Some of the creativity demonstrated by the lenders has been better than anything seen before. We have had three of the best lenders we have ever seen and as the final approaches, they must all be thinking “do you know what, I could actually win this!”
Our first finalist, Santander is known for the Spanish influence on its dishes. Always pricing themselves with dedication and appeal, their ability to create appetising rates time and again, must put them in contention. As you break through the outer edge you find a centre that is exceptional. The service centre.
In earlier rounds, perhaps some of the rates had been “left in the oven too long” but consistently this year we have seen rates that have been top notch. Their buy to let desserts, have also offered some fantastic creations. Often served with a drizzle of free valuations and just a splash of £250 cash back, their rate offering has been innovative and cutting edge.
Service may have dropped off a little earlier this year, but their ability to produce such magical rates year round, had to be remembered. Now, in the final of the Great British Rate Off, their service has been raised in the oven to perfection, back up to the quality it was of earlier rounds and it has to be a serious contender.
Virgin, perhaps the surprise package of this years “Rate off” has started to get stronger as the year progressed. Their earlier attempts whilst keen, lacked the taste we would expect of a finalist but as the rounds progressed we have started to see more variety across all specialisms.
Their buy to let soufflé has often been appealing, but the way they have experimented with some four-year dishes set them apart, placing them in a niche others have not even considered. The daring six-year offering, as well as market leading two-year deals has shown a diversity in their “rating” not seen by others for some time. Their antipasti offerings in the 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6-year fixed markets has lead to their place in the final, together with a recent two and five-year speciality that had every ingredient the judges expected to see and more. Virgin’s ability has progressed week after week, often with an end result achieved quicker than most. It’s been a progressively strong year for Virgin in The Great British Rate Off and we are pleased to see them selected as a finalist. They have been competitive in every loan to value tier and its “spread” of range puts them in contention.
Presentation as ever, looks sexy and sleek.
Our last finalist is Woolwich. With plenty of experience over the years they have produced in every loan to value bracket of both residential mains, and buy to let desserts. Their offerings of two, three and five-year dishes with a bold and daring 10-year showed innovation. Others have very recently replicated this 10 yearoffering but having seen this first produced in earlier rounds by Woolwich means they have the edge. Their buy-to-let pastries have shown creativity and imagination with a flexibility in no penalty deals, and we believe this year they have every chance in taking the crown.
Others have come close this year, Halifax with their ability to produce their offerings quicker than all other contenders, but they just fell out of contention when their “Interest-only Pavlova” was not cooled long enough in the oven!
Nationwide also fell short in the same product sector and despite some exceptional rounds, we had to consider “Ice Cream Gate”, when they simply could not produce a final product as their interest-only ice cream surprise melted!
Clydesdale, on the other hand excelled with its interest-only pavlova, however their signature dishes did not demonstrate the variety shown by our top three.
Finally Accord have been top for most months this year for product but unfortunately they struggled with the oven timer! Some of the rounds have seen them quick to place their goods in their oven given how attractive their menu appeared, but problems with the oven door meant the final product was often delayed coming out, leaving a slightly bitter taste to the finished article and this cost them their place in the final.
Now, we come to perhaps the biggest final we have seen for years.
We sampled excellence, imagination and creativity but this year’s winner of the Great British Rate Off is…
