The whole "bland food" thing annoys me a bit. We have judges who like strong flavours, but should someone be marked down severely for perfectly cooked fish just because it doesn't burn with chili or taste strongly of garlic? I have quite mild tastes myself, I don't even put salt & pepper on most things, and I don't think I would add spices I didn't like just to please somebody else. I've never really noticed if there is salt & pepper (or things like tomato or hot sauce) on the table or do they have to eat the meals exactly as they are served up? But then I'm not in a cooking competition and I think most of the stuff they serve up is pretty unpalatable. "Perfectly cooked barramundi" sounds yum, with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon. Chili barramundi, I probably wouldn't eat at all.