In later rounds, heats select the best of the regional winners with a guest panel of critics taking on the task of choosing the winning dishes.
Mary Nightingale took over as presenter for series 5 & 6 with the show getting a makeover with shortened opening credits and a refreshed theme tune but staying true to the main format.
It still concentrates on recipes from around the regions of the UK with short clips showing the restaurants where the competitors work as professional chefs.
The show has been sponsored by the New Covent Garden Soup Company, Uncle Ben's sauces and Red Tractor mark meats.
The auditions were filmed in locations from around the UK with regional identities colouring the flavour of these early heats.