Great British Menu 2020: Everything you need to know, when is it on, where to watch it, chef line-up and more
Great British Menu is back this year for its fifteenth series. Take a look at when the series starts, find out what the theme is and how this year differs from the rest, before getting to know a little bit about each of the chefs competing.
When does Great British Menu start?
The Great British Menu 2020 line-up has been announced with the show returning to screens on Wednesday 18th March. As 2020 marks 150 years since Charles Dicken's death, this year's theme is children books. It runs for nine weeks in total (eight regional heats and then the final), with hour-long episodes every Wednesday and Thursday, followed by a half-hour regional final every Friday.
What's new?
The format for 2020 has changed and will hopefully keep you hooked:
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More chefs: there will be four chefs competing in each regional heat instead of the usual three
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More drama: the chef with the lowest score after cooking their starter and fish course will be sent home, without a chance to show off their main and dessert
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More courses: in addition to the starter, fish, main and desserts, each chef will also create an amuse bouche and pre-dessert palate cleanser, to give their menus a more contemporary tasting menu feel. Fish and main courses will be lighter as a result
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A new presenter: Great British Menu has been without an on-screen presenter since its second season, but this year they've appointed.
The chefs competing by region in Great British Menu 2020
Central
Sally Abé, The Harwood Arms
Head chef at the Michelin-starred Harwood Arms in London.
Niall Keating, Whatley Manor
Executive chef at the two Michelin starred, The Dining Room at Whatley Manor.
Alex Claridge, The Wilderness
chef-owner of The Wilderness in Birmingham.
Dom Robinson, The Blackbird
The chef owner of The Blackbird in Bagnor, near Newbury.
London & South East
Steve Groves, Roux at Parliament Square
The head chef of Roux at Parliament Square in London
Kerth Gumbs, Ormer Mayfair
The head chef at Ormer Mayfair in London.
Karl O’Dell, Texture
Head chef of Michelin-starred Texture in London
Ivan Tisdall-Downes, Native
The co-founder and head chef of Native in London.
North East
Samira Effa, TRUEfoods
A senior production chef for TRUEfoods which develops premium products for the food and restaurant industry.
Alex Bond, Alchemilla
The chef owner of Michelin-starred Alchemilla in Nottingham.
Josh Angus, Hide Ground
For the last three years Josh Angus has been head chef at Michelin-starred Hide in London, working under Ollie Dabbous and running a team of up to fifty chefs.
Ruth Hansom, Pomona's
Head chef at Pomona’s in London, her style is modern British underpinned by a classical French training.
Northern Ireland
Alex Greene, Deanes EIPIC
The head chef of Michelin-starred Deane's Eipic in Belfast.
Shauna Froydenlund, Marcus
The joint chef patron of Michelin-Starred Marcus in London with her husband Mark.
Paul Cunningham, Brunel's
The head chef and co-owner at Brunel’s in Newcastle and this is his first time in the Great British Menu kitchen.
Leigh Ferguson, Clenaghans
He started in the industry at 12 years-old, he spent ten years at the Square Bistro in Lisburn beofre joining Clenaghan’s restaurant in Moira as head chef.
North West
Hrishikesh Desai, Gilpin Hotel & Lake House
Executive chef at The Gilpin Hotel and Lake House in Windermere, Lake District and the holder of a Michelin star since 2016.
Tom Barnes, Rogan & Co
Executive chef of Rogan & Co, Simon Rogan's neighbourhood village restaurant in Cartmel.
George Farrugia, Fenchurch Restaurant at Sky Garden
The former head chef at the two AA-Rosettes Fenchurch Restaurant at the top of London's 'Walkie Talkie' building.
Sam Buckley, Where The Light Gets In
Chef-patron of Stockport’s Where the Light Gets In which opened in 2016.
Wales
Hywel Griffith, Beach House
The head chef and director of Beach House Restaurant in Oxwich.
Tom Phillips, Restaurant Story
Head chef at Michelin starred Restaurant Story.
John Chantarasak, AngloThai
The owner of Anglo Thai, which has held pop-ups in numerous locations while he and his wife are looking for the perfect permanent site in London.
Scotland
Ross Bryans, Les 110 de Taillevent
Head chef at Les 110 de Taillevent in Marylebone, London.
Roberta Hall-McCarron, The Little Chartroom
The chef-owner of The Little Chartroom in Edinburgh.
Amy Elles, The Harbour Café
The owner of The Harbour Café in Fife.
Gordon Jones, Menu Gordon Jones
The chef-owner of Menu Gordon Jones in Bath.
South West
Joe Baker, Number 10
The chef owner of Number 10 in Jersey and this is his second year in the Great British Menu kitchen - he narrowly missed getting to the finals last year.
Guy Owen, St Enodoc Hotel
The executive chef at The St Enodoc Hotel overlooking the Camel Estuary in Rock, Cornwall.
Harriet Mansell, Robin Wylde
Has a pop-up restaurant, Robin Wylde, in Lyme Regis and this is her first time in the Great British Menu kitchen.
Thomas Carr, Thomas Carr at The Olive Room
chef owner of the one Michelin starred, Thomas Carr at The Olive Room in Devon.
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