The Gallows stars on Come Dine With Me: The Professionals

Milnrow eatery The Gallows will feature in the next episode of Come Dine With Me: The Professionals, a new Channel 4 series.

Britain’s favourite daytime cooking competition has returned – but for the first time ever, sees professional chefs battling it out in the kitchen.

Like the standard competition, three local restaurant duos will go head-to-head as they take it in turns to host the others for a three-course dinner and prove they’ve got what it takes to win the £1,000 prize.

At the end of each meal, the visiting restaurant pairs will score their host’s dinner out of 20, with the highest scorers overall scooping the prize.

And the Friday 8 July episode will see professional chef David Hayden, who has catered for the likes of premiership footballers, TV personalities and other celebrities, and his wife, Rachael, compete in the prestigious show.

The couple took on ownership of The Gallows pub on Kiln Lane in 2020, where they offer refined dining using local produce and season ingredients, with the help of two apprentices from Hopwood Hall College, Byron Hamilton and James Collins.

Having worked in many prestigious hotels and restaurants, David’s career has seen him travel across the world to Australia, Thailand, the Channel Islands and Barbados, including the luxury world famous Sandy Lane resort as a private chef.

It was with his past experience in mind that David created the menu seen on the Channel 4 show: opting for some of the regular dishes he serves both on the menu and as specials.

 

An evening at The Gallows

The Haydens’ guests were treated to a three-course meal followed by an evening of entertainment from a local singer.

Starter
Locally sourced Bury black pudding, potato cakes, a soft poached egg with a tarragon and butter sauce

Main
Roasted surf and turf: fillet of beef with monkfish tail, spinach and fondant potatoes

Dessert
Key lime cheesecake with citrus syrup and vanilla cream – influenced by David’s time living in Barbados

 

Filming took place on the Mother’s Day weekend – where The Gallows catered 150 meals – after they were contacted at the last minute to take part.

David, who has previously featured on television on Sally Lindsay's Posh Weekends, explained: “We applied in January when we got married. A friend sent us the link and we thought why not. We did two Zoom interviews and they said they liked us and passed us to the producers, but we were unsuccessful and they’d keep us on standby if anything came up.”

As chance would have it, the couple were contacted on the Friday before Mother’s Day, asking if they were free that Monday.

 

 

“Mother’s Day is a very busy weekend for us,” David continued. “I was up at six am to prep, and then they were in filming at 11. They even filmed our resident cockapoo Mr Stanley in his flat cap, so I hope he makes it into the show!

“Monday is usually our day off but that was our evening to host. Our apprentices were very busy helping us cater for friends, family and other regulars who came in that same night.

“They catered their own apprentice evening back in May and we’re looking at setting another one up as they’ve nearly qualified.”

David said: “We enjoyed the whole experience of being on TV and the adrenaline of the contest. It’s great to be able to showcase what we’re about.”

All-new Come Dine With Me: The Professionals celebrates the wonderful variety of restaurants and the amazing characters who work in them across the UK, with this series heading to Glasgow, Cardiff, Newcastle, Nottingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Birmingham, London and Manchester.

The Gallows’ episode will air at 5pm on Friday 8 July on Channel 4. Watch free on All 4 here.