In the epic second season, nine couples once again vied for the opportunity to open their own restaurant. But chef Raymond Blanc upped the ante on the challenges. For instance, in one task, couples opened restaurants in which customers only paid what they thought the meal was worth. The teams also had to run motorway service stations, prepare formal dinners for Oxford students, integrate the national cuisine of a foreign country into their menus, serve five-star food at 35,000 feet, create a takeout business, organize private dinner parties for Raymond's demanding friends, perform a public cooking demonstration, and write cookbooks to promote their restaurants.

The couples (in order of elimination):

9th place: Single mom Kashelle and her mother, Annette, specialized in Caribbean-inspired dining.

8th place: Airline manager Scott and his partner, Richard, proposed a relaxed meeting place, serving up seasonal, locally-sourced food.

7th place: Father and daughter team Harriet and Mike created a diner serving modern takes on classic dishes.

6th place: Young married couple Caroline and Chris provided a simple menu of British food made with quality ingredients.

5th place: Blue Chip company executive Peter and his wife, Laura, offered Welsh-Chinese fusion in their eatery.

4th place: Ex-Naval officer Stephen and his wife, Helen, served rustic European fusion-style cooking set in a family restaurant.

3rd place: Line cook Tim and his HR manager wife, Lindsie, offered up a modern European-style brasserie.

2nd place: Best friends Alasdair and James presented simple fine dining.

Winner: Engaged couple Michele and Russell (see above), who previously ran a small buffet business, opened up a warm, friendly place with eclectic furniture and home-sewn table cloths.