Great British Menu 2022 chefs: Stevie Lamb, North West heat

Head chef of The Orangery Restaurant at Rockliffe Hall Stevie Lamb 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. Stevie is facing chefs Caroline Martins, Dave Critchley and Sam Lomas. This is Stevie'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

Originally from Lancashire, 29 year-old Stevie started cooking as a child, inspired by his grandmother's classic cooking. He moved to the North East of England in 2013, joining The Orangery as a junior chef de partie in 2016. 

He was promoted and named head chef in January 2022, and now works under executive resort chef Martin Horsley at the three AA Rosette Rockliffe restaurant.

Inspired by the skills and techniques of today's great chefs, Gareth Ward, Tommy Banks and Paul Leonard, Stevie is eager to make the best use of local ingredients, championing sustainability as well as experimenting with the illusion of food and sensory cooking techniques.

Upon taking on his new role, the chef said: “I like simple food, done well – not overly complex or fussy – yet showcasing modern, creative culinary techniques.”

His dishes on Great British Menu will draw on the nostalgia of the BBC's 100th anniversary theme, putting modern twists on old classics with contrasting temperatures and textures.