Welcome back! Thanks for joining me as we dive into Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars Season 2, Episode 5 recap. Last time, Gordon Ramsay’s team won the recipe demo challenge. And Lisa Vanderpump decided to send Peri Basel home.
This week’s episode, “Partners in Wine,” allowed the teams to work with Lisa and Gordon’s wine brands. Here’s everything you need to know about Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars Season 2, Episode 5!
Raise a glass
The remaining 11 contestants are vying for $250,000 and the title of America’s Next Food Star. Team Ramsay and Team Vanderpump met with Gordon and Lisa to discuss the next challenge.
This time, each team must create a seasonal ad campaign for Gordon and Lisa’s wine brands. The contestants will create an ad campaign for a limited-edition wine tied to a specific time of year. Then they will shoot a commercial and give a presentation to a group of “wine enthusiasts.” And they have just 24 hours. Both Lisa and Gordon stressed that they were “putting our brands in your hands.”
Team Vanderpump
Here are the members of Team Vanderpump.
- Erica Levin
- Maria Laura Vacaflores
- Roman Desmond
- Nicholas Ducos
- Jess Druey
Lisa’s team agreed to have one team leader, and it is Jess. She “reimagines” and brands wine through marketing and design for her Whiny Baby Wine.
For this challenge, one-half of each team will create the commercial, while the other half will create a new name and brand label for the wine. The branding team will also give the presentation. Roman, Maria Laura, and Nicholas decided to tackle the commercial. Jess and Erica will handle the branding.
And Nicholas also has experience with wine. He is a sommelier, and he owns Mural City Cellars Winery, an urban winery. He will direct the commercial. Finally, the team landed on Valentine’s Day for their campaign.
Then Lisa showed up to find out how her team was doing. She shared that her brand style is “aspirational” but affordable. After two losses in a row, Team Vanderpump is hungry for a win.
Team Ramsay
Here are the members of Gordon’s team.
- Ali Schlichter
- Kyson Clark
- Andrew Whiting
- Chuan Liu
- Liz Aust
- Rose Hankins
Meanwhile, at Team Ramsay, the group decided who would work on the commercial. Liz, Rose, and Ali were on the commercial team. When someone stated that Rose should direct, she instead suggested Liz. Rose felt that her strengths didn’t align with directing.
So, Kyson, Andrew, and Chuan Liu will create the branding. Chuan Liu has a line of craft cocktail syrups, Levels of Grandeur. So, she has experience with branding and presentations.
The group decided to use New Year’s Eve for their holiday. Then Gordon showed up to check on his team’s progress. He stressed how important messaging is for this challenge.
The teams start executing their ideas
Jess and Erica met with a designer to create the wine name and label. Jess came up with the idea of the consumer kissing the blank space on the label. They also chose the name Lifetime Love Affair for Lisa’s wine.
When Nicholas called Erica and Jess to find out about the branding and name, the commercial team was confused by the label. Which caused Jess to doubt herself and the entire concept.
Meanwhile, Gordon’s team was brainstorming the wine name. They decided on the name Re-Brand. There will be a place on the label where customers can write their intentions and save the label. Andrew gave a nod to Jess’ company, Whiny Baby, and how strong their label game is. It must be because Team Ramsay was copying it. Yikes!
Day 2
At Team Vanderpump, the commercial team liked the wine bottles and labels, so Jess was relieved. Then Lisa came by to check in with the team. She even kissed the label on a bottle.
When asked how many roses should be in a vase, Lisa said she wasn’t allowed to say. Then she instructed them to cover the tablecloth with rose petals. Afterward, she announced that she would be in trouble for helping.
Conflict on Team Ramsay
Each team had two hours with a film crew to create their 30-second commercial. The director, Liz, was stressed. Eventually, Rose tried to push Liz to make decisions because they were short on time.
When Gordon popped by, he told Liz to make sure that the commercial sells the wine. He felt that the name was “bold” and knew that his team had better deliver. “Re-brand. How about rethink?” Gordon quipped.
While Liz was trying to direct, Rose took over. Liz was frustrated because originally Rose didn’t want to direct. At the same time, the branding team was trying to create their presentation. Chuan Liu was having trouble formulating her thoughts. She added that she wasn’t sure what she would say in front of the crowd. Her comment made Andrew uneasy. After all, storytelling was Chuan Liu’s strong suit.
