I switched focus.
Now I enable talent.
I give them what they need to bloom.
And what about you?
You don't look like you belong here, in the middle of nowhere.
All this fresh air? What more could you want?
Excitement. Culture, chaos.
All the things that make you feel alive.
I was offered a job at Claridge's before I married Leo.
I never told him.
I didn't want him to feel like
I was sacrificing anything for him.
And were you?
Perhaps.
I often think about the impressive career
I could've had.
But this is exactly where I wanted to be.
The perfect place to bring up my son.
And where is he now?
Vietnam.
He's not the best at keeping in touch.
I can commiserate.
I have a 23-year-old boy
who only calls me when he needs cash.
Last I heard, he was kayaking up the Nile.
But they move on with their lives,
and we have to do the same.
For what it's worth, I think you're very impressive.
I bet you say that to all the women
you refuse to get into business with.
I don't, actually.
I should call a cab.
Someone told me today that if I want something,
then I have to go out and get it.
Great advice.
It is.
Why did you cheat on Dad?
I knew it.
-Michael cheated on you. -Just answer the question.
I know that he took your recipes and stole the limelight.
Did you sleep with James to get back at him?
Things were very intense between us, very passionate.
And then his career took off and his focus was elsewhere.
I just wanted it back on me.
Yeah, that makes no sense to me whatsoever.
You know that kind of electricity
you have with someone, where your brain shuts down
and you just want loads more?
Anyway, if I hadn't cheated then,
I would never have had you.
And you are, hands down, the best thing I've ever done.
So no regrets.
I'm so happy you're home.
Night, Mum.
I hated Mason Elliot --
not because he was an asshole,
but because he had that look in his eye, that conviction.
I knew his star would rise faster than mine.
Where have you been?
Nowhere.
Are you drunk?
What if I am? I'm a grownup.
Hope you didn't do anything I wouldn't do.
That's the only reason I outbid him for that case of wine.
I didn't want him to win.
Château Lazar 1992.
Currently retailing at £5,600 per bottle.
Mason Elliot and I have more in common
than our taste in wine.
Little does he know he's playing with fire.
Mason Elliot's a Goliath in this industry.
We can't win this fight.
If you were my chef, you'd be running my kitchen completely.
-SAM: I want you to end it. -There's nothing to end.
Please! He's a shark. You just said so yourself.
When are you going back to the hospital?
I'm getting my results tomorrow.
And you're coming with me.
Mason Elliot needs taking down a peg or two.
And we are just the women to do it.
You wouldn't.
Yeah, you're right. I wouldn't.
-Whoo-hoo!