It seems like no time at all since the last series, but it's already time for a brand new edition of Great British Menu and we certainly aren't complaining.
As 2022 gets going, there hasn't been much for foodies to celebrate just yet. However, an all-new series of the ultimate TV cookery show is bound to provide a spark of light to a rather cold and gloomy winter. As if a new series of Great British Menu alone wasn't exciting enough, there have also been a fair few changes when it comes to the show itself, including a new roster of judges. This means that there's a lot to look forward to this season.
Great British Menu has now been on our screens for 15 years (we know, we can't be that old either), with the first season having been screened in 2006, and over the years has been a springboard for some of the nation's now most successful chefs to go on to do some amazing things. Past contestants include Jason Atherton, Nathan Outlaw and Aktar Islam to name a few, and you can be sure that some of this year's competitors will go on to become equally successful themselves. One of the things that we particularly love about Great British Menu is the fact that such a range of different chefs take part, so it's not unlikely that you'll have an experimental youngster competing against an established Michelin-starred head chef.
If you're as excited as we are about Great British Menu being back on our screens for a 17th series, you'll want to be in the know, from when it starts to who the contestants are. That's why below we've answered all the questions you might have about Great British Menu 2022.
Watch this space - we'll be updating it regularly to keep you in the loop!
Everything you need to know about Great British Menu 2022
As another year kicks off, we can't wait to see what's in store for the hopeful chefs. We've tried to answer some of the biggest questions you might have below and will be regularly updating this page with the latest information.
When is Great British Menu on?
The banquet special will air Friday 1 April at 7:30pm and Saturday 2 April at noon and 19:35.
Which chefs are in the final?
Banquet chefs
Nathan Davies (Wales) - his starter 'Merlin's Potion' will be served at the banquet.
Spencer Metzger (London and the south east) - his fish course, 'be careful what you fish for' and his main 'first impresion' will be served at the banquet.
Chris McClurg (Northern Ireland) - despite drawing with Metzger, both scoring a perfect 40, Chris' Derry Girls-inspired dessert will be served at the banquet, thanks to a tie-breaking decision by Andi.
Other finalists:
Sam Lomas (north west region)
Sally Abé (central region)
Adam Handling (Scotland)
Luke French (north east and Yorkshire)
Olivia Barry (south west)
What is the structure of the final?
Monday 28th: Starter
Tuesday 29th: Fish
Wednesday 30th: Main
Thursday 31st: Dessert
Friday 1st, Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd: Banquet special
This week will also feature Steve Pemberton, Dame Floella Benjamin, Alison Steadman and Huw Edwards as guest judges.
Who were the other Great British Menu chefs this year?
Here is the full list of every chef who competed in Great British Menu 2022.
Chefs from the central region
Sally Abé - Chef Consultant at The Pem and winner of SquareMeal's 2021 Female Chef of the Year award (through to the final)
Harvey Perttola - Head chef at Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, Nottingham
Ben Orpwood - Executive chef at Lucky Cat, London
Liam Dillon - Owner at The Boat Inn, Lichfield
Chefs from the north west
Sam Lomas - Head chef at Glebe House, Devon (through to the final)
Stevie Lamb - Head chef at The Orangery, Darlington
Dave Critchley - Executive chef at Lu Ban, Liverpool
Caroline Martins - Runs Sao Paulo Project, Manchester
Chefs from Wales
Nathan Davies - Chef patron at SY23, Aberystwyth (through to the final)
Mark Threadgill - Head chef at Portmeirion Hotel, Penrhyndeudraeth
Larkin Cen - Director of Woky Ko, various locations
Tom Phillips - Head chef at Restaurant Story, London
Chefs from London and the south east
Spencer Metzger - Head chef at The Ritz, London (through to the final)
Robbie Lorraine - Head chef and founder at Only Foods and Courses, Brixton
Tony Parkin - Head chef at Tony Parkin at The Tudor Room, Surrey
Angelo Sato - Head chef and founder at Humble Chicken, London
Chefs from Scotland
Adam Handling - Chef/owner of Frog, Covent Garden (through to the final)
Calum Montgomery - Chef patron at Edinbane Lodge, Skye
Stuart Ralston - Founder at Aizle, Edinburgh
Fraser Smith - Head chef at Angels with Bagpipes, Edinburgh
Chefs from the north east and Yorkshire
Luke French - Chef director at Jöro, Sheffield (through to the final)
Mark Aisthorpe - Head chef and owner at The Bulls Head, Holymoorside
Elizabeth Cottam - Head chef and owner at Home, Leeds
Bobby Geetha - Chef at Fleur Cafe, Casa Peri Peri, Leeds
Chefs from the south west
Olivia Barry - Chef/owner at Adelina Yard, Bristol (through to the final)
Nat Tallents - Head of hospitality and development chef at The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Cornwall
Elly Wentworth - Head chef at The Angel, Dartmouth
Charlotte Vincent - Head chef at The Five Bells, Devon
Chefs from Northern Ireland
Chris McClurg - Chef de cuisine at No. 6, Padstow (through to the final)
Gemma Austin - Chef patron at A Peculiar Tea, Belfast
Marty McAdam - Chef patron at Paget Lane, Enniskillen
Stephen Hope - Chef patron at Dawsons, Castledawson
What is the theme of the new season?
