Great British Menu 2022 chefs: Elly Wentworth, South West heat

Head chef at The Angel Taste of Devon in Dartmouth Elly Wentworth is one of four chefs competing for the South West on Great British Menu 2022

Series 17 of the competition starts on February 1st 2022 on BBC Two at 8pm and will air every Tuesday at 8pm, every Wednesday at 9pm (as of the week commencing March 7th) and Thursday at 8pm for eight weeks.

Elly is competing against chefs Nat Tallents, Olivia Barry and Charlotte Vincent for a chance to represent the South West in the regional finals, and ultimately cook a course at the final banquet. Elly is returning to the BBC Two programme for the second time, having taken part for the first time in 2021.

Nat was the first to leave the competition, sadly not having made it through to cook her whole menu for veteran judge Paul Ainsworth. Second to exit the Great British Menu kitchen was Charlotte, leaving Elly and Olivia to cook for the judge's chamber on Thursday, 17th March at 8pm. 

As 'Liv' scored higher overall for her dishes in the judges chamber, she was selected to represent the South West in the finals, which run from Monday 28th March at 9pm (starter), Tuesday 29th at 8pm (fish), Wednesday 30th March at 9pm (main), and Thursday 31st March at 8pm.

If she makes it to the banquet, she will cook for the guests at a party celebrating 100 years of the BBC on Friday, 1st April 2022 at 7:30pm.

Biography

Originally from the South West of England, Elly Wentworth started cooking when she was 13.

She studied professional cookery at City College in Plymouth, and has since worked in many of the region's best restaurants, including Tanners, The Elephant, The Bybrook at the Manor House and Restaurant Hywell Jones at Lucknam Park.

Elly was named South West Chef of the Year in 2014, made it to the semi-finals on MasterChef: The Professionals 2016, and impressed both veteran judges Angela Hartnett and Richard Corrigan with her dishes on Great British Menu last year, though she fell short of taking one of her dishes to the final banquet.

Full name

Elly Wentworth

Nickname 

Els

Age/DOB

30, born 23/12/1991

Place of birth / residence

Originally from Poole in Dorset / currently lives in Dartmouth, Devon. 

Relationship status / children

I’m not married, no children and I have a boyfriend - lucky him, ha

Height

I am a short ass – 5ft 3 – 

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

I worked in a relaxed fine dining restaurant

Favourite type of cuisine

I generally like all cuisines but really enjoy good simple cooking.

Path to becoming a chef

I became a chef at a young age, in a pub doing the dishes and than starting to
Really enjoy watching the chefs cook for service. One day I joined in, and I started full time in the kitchen then. Then decided to do an apprenticeship in cookery. 

Past and present place of work

I’ve been very lucky to have worked in some amazing places through out my career; some really amazing restaurants : Chris and James Tanner – tanners restaurant; Simon Hulstone – the elephant ; Richard Davies – the Manor House; Hywel Jones – lucknam park hotel and spa.

I currently work at the angel taste of Devon in Dartmouth 

Personal and professional mentors / role models 

My mentors are such an important part of my career and I really do appreciate everything they did for me while working for them. I worked for the most  5 amazing chefs and they all brought something completely different and unique to my career. They taught me  discipline, consistency, their knowledge  and how to manager a team. And that is the  most important thing  I took away with me is  to maintain a good happy team. They're legends, all of them: Chris and James Tanner, Hywel Jones, Richard Davies, Simon Hulstone

Guilty pleasure dish

If anyone knows me they know this answer straight away!! And they will kill Me for evening Saying it. – but it is salad cream on crumpets...Best thing ever.

Best / worst thing about being a chef

The best thing is waking up every day and walking into my kitchen with my team and cooking.

There incredible chefs Worst thing we all know this answer don’t we? Breaking in a new pair of Birkenstock’s oh my god!!