Great British Menu is set to return to our screens for series 18, at 8pm on BBC Two on Tuesday, January 31!

This year's chefs will be Celebrating animation and illustration for 65 years of Paddington. The much-loved televised competition finds the UK's best chefs and tasks them with creating great dishes to meet a set theme, with all the props, glitz and glamour they can pack onto the banquet table.

Who are the judges on the Great British Menu?

After her debut in the series' 2020 Christmas Special, Andi Oliver is set to be the show's host. The line-up of judges who made their debut in 2021: Two Michelin-starred celebrity chef Tom Kerridge; celebrated restaurateur Nisha Katona; and last but not least, comedian and Off Menu podcast host, Ed Gamble.

Stay Tuned for the latest Great British Menu 2023 news, interviews with the contestants, recipes for their dishes and more.

Who are the great british menu chefs 2023?  competing? Who are the veteran chefs? Who are the guest Judges?

We've caught a glimpse of some of the chefs appearing in this year's show, whether as competitors representing their regions or as veteran judges, having formerly won the competition: Will Lockwood, Michael O'Hare, Angela Harnett, Nick Beardshaw, Rory Welch and Andrew Tuck.

How many heats or regions are there?

The show pits chefs from eight regions against each other, with three 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.

When does Great British Menu 2023 start? Where can I watch Great British Menu series 18? When is finals week? When is the Banquet?

Series 18 of Great British Menu starts on January 31st 2023 and will run for eight weeks, culminating in a banquet meal celebrating the theme, with a regional chef cooking each course and a champion of champions.

There will be eight weeks of regional heats followed by the finals and banquet. All episodes will be available to watch week by week on BBC iPlayer. Series 17 is still available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

What is the Great British Menu 2023 theme?

Great British Menu contestants will create dishes for Paddington Bear's 65th birthday, the chefs will be taking inspiration from the best of British animation and illustration when creating their dishes, from cartoons to video games. Expect props a plenty and recognisable characters making appearances left, right and centre, as the chefs try to capture the imagination of the judges.

Last year's theme was the year of the BBC’s centenary, Great British Menu will celebrate British creativity through 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.