The Hotplate
The Hotplate was an Australian cooking reality television series which aired on the Nine Network on 28 July 2015. The show consisted of state-based restaurants with teams travelling the country to dine in and score each other's restaurants. The restaurants were judged by British food writer and critic, Tom Parker Bowles and Melbourne restaurateur, Scott Pickett. The show pit six established suburban restaurants against each other all striving for a leg up in the industry—and an extra $100,000 in the bank, Sydney's Guillaume Brahimi, the French-born chef, appeared as a special guest judge during all elimination episodes.
Only one season of the program has been produced, following legal action from the Seven Network claiming the format is too similar to its own program My Kitchen Rules. Nine and Seven reached a settlement in which Nine agreed that no further seasons would be produced, and the inaugural season would never be replayed.
Format
Local restaurant heroes from around the country will do battle over dinner, they will be judged on all aspects of the restaurant experience. The worst performing teams will face elimination. The winner of the competition will receive $100,000 prize and realise their food dream.Series Details
Private Dinners
Each team has 3 hours to prep their food they are cooking. The teams and judges decide what they want to eat from their menu. Two entrees, mains and desserts are chosen. The teams score the team out of 10 for a whole score out of 50, the judges score the food and restaurant experience for a score out of 20.Christina & Tania - Italian
Episode 1Airdate — 28 July 2015Phillipe & Pascal - French
Episode 2Airdate — 29 July 2015Aron & Vanessa - Mod Aus
Episode 3Airdate — 30 July 2015Conrad & Liam - Asian Fusion
Episode 4Airdate — 3 August 2015Marie & Emi - Japanese
Episode 5Airdate — 4 August 2015Lozz & Nols - Seafood
Episode 6Airdate — 5 August 20151st Elimination Dinner
The 2 teams will cook 3 meals over a 3-hour period, they must use 3 main ingredients but cooked to their style of cooking. The judges are joined by a special judge, Guillaume Brahimi, to judge the food. The over teams eat the food but do not judge it, the 2 teams are not given points but are only judge on how each meal tastes.Episode 7Airdate — 10 August 2015Makeover Round
Each team has $20,000 each to renovate their restaurant within 72 hours. Their menus will have a makeover, they are given 3 new recipes which they have to put their food style into. They must deliver 3 dishes, each team are judged out of 100.Aron & Vanessa
Episode 8Airdate — 11 August 2015Lozz & Nols
Episode 9Airdate — 12 August 2015Phillipe & Pascal
Episode 10Airdate — 17 August 2015Marie & Emi
Episode 11Airdate — 18 August 2015Christina & Tania
Episode 12Airdate — 19 August 20152nd Elimination Dinner
Episode 13Airdate — 24 August 2015Finals - Public Dinners
Each team have to serve not only the other teams and judges' but also the general public, they will be judged be the general public. They will get help from their staff. Similar to the private dinners, each team will serve 2 different entrèes, mains & desserts. The eliminated teams will sit in with the public and score the overall experience. Two teams will be eliminated at the end of the round and the final two will go to the Grand Final.Marie & Emi
Episode 14Airdate — 25 August 2015Phillipe & Pascal
Episode 15Airdate — 26 August 2015Aron & Vanessa
Episode 16Airdate — 31 August 2015Lozz & Nols
Episode 17Airdate — 1 September 2015Grand Finale
The final two teams have to cook the best dishes of their lives, four courses in four hours judged by Tom, Scott and guest judge Guillaume Brahimi who will each score out of 10. The highest scoring team will win the competition.Episode 18Airdate — 2 September 2015Ratings
; Colour keyHighest rating during the series
Lowest rating during the series
An elimination was held in this episode
Finals week
Stolen concept
On 2 August 2015, Network Seven launched a Federal Court case against Nine for plagiarism over their show My Kitchen Rules due to them "using almost identical casting, costuming, sets, music, promotion and judging processes to MKR...We believe Nine has appropriated Seven's My Kitchen Rules original format and related production elements, and contravened copyright. That's why we're in court" said a Network Seven spokesperson. The legal battle will ensue on Tuesday 4 August. This follows after tension after Nine's Reno Rumble saw contestants from The Block competing against renovators from Seven's House Rules, however no legal proceedings followed because the contestants were no longer contracted to Seven.On 6 August 2015, the courts ruled in Nine's favour and allowed the network to air the program, with Seven expected to appeal the verdict.