Great British Menu 2022: BBC series to return with Tom Kerridge, Nisha Katona and Ed Gamble as hosts
Great British Menu 2022: Everything you need to know, which chefs are competing, who are the national finalists, when is the banquet and more
Great British Menu 2021: Everything you need to know, which chefs are competing, who are the national finalists, when is the banquet and more
Great British Menu 2021 winners: finalists and recipes
This year, BBC Two's Great British Menu is celebrating the centenary of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The production has put together a whole new panel of judges for series 17 of the competition, replacing Oliver Peyton, Matthew Fort and Rachel Khoo with chef Tom Kerridge, chef and restaurateur Nisha Katona and comedian Ed Gamble.
- For the second year running, former judge, chef, restaurateur and TV presenter Andi Oliver will host the show, which starts on Tuesday 1st February at 8pm on BBC, pitting 32 of the country's best chefs against each other for a chance to cook for some of the most celebrated names in British television.
All episodes of 2021's series 16 of the programme are available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Scroll down to see who got dishes to the banquet and which chef was crowned Chapion of Champions 2022.
When does Great British Menu 2022 start?
Series 17 of the competition starts on February 1st 2022 on BBC Two at 8pm and will air every Tuesday at 8pm, every Wednesday at 9pm (as of the week commencing March 7th) and Thursday at 8pm for eight weeks, culminating in a banquet meal celebrating the theme, with a regional chef cooking each course and a champion of champions.
What is this year's theme?
In the year of the BBC’s centenary, Great British Menu contestants will create dishes celebrating British creativity and 100 years of television broadcasting.
Expect tributes to iconic programmes such as Fawlty Towers, Morecambe and Wise; Dinner Ladies, The Crystal Maze; Blackadder Goes Forth; Monty Python; I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here; Eastenders and Desert Island Discs, as well as historical broadcast moments such as Winston Churchill’s famous ‘We are at War’ with Germany speech and the 1969 Moon Landing.
Which chefs are competing?
Central region: February 1st, 2nd and 3rd
Ben Orpwood, Lucky Cat by Gordon Ramsay, London
Liam Dillon, The Boat Inn, Lichfield
Sally Abé, Conrad St James' London, The Pem
Harvey Perttola, Restaurant Six at Trent Bridge Cricket ground,
Veteran judge
Guest Judge
Cat Deeley
North West Region: February 8th, 9th and10th
Caroline Martins, The Sao Paolo Project
Dave Critchley, Lu Ban
Stevie Lamb, The Orangery Restaurant at Rockliffe Hall
Sam Lomas, Glebe House Devon
Veteran judges
Lisa Goodwin-Allen, Niall Keating
Guest judge
Sue Cleaver
Wales: February 15th, 16th and 17th February
Nathan Davies, SY23
Tom Phillips, Restaurant Story
Mark Threadgill, Portmeirion Hotel
Larkin Cen, Loky Ko
Veteran Judge
Guest Judge
Steffan Rhodri
London and the South East: February 22nd, 23rd and 24th
Tony Parkin, Tony Parkin at The Tudor Room
Angelo Sato, The Humble Chicken
Robbie Lorraine, Only Food and Courses
Veteran Judge
Guest Judge
Anita Dobson
Scotland: March 1st, 2nd and 3rd
Calum Montgomery, Edinbane Lodge
Fraser Smith, Angels with Bagpipes
Adam Handling, Adam Handling Restaurant Group
Veteran Judge
Richard Corrigan
Guest Judge
Rory Bremner
North East and Yorkshire: 8th, 9th, 10th March
Liz Cottam, Home, Cora and The Owl
Mark Aisthorpe, The Bulls Head Holymoorside
Veteran Judge
Guest judge
Si King
South West: 15th, 16th, 17th March
Nat Tallents, The Lost Gardens of Heligan
Charlotte Vincent, Five Bells Devon
Elly Wentworth, The Angel Taste of Devon
Veteran Judge
Guest Judge
Priyanga Burford
Northern Ireland: 22nd, 23rd, 24th March
Stephen Hope, Dawsons Restaurant
Chris McClurg, Paul Ainsworth at No 6
Marty McAdam, The Street Kitchen and Paget Lane
Veteran Judge
Guest Judge
Dev Griffin
Who are the veteran judges?
While the veteran judges are revealed on a week-by-week basis, it seems that Lorna McNee, Angela Hartnett, Michael O'Hare, Paul Ainsworth and Richard Corrigan are among them.
Last year's veteran judges included Simon Rogan, Tom Brown, Tommy Banks, Daniel Clifford, and Tom Aikens - and we wouldn't be surprised to see any of them returning for this series.
Who are the judges?
For the first time in fifteen years, a whole new panel of judges will be introduced, featuring Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge, chef and restaurateur Nisha Katona, and comedian and host of food podcast Off Menu, Ed Gamble.
Having been a contestant and a veteran judge before joining the judges' chamber, Tom Kerridge said: “I’ve been involved with the show in some respect now for 12/13 years and I know how much it means, not just to the chefs that compete, but also the British food scene in general. It has been hugely influential, in terms of letting everybody know how great chefs and cooking is up and down the country, in all the nations and regions.
