WHO will be the apple of the judges’ eye in the 2018 series of Great British Menu, which kicks off on Monday, August 13? Competing in the BBC 2 cook-off series certainly paid off for our own Adam Reid (of The French), whose Golden Empire (above) won through to be desert course in the final banquet of 2016.
Other North West chefs have not made it that far but they can’r resist coming back for another bash. That’s the case this year with Ellis Barrie of The Marram Grass, Anglesey, who created quite an impression in last year’s North West heats.
He’s joined by Craig Sherrington of Virginia House, Cumbria, and Liverpudlian Liam Simpson-Trotman of Orwells in Oxfordshire, whose equally double-barrelled brother Ryan, is representing Central.
So no Manchester chef involved, which is a shame, but as ToM pointed out in June, one of the Arena Bombing heroes will be involved as the BBC series celebrates 70 years of the National Health Service.
Dan Smith (below), second paramedic on the scene, will be a guest regional final judge in the contest alongside regular trio of Matthew Fort, Oliver Peyton and Andi Oliver as they pick the winning chefs for the final banquet to be held in the Great Hall of St Bartholomew’s, Britain’s oldest working hospital.
As usual 24 chefs will represent eight British regions. Each weekly regional heat will see each region’s three chefs compete to impress chef luminaries such as Richard Corrigan, Daniel Clifford, Angela Hartnett and Michael O’Hare. Only two of the competing chefs will make it through to the regional final and Fort and Co.
For the first time ever in the final reckoning one outstanding chef will be crowned the champion of champions when banquet diners vote on their favourite dish.