If the impending arrival of Autumn (if it isn't here already) has you depressed, then we have some good news to counter that. September may mean the end of the hols and back to work, but it also means that the Salt Yard Group Croqueta Challenge is just around the corner.

We've judged it for the past few years and it's

OK - how good does this sound? The lovely Fred Sirieix, fresh from another series of pairing up romance-searchers on First Dates, has just announced his latest TV show.

He and chef (and the original co-founder of Leon) Allegra McEvedy - are going to be the hosts of Restaurant Dream Team. But this is no primetime show - it's actually going to be on CBBC.

In a post on Instagram today Fred said: "we are on the hunt for the “Restaurant Dream

Update 20/11/18 - the whole series is now available on Netflix right here (assuming you're signed up). Episode 3 is the UK one and yes, the American host's understanding of current British cuisine isn't exactly what we hoped for. Tell us what you thought in the comments below...

Original

If you're inspired by this year's Great British Menu to try some of the chef contestants' food, here's our guide to the London restaurants with chefs taking part, what to order and how much it costs to dine there.

If, like us, you enjoyed watching the lovely Fred Sirieix on the Million Pound Menu then the good news is he's coming back. BBC Two have just ordered a second series of the restaurant business show.

If you didn't catch the first one - recap, it's like Dragon's Den for restaurateurs with industry experts offering their mentoring

Updated 18/8/18 with finalist details

Always one of our favourite nights of the year, the Croquetas Challenge is gearing up for its 2018 event. Now in its third year, this competitive comparison of London restaurants' best croquetas takes place at Ember Yard in Soho and they've already got a cracking line-up.

In the mix so far this year are Rovi, Farang, Eneko, Salt Yard, Opera Tavern, Aqua Nueva, Carousel, Blanchette, Brindisa, Jugged Hare, Claw

Ever fancied yourself as someone who runs a popup restaurant? Well a new competition running this summer at Westfield London might be able to help with that.

Food Popup is asking for entries for pop-up ideas to be put to a panel of judges consisting of chef Omar Allibhoy of Tapas Revolution, Bloomberg food criticc Richard Vines, Jonathan Prynn from The Standard and Jeremy Pang, founder of School of Wok.

Five cooks will then be shortlisted

Dan Doherty, executive chef of the Duck and Waffle is a busy chap. Over the past year he's also been busy running a series of supperclubs for his Sprout concept, he then became a dad and now he's taking on the world of TV.

In an Instagram post at the weekend, Doherty revealed that he's joining the judges panel of the new Mary Berry

The Ember Yard winning croquetas set with octopus suckers

The basement of Ember Yard was thronged last night with hordes of folk set on one thing and one thing only - croquetas. Yes, the second Croquetas Challenge turned out to be an

How many croquetas can one person manage in a single sitting? We're here to tell you it's quite a lot

Is there such a thing as too many croquetas? We put that concept to the test last Autumn when we, alongside a panel of foodie folk, judged the first Croquetas Challenge. Turns out that as long as you pace yourself (and eat NOTHING all day in preparation) it's possible to try - and enjoy - 14 croquetas in quick succession.

Last year's

If you love pizza as much as us, the chance to try the creations of some of London's top chefs and raise money for a great cause sounds like a no-brainer. For a month, pizzas created by a group of chefs will be on offer at West London pizzeria Pizzicotto. The chef whose pizza sells the most will be crowned the winner of the Gourmet Pizza Challenge, and their pizza will become a permanent addition to the Pizzicotto menu.

Chefs taking part are:

• Jun

While the rest of London was searching for somewhere air-conditioned last night, Hot Dinners headed downstairs to the basement bar of Ember Yard for some hot and sweaty croquetas action.

14 restaurants were in competition for the title of the best croquetas in London with a top judging team of Bob Granleese (from the Guardian), food writer Joe Wright, Time Out's Laura Richards and our good selves.

There were all manner of croquetas to choose from, from the trad

Following hard on the heels of the Scotch Egg Challenge comes another bar snack competition - this year's Great Sausage Roll Off. The annual event is now in its fourth year and take place at The Red Lion in Barnes.

Hot Dinners managed to inveigle them to give us the shortlist of those entering their finest rolls in this year's contest. Both 2015 and 2014's champions are back to defend/claim back their title, so it sounds like it'll be one hell of a

See which amazing creations made the cut for our Bloody Mary chef's challenge