Nisha Katona added: “What's fantastic about the Great British Menu is it's not just a competition about food. It is about the very best chefs in the country, creating not just extraordinary dishes, but these real flights of fantasy. I know that having watched it in the past, these people pour their hearts into what they do and it's just a complete privilege to taste that.”
Ed Gamble said: “Doing my food podcast for so long means that I am very qualified for this job and I know way more than Tom and Nisha who both kept complaining that nobody served chicken nuggets. (They might have edited that out).
"I can’t wait for people to see what the chefs have made this series - the brief is incredible and they really rose to the challenge. And I rose to my difficult challenge of stuffing my greedy face.”
Returning host Andi Oliver said: “I feel really proud to be able to support our chefs and help guide them through the competition. Being able to be there to help them cope with how challenging the competition can be, and watch them develop their dishes – and their mental and culinary agility - is a sight to behold. It’s something extraordinary to see.”
How many heats / regions are there?
The show pits chefs from eight regions against each other, with four competing chefs from each location: Scotland, the South West, the North West, Wales, Central, the London South/East area, the North East and Northern Ireland.
One chef will be eliminated at the end of the first day of cooking each week, meaning they only have their canapés, starters and fish courses to prove themselves. Another chef will then leave the competition after their final score from the veteran judge, in the second episode of the week.
The final two chefs in each region to cook for the judges, who each week will be joined by a guest.
During finals week the eight regional finalists compete against each other, four of whom will cook a dish at the banquet, and an additional runner-up serving their canapés and pre-desserts at the banquet.
Great British Menu will air on BBC Two three nights a week for eight weeks, culminating with finals week and the banquet, assumedly in mid-March. All episodes will be available to watch week by week on BBC iPlayer.
Which chefs made it to the National Finals on Great British Menu 2021? Who are the final 8 chefs?
Who won the central heat?
Consultant chef at the Conrad London St. James hotel Sally Abé was the first chef to secure a spot in the finals, beating rivals Harvey, Liam and Ben to the top spot in week one of the competition.
Who won the North West heat?
26 year-old Head chef at Glebe House Devon Sam Lomas won the North West heat, giving him the opportunity to represent his region in the finals.
Who won the Wales heat?
Michelin-starred chef of SY23 Nathan Davies won the Wales heat, after going head to head with the head chef at two Michelin-starred Restaurant Story, Tom Phillips.
Who won the London and South East heat?
2019 Roux Scholar and head chef at The Ritz Spencer Metzger took the title for London and the South East, promising to take at least one of his dishes to the final banquet.
Who won the Scotland heat?
33 year-old chef and owner of the Adam Handling Restaurant Group, Adam Handling took the title for Scotland, returning to the Great British Menu kitchen six years after his first punt.
Who won the Yorkshire and North East heat?
Luke French, chef and co-owner of Jöro in Sheffield beat his fellow competitiors, all of which were taking part for the first time this year.
Who won the South West heat?
Chef and co-owner of Adelina Yard in Bristol Olivia 'Liv' Barry, a newcomer to this year's competition will represent the South West in the regional finals starting on Monday, 28th March 2022 at 8pm.
Who won the Northern Ireland heat?
Head chef of Paul Ainsworth at No 6 Chris McClurg will be representing Northern Ireland in finals week.
Who are the Great British Menu 2022 winners cooking at the banquet?
Starter
Nathan Davies, chef owner of SY23 in Aberyswyth was the first chef to secure a spot at the Great British Menu banquet, with his 'Merlin' starter.
Fish course
Head chef at The Ritz Hotel's one Michelin-starred restaurant Spencer Metzger will be cooking his fish course at the final banquet on Friday, 1st April 2022.
Main COurse
Head chef Spencer Metzger, of one Michelin-starred The Ritz Hotel's restaurant, will also be cooking his main course dish at the final banquet.
Dessert Course
Head chef of Michelin-starred Paul Ainsworth at Number 6 Chris McClurg was able to secure the dessert course at the banquet.
When is finals week? When is the GBM banquet?
Finals week will run from Monday 28th March at 9pm (starter), Tuesday 29th at 8pm (fish), Wednesday 30th March at 9pm (main), and Thursday 31st March at 8pm (dessert).
Whoever makes it through to the banquet will cook for the guests at a party celebrating 100 years of the BBC broadcast on Friday, 1st April 2022 at 7:30pm.
Who was crowned Champion Great British Menu 2022?
Spencer Metzger, head chef of The Ritz Hotel's one Michelin-starred restaurant, took home the title of champion with Tom Kerridge commenting: “It was a perfect banquet dish, and the room clearly loved it. Spencer, a fully deserved winner.”
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Great British Menu 2022: Everything you need to know, which chefs are competing, who are the national finalists, when is the banquet and more
Great British Menu 2022: BBC series to return with Tom Kerridge, Nisha Katona and Ed Gamble as hosts
Great British Menu 2021: Everything you need to know, which chefs are competing, who are the national finalists, when is the banquet and more
Great British Menu 2021 winners: finalists and recipes
