Great British Menu 2023 chefs: Robbie Lorraine, London and South East Heat

Robbie Lorraine, Chef Owner of Only Food and Courses, is one of four chefs competing for London and South East region on Great British Menu 2023.

Series 18 of the competition starts on January 31 2023 on BBC Two at 8pm and will air for eight weeks.

Robbie is going head to head with chefs Ferdinand Montoya, Avinash ‘Avi’ Shashidhara, Brian Danclair in a bid to represent London and the South East in the regional finals, and ultimately cook a dish at the final banquet.

This is Robbie's second time competing in Great British Menu, after he took part in the competition in 2022.

Biography

Full name

Robbie Lorraine

Nickname

No nickname.

Age/DOB

No comment.

Place of birth / residence

South London/Kent.

Relationship status / children

Married with 3 children.

Height

5'11

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

Restaurant.

Favourite type of cuisine

British.

Path to becoming a chef

I used to watch my Nan cooking and always loved the different smells and textures that she used to play with in the kitchen. It inspired me to go do my training and Westminster Kingsway and the rest is history!

Past and present place of work

I’ve been fortunate to work in some great places.

These have included Chelsea Football Club, The Shard and Royal Ascot, as well as for Michel and Albert Roux's fine dining catering business.

I’ve also worked on private events on luxury Thames cruise ships, where I’ve cooked for the likes of Prince William and actor Will Smith.

Personal and professional mentors / role models 

My grandparents. They pushed and inspired me to follow my dreams.

Guilty pleasure dish

A pot noodle

Best / worst thing about being a chef

Having fun.

I love cooking and playing around with dishes and menus. The grind of being a biz owner isn’t easy but it’s what we signed up for!

Feelings stepping onto the GBM set

I was excited to be back to be able to showcase my cooking. It’s a really fun theme again so can’t wait to see how it plays out on TV!

Plans for the future

I’ve just opened my first bricks and mortar site tucked away behind the Strand so the focus is on this right now. I do like the idea of opening a couple more restaurants in London and south east when the time is right.