Two teams of chefs, Red Tomato and Green Pepper compete to create the best dish using a handful of ingredients brought in by members of the public.

Two members of the public provided two celebrity chefs with a bag of ingredients they had bought, usually to a set budget of £5. The two teams were designated "red tomato" and "green pepper". The chefs had to make several dishes out of the said ingredients (and a generously stocked kitchen containing basic ingredients and spices) in 20 minutes, with the help of the contestants and the programme host. The creations were voted on by the studio audience, who each held up a card showing either a red tomato or green pepper. The winner received a cash prize of £100.