A Northumberland fish and chip shop and restaurant is set to appear on the new series of Come Dine With Me: The Professionals.
Balls of Prudhoe Fish and Chips is one of three restaurants that will go head to head to take the crown, with a cash prize being shared among the winning restaurant's staff. The family run fish and chip shop on Prudhoe's Front Street has been open for 52 years, and has been under the stewardship of current owner Anne Blakeburn for more than two decades.
Anne and Front of House Manager Gary Stewart hope that they will "batter" the opposition on the newest iteration of the popular Channel Four daytime show, though she admits that she's "dreading" seeing herself on TV!
Read more: Gateshead restaurant Namaste confirmed for Come Dine With Me: The Professionals
Anne said: "One of our friends entered us onto the show and it was a wonderful experience. The whole four days they were filming was just an amazing experience and the other contestants were lovely, absolutely lovely."
Unable to give away too much until the show gets under way on Monday July 4, she says that there's still been a hugely positive reaction in Prudhoe and continued: "I think it's given everybody a boost up here who knows now because since we found out we can tell people on Wednesday, it's been absolutely lovely having customers coming in after we announced it on Facebook - I think everybody's got a buzz about watching it!"
However, Anne doesn't quite share the same buzz as her customers as she has not yet seen the final edit of the show. She continued: "I haven't mind, I'm ill at how I'm going to come across, but you never like to see yourself, do you?
"I'm dreading that a little bit. I'm very nervous!"
Anne and Gary will be surrounded by friends on the night, who will all be hoping to see their chippy take the crown. Anne continued: "We're going to watch it in the restaurant because when we filmed, we had some friends who were already sitting in to make a bit of an atmosphere. I've invited those friends back here on Monday to watch it and they can't wait!"
Come Dine With Me is one of Channel 4's most successful programmes in recent memory, with more than 2,000 episodes aired since it started in 2005. As well as the regular format, there have been couples and celebrity editions, though the professionals twist is new for 2022.
Tim Carter, CEO of MultiStory Media, which produces Come Dine With Me, said: "For 15 glorious years, we've been celebrating the culinary creations and epic fails that pour forth from the Nation's home kitchens. Now, as they recover from the battering of the last couple of years, Come Dine With Me cheers on Britain's restaurants with its customary love note to gastronomic endeavour."
One of the other restaurants Balls are going up against is Namaste in Gateshead, whose staff confirmed their appearance in a post on their Facebook page. The third restaurant has so far remained tight-lipped, but there may be an update before the first episode airs on Monday July 4.
Come Dine With Me: The Professionals starts on Channel 4 at 5pm on Monday June 27. Episodes filmed in the North East will air the week beginning Monday July 4, with them being made available on All4 shortly after.
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