Great British Menu 2020: Everything you need to know, when is it on, where to watch it, chef line-up and more

Great British Menu is back this year for its fifteenth series. Take a look at when the series starts, find out what the theme is and how this year differs from the rest, before getting to know a little bit about each of the chefs competing.

When does Great British Menu start?

The Great British Menu 2020 line-up has been announced with the show returning to screens on Wednesday 18th March. As 2020 marks 150 years since Charles Dicken's death, this year's theme is children books. It runs for nine weeks in total (eight regional heats and then the final), with hour-long episodes every Wednesday and Thursday, followed by a half-hour regional final every Friday.

What's new?

The format for 2020 has changed and will hopefully keep you hooked:

More chefs: there will be four chefs competing in each regional heat instead of the usual three
More drama: the chef with the lowest score after cooking their starter and fish course will be sent home, without a chance to show off their main and dessert
More courses: in addition to the starter, fish, main and desserts, each chef will also create an amuse bouche and pre-dessert palate cleanser, to give their menus a more contemporary tasting menu feel. Fish and main courses will be lighter as a result
A new presenter: Great British Menu has been without an on-screen presenter since its second season, but this year they've appointed.

The chefs competing by region in Great British Menu 2020

Central

Sally Abé, The Harwood Arms

Head chef at the Michelin-starred Harwood Arms in London.

Niall Keating, Whatley Manor

Executive chef at the two Michelin starred, The Dining Room at Whatley Manor.

Alex Claridge, The Wilderness

chef-owner of The Wilderness in Birmingham.

Dom Robinson, The Blackbird

The chef owner of The Blackbird in Bagnor, near Newbury.

London & South East

Steve Groves, Roux at Parliament Square

The head chef of Roux at Parliament Square in London

Kerth Gumbs, Ormer Mayfair

The head chef at Ormer Mayfair in London.

Karl O’Dell, Texture

Head chef of Michelin-starred Texture in London

Ivan Tisdall-Downes, Native

The co-founder and head chef of Native in London.

North East

Samira Effa, TRUEfoods

A senior production chef for TRUEfoods which develops premium products for the food and restaurant industry.

Alex Bond, Alchemilla

The chef owner of Michelin-starred Alchemilla in Nottingham.

Josh Angus, Hide Ground

For the last three years Josh Angus has been head chef at Michelin-starred Hide in London, working under Ollie Dabbous and running a team of up to fifty chefs.

Ruth Hansom, Pomona's

Head chef at Pomona’s in London, her style is modern British underpinned by a classical French training.

Northern Ireland

Alex Greene, Deanes EIPIC

The head chef of Michelin-starred Deane's Eipic in Belfast.

Shauna Froydenlund, Marcus

The joint chef patron of Michelin-Starred Marcus in London with her husband Mark.

Paul Cunningham, Brunel's

The head chef and co-owner at Brunel’s in Newcastle and this is his first time in the Great British Menu kitchen.

Leigh Ferguson, Clenaghans

He started in the industry at 12 years-old, he spent ten years at the Square Bistro in Lisburn beofre joining Clenaghan’s restaurant in Moira as head chef.