Great British Menu 2021 chefs: Sabrina Gidda, Central heat

Executive chef at Allbright Mayfair Sabrina Gidda is one of four chefs in the Central region line-up on Great British Menu 2021.

Series 16 of the competition starts on Wednesday 24th March and will air on BBC Two at 8pm. The central heat is first, with episodes on Wednesday 24th, Thursday 25th and Friday 26th March.

Sabrina is competing against Hicce's Shannon Johnson - who, as per the new format, was eliminated from the competition after the fish course - Liam Dillon of The Boat Inn - who left the competition after the dessert course - and Stuart Collins, chef and co-owner of Docket No 33.

Hosted by former judge Andi Oliver, the Central heat is judged by veteran chef and the executive at Northcote Manor, Lisa Goodwin-Allen, with Simon Rogan stepping in for the fish course due to Lisa's seafood allergy.

Biography, age, height, relationship status

33 year-old Sabrina never intended to become a chef; she was working part-time as a waitress in a café whilst studying Fashion Marketing and PR at university when she wound up covering a kitchen shift. It was a pivotal moment from which she has never looked back. 

After graduating, Sabrina honed her skills in a London gastropub before joining Restaurant Associates, working at Sanctuary Spa in Covent Garden followed by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer for just over three years. The chef made the Roux Scholarship finals twice, in 2014 and 2015. 

She became the head chef at London Marylebone's Bernardi's in 2015, where her love for Italian food flourished. Finally, in September 2018, Sabrina was asked to become the executive chef of AllBright Mayfair, an all-women's exclusive social club in London's Fitzrovia.

This year is Sabrina's third time in the competition, as she took part in 2018 and in 2019.

Dishes

Starter

Her starter, 'Hawking's Discoveries,' inspired by Stephen Hawking's discovery of the Black Hole, consists of a tart with confit leeks, black bomber cheese, mushroom duxelle, pickled shallots, egg yolks served with bacon crumb, mushroom espuma, activated charcoal powder, porcini mushrooms and truffle.

Fish Course

Her fish course, 'Duplicate Circulate' is a tribute to sociologist, cultural theorist and political activist Stuart Hall, and his pursuit of the sharing of knowledge. It features a dark rum punch cocktail, a saltfish fritter served in coco bread and pan-fried seabass served with vegetables escabeche. 

At the end of the fish course, Liam and Sabrina tied at 15 points while Stuart led the way with 17 points.

Main Course

Her main course, 'Everything goes with Brown Sauce,' was inspired by Sabrina's grandmother, and Britain's emblematic HP sauce, invented and developed in 1899 by Frederick Gibson Garton and formerly manufactured in Aston, Birmingham. 

It consists of a marinated masala pork tenderloin, accompanied by faggot koftas, spiced butternut squash puree, potato chaat, shallot pickle, pomegranate and tomato salad, pork crackling, coconut masala curry sauce and coriander cress.

Masala pork, spiced kofta in crepinette, coconut malai curry & fondant chaat potato also - chaat masala crackling is @GBMofficial pic.twitter.com/LfvYjP3pwc

— Sabrina Gidda (@MissGidda) March 26, 2021

Dessert

Sabrina's dessert, 'For the Love of Custard,' is an ode to Alfred Bird, the inventor of egg-free custard powder: Eggless shortcrust pastry and eggless custard is served with an egg-free custard ice cream. 

Sabrina fell short of taking her dishes through to the national final, as she lost to Stuart Collins in the judges chamber.