The Bull is busy with a Beef Tasting and an Apple Quiz; it turns out to be a good night for Archers.

Radio Times: David and Ruth take a gamble.

Characters: David, Greg, Joe, Jolene, Kenton, Lynda, Pat, Ruth, Sid

• It’s a busy night at The Bull: in the restaurant there’s the Archers’ Beef Tasting and in the bar the Apple Quiz. Joe has high hopes of winning the quiz because of all his cider-making experience, although Sid warns that it is an apple-related quiz. Kenton too has high hopes on account of his Beatles knowledge.
• One by one, similarly presented plates of five kinds and qualities of beef are brought in for the invited guests to sample, comment upon and score. Only Jolene knows which is which – not even David and Ruth are in on that secret. Between plates Lynda tries to rope Ruth in for the Mystery plays (along with David as Mary and Joseph) – she has to be joking! Greg is struggling without Helen, who is deep in conversation with her father; he explains to Pat how much he is looking forward to having both girls at Christmas. Then they turn to fox hunting and of course they are on opposite sides of that fence.
• The quiz is not going Joe’s way and the mention of free food sends him scurrying off to the other event; the fact that it is a private party, for invited guests, is not going to put him off. Back at the quiz, Kenton is ultimately proclaimed the winner – of several kilos of English apples.
• David too is a winner: the Brookfield Hereford beef has tied with Aberdeen Angus for first place.
• Lynda, who has been seeking Kenton all evening, finally corners him to tempt him into playing Joseph; she has no chance – Herod maybe, but not Joseph. She’s asked everybody else, so what is she going to do? Blackmail perhaps!