The Presentations
At the same time, 100 wine enthusiasts gathered in London to sip wine and watch the presentations. The team that convinces the most potential customers to choose their wine wins the challenge.
Team Vanderpump was up first. Erica and Jess had a fun presentation, teasing that Lisa had been having a “lifelong love affair … with her wines.” The crowd seemed to like the interactive label, whether kissing it or writing a love note on it.
And their commercial was infused with humor and a star turn by Maria Laura. Lisa was impressed by the commercial and the presentation. Gordon admitted that Lisa’s team’s effort was “polished, slick.”
Team Ramsay’s Presentation
Andrew, Kyson, and Chuan Liu seemed unrehearsed. Chuan Liu started to pull it all together, but when she paused, Kyson tried to speak. But she cut him off and continued.
Finally, Kyson talked about how customers could write their intentions on the label. Thankfully, he mentioned the wine’s name for the first time.
The commercial definitely featured the wine bottle and showed the peel-off label. But the crowd’s reaction seemed lukewarm. And Jess was floored that it featured a peel-off label in a picture frame, just like her personal brand, Whiny Baby.
Who won the challenge?
Team Ramsay and Team Vanderpump gathered to hear the results. Jess called out the other team for “stalking Whiny Baby’s Instagram.” Andrew responded that it was a good idea. So, Jess shot back that it “may be time to clean house a little.” Shots fired!
Gordon broke down the audience’s thoughts about his wine. The branding was “thoughtful” and “sentimental.” They also really liked the keep-sake label. As far as the commercial, the crowd thought that the “vision wasn’t clear” and it “didn’t really feel like a Gordon Ramsay wine.”
For Team Vanderpump, the audience thought the branding “was sleek but not eye-catching.” The crowd added that the team “nailed” the commercial.
Then the crowd was asked if the commercial would make them want to purchase the seasonal wine. A total of 37 percent would purchase Gordon’s wine, while 63 percent would purchase Lisa’s wine. See you at The Grilling, Team Ramsay!
The Grilling
Gordon pointed out to his team that their assignment was to launch a limited edition of an existing brand, not to “rebrand” his product. I felt bad for Liz. She looked terrified, and then Ali started to get teary. “I trusted you with my brand. Congratulations. You sent it backward,” he told them.
Gordon wanted to start with the wine’s name. Chuan Liu explained that the branding team tried to come up with words linked to New Year’s Eve. An exasperated Gordon replied that the word “rebrand” meant that the product wasn’t good enough before. Yikes!
He asked Chuan Liu, who is in the beverage industry if she would put out her product with the name “Re-Brand.” She replied, “No.”
Overall, the audience’s comments about the commercial were savage. Liz took responsibility, stating that she believed in it. But she added that she hadn’t directed before, and other people on the commercial team didn’t want to direct. Then Rose admitted that she chose not to direct the ad. Gordon asked if she was scared of being in charge. She replied that she wasn’t, but this wasn’t her strong suit.
Then Lisa brought up copying Jess’ label idea. “There are places you don’t go, and you don’t rip off your competitor’s label,” she stated. Andrew admitted that he knew about Whiny Baby.
“It’s lazy,” Gordon said. “Andrew, I expect more from you.” Wow! I need a glass of wine. This grilling is intense!
Then Gordon criticized the presentation as “soulless” and remarked that it didn’t set the stage for the commercial. He told his team they needed to “rethink” why they came on the show.
Finally, Gordon focused his attention on Liz, Andrew, and Chuan Liu.
Who is leaving the competition?
Chuan Liu is leaving the competition
Gordon sent Chuan Liu home. “I’m feeling deeply disappointed for sure. I can see where Gordon is coming from,” Chuan Liu said in her final confessional. “You know there were definitely a lot of missteps. Sad for sure to be leaving. And I didn’t think it would be this early.”
Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars airs on Wednesdays, 9:00-10:00 PM ET on FOX.
TELL US – DID YOU ENJOY GORDON RAMSAY’S FOOD STARS, SEASON 2, EPISODE 5? WHICH PRESENTATION WAS BETTER? DID THE RIGHT PERSON GO HOME?
