Great British Menu 2023 chefs: Nick Beardshaw, South West Heat

Alex South

Alex South

Editor

Head chef at Kerridge's Bar and Grill Nick Beardshaw is one of four chefs representing the South West region on Great British Menu 2023.

Series 18 of the competition starts on January 31 2023 on BBC Two at 8pm and will air for eight weeks.

Nick is going head to head with chefs Andrew Tuck, Charlotte Vincent and Amber Francis in a bid to represent the South West in the regional finals, and ultimately cook a dish at the final banquet.

Biography

Tom Kerridge protégé Nick Beardshaw joined the industry when he was just 11 years-old, sweeping the patio at his local pub.

He made his way into the kitchen after attending college, working in the kitchen at The Castle Hotel with Richard Guest in his home town of Taunton, followed by a stint under chef Daniel Clifford at Midsummer House.

He moved to The Hand and Flowers in 2010, where he progressed to the position of senior-sous, before joining The Coach as head chef in 2015. He was placed at the helm of Kerridge's Bar & Grill when it launched in 2018. 

This is Nick's second time on Great British Menu, as he also took part in the 2021 competition.

Full name

Nicholas Jon Beardshaw 

Nickname

Beardy

Age/DOB

37, born 4/07/1983

Place of birth / residence

Born in Weymouth, live in West Clandon 

Relationship status / children

Married / 1 daughter 

Height

183cm / 6ft

Type of chef (restaurant, hotel, development chef, etc.)

Restaurant (within a hotel) 

Favourite type of cuisine

British

Path to becoming a chef

Local pub... Potwash moving on to sandwiches and then all the way

Past and present place of work

Castle Hotel, Midsummerhouse, Hand and Flowers, The Coach and currently KBAG

Personal and professional mentors / role models 

Tom Kerridge, Daniel Clifford, Richard Guest, Heston, Clare Smyth

Guilty pleasure dish

Domino's American Hot

Best / worst thing about being a chef

Best: The spirit of the industry

Worst: unjustified reviews on user-generated review websites

In these challenging times…

The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall  – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.

Over the last 16 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 560,000 followers across Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.

A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.

Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.

Alex South

Alex South

Editor 31st March 2023

Great British Menu 2023 chefs: Nick Beardshaw, South West Heat