Great British Menu 2022 chefs: Liz Cottam, North East and Yorkshire heat

eLizabeth Cottam, Chef patron and owner of HOME, CORA and The Owl in Leeds is one of four chefs representing the North East and Yorkshire 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.

Liz is part of a whole new consortium of chefs to compete for the North East and Yorkshire, facing chefs Bobby Geetha, Luke French and Mark Aisthorpe in a bid to cook at the final banquet.

Bobby was the first to leave the Great British Menu kitchen after serving his fish course, with veteran judge Michael O'Hare and host Andi Oliver citing the fact that he was called in to take part in the programme at a short notice, so lacked preparation. Liz was then eliminated from the competition at the end of day 2 of the North East heat, leaving Mark and Luke to cook for the judges on Thursday 10th March at 8pm.

Despite a tight race, with both chefs earning some high scores for their dishes, Luke took the title to represent the North East and Yorkshire in the regional finals.

Biography

Originally from a corporate background, Leeds born and raised Elizabeth left her job to become a chef after reaching the semi-finals on MasterChef 2016. After stints at Andrew Pern's The Star Inn the City and one Michelin-starred The Box Tree Inn in Ilkley, she opened Home in 2017 with former head chef at The Box Tree, Mark Owens.

Two years later, they opened The Owl gastropub in Kirkgate market, followed last year by Cora, a bakery, dining room and wine cellar in Boston Spa.

Also in 2021, Home restaurant reopened in a new location on Brewery Wharf, with a new site for The Owl expected to be announced in a near future.

Elizabeth’s dishes on Great British Menu will pay tribute to classic British comedies, The Last of the Summer Wine and Monty Python’s Flying Circus.