Great British Menu 2022 chefs: Sam Lomas, North West heat

26 year-old Head chef at Glebe House Devon Sam Lomas is one of four chefs representing the North West on Great British Menu 2022

Series 17 of the competition starts on February 1st 2022 on BBC Two at 8pm and will air at the same time every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for eight weeks.

The North West heat will take place on February 8th, 9th and 10th. Sam is facing chefs Caroline Martins, Dave Critchley and Stevie Lamb. 

This is Sam's first appearance on the show. Before making it to the judge's chamber, the chefs' food is to be judged by veteran chefs Lisa Goodwin-Allen, who appeared on the show in series 5 back in 2010 and took a dish to the banquet, as well as Niall Keating, who competed in 2020 and was crowned the series' 'champion of champions.' 

As per the programme's new format which starts each heat with four chefs (as opposed to three, which was the case until series 15), Caroline was eliminated after the fish course. Stevie was the next to go, leaving Dave and Sam to face judges Tom Kerridge, Nisha Katona and Ed Gamble, as well as guest judge Sue Cleaver on Thursday, 10th February 2022.

After cooking for the judges, 26 year-old Head chef at Glebe House Devon Sam Lomas won the North West heat, giving him the opportunity to represent the region in the finals.

Biography

When Cheshire-born Sam left the Falibroome Academy high school, he took on an apprenticeship at Hugh-Fearnley Wittingstall's River Cottage chefs' school, where he won the Rising Star Award in 2013 before leaving to work at Flour, Water, Salt, an award-winning bakery in Macclesfield.

A short stint out of the kitchen saw him work for the Liberal Democrat party, but he couldn't stay away for long. He was offered a job at another of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's restaurants, Surf Tiree, this time on a Hebrides island off the coast of Scotland.

He returned to River Cottage to teach cookery classes, before moving to the Isle of Anglesea to head up the Tide Llanw Cafe at Halen Môn.

Sam, now 26, is the head chef at Glebe House Devon, a guesthouse, restaurant and 15 acre smallholding near Colyton, East Devon.

In keeping with this year's theme, Sam's dishes will champion radio legends and classic northern drama Happy Valley.