Million Pound Menu

I'm Fred Sirieix.

I've worked

in the restaurant industry

for 25 years.

Right now,

the UK's restaurant scene

is the envy of the world.

And all it takes

is one great idea to make

a fortune on the high street.

But has the next generation

of restaurants

got what it takes to become

a multi-million pound business?

Over the next six weeks,

here, in Manchester,

the food capital of the north,

twelve of the most exciting

new restaurant ideas

are in with a chance

of a life-changing investment

from some of the UK's

most respected investors.

These are the men and women

who can turn an idea

into a national brand.

We're looking at putting

a lot of money into

the absolute best concept.

This is the kind of model

that you dream of.

If I find the right operator,

I'll be fighting for it.

Each week,

the investors will give

the people behind

two great, new food ideas

a unique opportunity...

Ah, this is brilliant.

Their own

pop-up restaurant.

Right, rock-and-roll, man.

They'll have

just three days to prove...

Nobody seems to know

the table numbers.

...they've got

what it takes...

It's a disaster.

...to make it

on the high street.

When you start to rush,

that's when you start

to make more mistakes.

There's a big backlog.

of customers at the door.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

What are you gonna

do about it?

If I was to invest,

it will take

£500,000 to £750,000.

Time to make some dough.

After the three days,

will the investors walk

back into the restaurant...

...and make them an offer?

It's a £600,000 lunch.

We are not gonna leave

without an investment.

I'm sorry. Your time is up.

The doors are open

for business.

Welcome to Million Pound Menu.

What does is take

to create a smash-hit

restaurant business?

Great food?

Certainly.

Great people?

Most definitely.

But first,

you need a great idea.

Get it right,

and you could change

the way people eat,

and make a lot of money

in the process.

The UK spends

over £33 billion a year

on eating out.

And while conditions

may be challenging

on the high street right now,

investors are still on the hunt

for new ideas strong enough

to get the customers queuing.

This is our signature

fettuccine Alfredo.

It's gonna blow your mind.

The men and women

behind some of the most

successful businesses

on the high street...

This is our signature dish,

braised beef ragu.

...have met to hear ideas

from the next generation

of restaurant entrepreneurs...

Wholesome Junkies

is vegan junk food

with a wholesome twist.

I can see a Papa Fritz

in Germany, Berlin.

...who think

their concept

is worth big money.

We require an investment

of £225,000 to help us open

the first of, hopefully,

many great co-outlets.

Over 400 people

competed for the chance

to run a trial pop-up

to prove their idea

deserved investment.

Conceptually,

it's very simple to do.

It's very Instagrammable.

I have to say that I thought

the branding sucked.

The panel chose the two ideas

with the strongest food,

brand and business plan.

I can't think of anywhere

where this will not be popular.

Then, the investors

each had to decide

whether they wanted

to pursue the opportunity.

The food offered

is really strong.

It screams fun.

And I'd love to see it

in Manchester.

My name is Ewen Hutchison,

and I am the owner and founder

of ShrimpWreck.

The first idea

to get the investors excited...

A self-trained chef

who believes his shrimp burgers

could be the new fast food.

I'm putting this together

to ask for an investment

of £100,000

to open up

our first restaurant.

Thank you.

There's possibly

a very good reason

why no-one's done

that mid-market very well,

between your cheap local

fish and chip shop

and your slightly higher end

fish offerings.

He, obviously, can work out

of a very small premises,

which we all agree

cuts down on the risk.

My name's David Page.

I was chief executive

of Pizza Express.

And I am an investor

in restaurants.

I'd like to go

and taste the food.

It looks brilliant.

ShrimpWreck

is extremely simple.

If you've got

a much more

extensive menu,

there are many more areas

to go wrong.

So, if you've got shrimp

in a bun, you can get it

for a very low price.

It tastes brilliant.

It's got massive

roll-out potential.

I'm always keen

to check out

any rising talent.

So, yeah, I'd be in.

Next, an idea

for a restaurant serving

exclusively British produce.

Welcome to Epoch.