³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

Tom Kerridge and his gang of volunteers have spent two months on a quest to lose weight and get fit. Has controlling their calories delivered the weight loss they hoped for? And will they be measurably fitter having followed the NHS’s exercise recommendations? The challenge is almost over and all is about to be revealed.

The gang has planned a celebration picnic and Tom gets to work on the food. His first recipe is a salmon and broccoli quiche, packed with flavour and goodness. This quiche is great hot but also works a treat cold. The pastry is made using wholemeal flour, and Tom has an ingenious trick with a potato peeler. A generous slice of this quiche clocks in at around 360 calories.

The gang have been getting on with their diet and exercise routines without Tom for a while – to prepare them for life after the challenge. Tom scrolls through the group’s social media and is pleased to see so many positive messages and updates. Bev’s love of sweet treats was holding her back before but now she is in total control of her diet. Alex smashed his 76-mile charity bike ride, and Dan and Chris have been shopping for smaller-sized clothes.

The next recipe for the picnic is Tom’s version of samosas, the popular Indian street snack. Tom uses filo pastry for the cases and makes a filling from minced turkey, lentils and spinach. Turkey is leaner than the usual lamb filling and the samosas are baked rather than deep fried to bring down the fat content even more. These delicious, crispy parcels are only 153 calories each.

Tom isn’t going to make all the food for the farewell picnic - he has asked the gang to bring along a couple of dishes too. Lauren gets some volunteers over to her house to cook. Luke and Mumtaz are tasked with making homemade sausages, while Dan and Alex make a fruit fool. Two months ago, they were hardly cooking from scratch at all, so this is evidence of just how far they have come in the kitchen since then.

Tom’s final recipe is a salad packed with goodness and it is super quick to put together. It contains beetroot, kale, feta cheese, edamame beans, pistachio nuts and farro, all of which offer nutritional benefits for someone post-workout. Farro is a grain that takes on flavour beautifully and, like quinoa, is a plant protein. What might otherwise be a dull health food is transformed by Tom into a delicious picnic centrepiece.

Everyone taking part, including Tom, set themselves personal goals and it is time to see if all their hard work has paid off. The gang head back to the local university’s sports academy to be weighed and have their fitness re-tested. There are tense moments as they await their results and discover whether they have hit their targets.

For their celebration picnic, the gang find a sunny spot down by the river. They set up camp but before they can eat, fitness trainer Adam has a surprise. He splits the gang into two teams for a canoe race on the river. Tom is desperate for his team to win but the opposing team have other ideas.

After a change of clothes - and a chance to show off their slender new figures - the gang enjoy their picnic around the campfire. Tom is hugely proud of what his volunteers have achieved in just two months. And when the gang pledges to continue to lose weight and get fit as a group, Tom is heartened and moved. It is not the end after all - but a new beginning.