When does the Great British Menu 2020: Christmas Special start?

The Staff Canteen

Editor

This year, the team behind Great British Menu is treating us to a Christmas Special series in honour of the UK's key workers, to air on BBC two throughout December.

Hosted by former judge Andi Oliver, her place in the judge chamber alongside Matthew Fort and Oliver Peyton will be taken by Kerry Godliman, and a surprise guest judge will join them every week.

The competition will pit previous winners - some of which have since appeared on the show as veteran judges - against each other.

They will judge each others' dishes, culminating in a six-course banquet dedicated to the nation's key workers.

When does the Great British Menu 2020 Christmas Special start?

Starting on Tuesday, 2nd December, the series will take place over seven episodes.

Which chefs are taking part?

Jason Atherton, Pip Lacey, Tom Barnes, Niall Keating, Tommy Banks, Alex Greene, Richard Bainbridge, Simon Rogan, Matt Gillan, James Cochran, Lisa Goodwin-Allen and Tom Aikens will take part in the competition.

Our line up has the fabulous winners and some vets of the competition @tomaikens @PollenStSocial @AlexGreene2723 @keatingniall1 @cheftombarnes @simon_rogan @PipLacey @ChefBainbridge @MattGillan @TommyBanks8 @cochran_ja @_LisaAllen An allstar cast !
Lead by the fabulous @andisn16 pic.twitter.com/uK4xBexBgA
— Great British Menu (@GBMofficial) November 10, 2020

When does Great British Menu 2021 start?

Andi Oliver will also be hosting the next series of Great British Menu in 2021, with a start date TBA.

On her appointment as the series host, she said: “I am so completely thrilled and honoured to have been asked to expand my role at Great British Menu! It’s an amazing opportunity to understand the journey that the chefs go through and to watch the evolution of the dishes before they come to judges chamber is a mind blowing revelation. It’s such an extraordinary opportunity to work so closely with the top culinary talent in the country - it’s a privilege I am not taking for granted.”

Patrick Holland, Controller BBC Two, said: “I couldn’t be more delighted that Great British Menu is returning this Christmas with a very special run. And it is terrific that Andi is stepping out from behind the judges’ table to lead the series from now on. She is an amazing talent, bringing unrivalled expertise, insight and enthusiasm to this most brilliant of series. Great British Menu is an essential part of the BBC Two schedule and it saw strong growth in 2020. It is fantastic that Andi will now be making the series her own.”

Julie Shaw, Commissioning Editor, says: “Great British Christmas Menu sees the country’s top chefs fighting it out to create a Christmas banquet like you’ve never seen before, all as thanks to our key workers. Andi has all the knowledge and passion to ensure viewers are treated to the most spectacular Christmas feast imaginable - and we are thrilled that she’ll be leading the series through to next year.”

Sarah Eglin, Executive Producer, said: “We’re delighted that Andi will be presenting Great British Menu - she has been a fantastic judge throughout the series and she brings a wealth of culinary knowledge to the role. The upcoming Christmas series promises to be a very special event for key workers and we can’t wait for GBM fans to see it.”

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.