User Reviews

Mrs Devine is excited to welcome her old school friend, the celebrated cook Harriet Sykes to Kembleford, who's in town to promote her new book, and introduce the locals to foods from afar. In town is a noted critic, one with an axe to grind.

A solid episode, not quite the tone and quality of the last two, but enjoyable enough. One of those episodes where you'll spot the victim, you'll also be able to spot exactly who Inspector Sullivan will wrongly arrest, the identity of the murderer came as something of a surprise.

A storyline that works rather well, and one that naturally allows for some diverse casting, you can certainly say that Kembleford was more cosmopolitan than London.

Favourite line 'who's going to cook the curry!'

A very limited Police presence here, Inspector Sullivan is almost a bit part player, as is Sergeant Goodfellow.

Sarah Alexander is really good as Sykes, although you wonder why Mrs Devine didn't put a trifle over her.

7/10.

Isobel Devine is meeting an old school friend. Harriet Sykes (Sarah Alexander) who ran a cooking school and now has written a new cook book.

She is returning to Kembleford after some years to launch an International food fayre with her publisher husband. This would be good for book sales.

Appearing in what is dubbed Kemblefood Fayre, is an Indian chef Rafi Faridi and Chinese chef Lei Yen.

However heads are turned with the sudden and unexpected arrival of food critic Chester Gates. He is arrogant and has a beef with both Lei and Rafi.

So no surprise that Chester is later found dead. He had eaten food laced with rat poison. Inspector Sullivan arrests Lei Yen as she was seen near his room.

I think this series has suffered with a small guest cast. It means the pool of possible suspects are low.

I was also bemused how fast Brenda learn to cook an Indian meal.

A Food Fayre in Kembleford!! Would love to have more Fayre episodes as they are so much fun.

Mrs. Devine welcomes her old school friend to town, who is now a celebrated chef in town to promote her book. The locals are introduced to foods from India and China? Not sure that would have happened in the 50's, but maybe.

Anyway, the obnoxious food critic is killed off because he has done something despicable, as do all victims. Brenda gets to learn how to make Indian food and works with the chef. Father Brown works to solve the murder and soothe people who are impatiently awaiting the food.

There always seem to be obnoxious people who are impatient. Was that a regular occurrence in the 50's?

As always, Mrs. Divine's outfits are bright and adorable!! Love the fashions back then!! And the hats!!

The sad decline of this formerly entertaining show goes on. Modern identity politics has infested Father Brown like a cancer in the last two series and the storyline in this episode is just another device to enable the casting of 'diverse' actors. There was even some reference to colonialism.

Mrs Devine continues to be a rather charmless character as does the irritating diversity hire that is the eternally gormless and implausible Brenda who, in this time period would be a first generation immigrant but somehow manages to have a broad Humberside accent. In this episode she also learns how to cook a curry, a dish somewhat outside of her cultural sphere, in about five minutes which seems extremely improbable.

Putting all that aside, this was an almost entirely predictable and formulaic plot. Obnoxious person arrives in village, is murdered, Inspector quickly arrests the first obvious suspect, Father Brown investigates and proves Inspector wrong.

In summary, weak writing and modern politics are spoiling this formerly entertaining show.