To celebrate 100 years of British broadcasting, the theme of the new season is classic British TV shows. Contestants will have to concoct dishes to commemorate staple series such as Fawlty Towers, Blackadder, Eastenders and The Crystal Maze.
Who are the new Great British Menu 2022 judges?
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In one of the biggest changes for the show this year, the Great British Menu judging panel has been entirely refreshed. 2021 judges Matthew Fort, Oliver Peyton OBE and chef Rachel Khoo have all departed the series.
They have been replaced by Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge, restaurateur and TV presenter Nisha Katona (who runs the Mowgli restaurant chain) and, having appeared a guest judge last year, comic Ed Gamble, co-host of the Off-Menu podcast (if you haven't heard of Off Menu, check out our guide to the best food podcasts).
How many episodes will there be of Great British Menu?
Things will remain the same as in the last series, with three one-hour episodes being screened each week, for nine weeks straight. With this in mind we expect there to be 27 episodes.
What channel will Great British Menu be on?
Great British Menu will be broadcast on BBC Two.
What is the format of Great British Menu 2022?
The format of Great British Menu is similar to the previous series, with chefs from eight different regions of the UK taking part. Each week is dedicated to a different region with four chefs cooking innovative dishes, based on the brief, for a veteran judge who will score each course out of ten. The lowest scoring chef after the starters and main courses will leave the competition, and then another chef will leave after all four dishes have been cooked. The remaining two chefs will then cook all four of their dishes for the panel of judges, who will then decide which competitor has won the region.
In finals week the winners of all eight regions will then cook off one last time against each other in a final bid to win a place at the prestigious Great British Menu banquet, with the judges making the final decision. Last series contestants were also asked to prepare an amuse bouche and pre-dessert for the first time.
Do Great British Menu chefs get paid?
GBM contestants aren't paid to take part in the show. In fact, the restaurants they represent have to supply a budget, although they more than make the money back in exposure we'd imagine.
What happened to Oli Marlow?
In 2021 Oli made it through to the final. However, shortly before the banquet, he tested positive for COVID-19 and so could not participate.
Who is the Great British Menu presenter?
Having been a judge for the last four regular series, before hosting the 2020 Christmas series of Great British Menu, Andi Oliver will be presenting the show for the second year in a row.
Who are the Great British Menu 2022 veterans?
The BBC hasn't confirmed the full line-up of veteran judges for the 2022 series yet, but we imagine it'll be a combination of familiar faces such as Tom Aikens, Richard Corrigan, and Michael O'Hare, with some of last year's winners.
What we do know is that in the first round the central region chefs were judged by Michelin starred chef and entrepreneur Aktar Islam who runs high-end Indian restaurant Opheem in Birmingham. Lisa Goodwin-Allen was up second, judging the northwest contestants. Lisa is known for being the executive chef at Northcote Restaurant in Lancashire.
Who were the chefs on Great British menu last year?
You can check out last year's chef line-up below, including the region they represented and the restaurants they owned or worked in:
Central Region
Sabrina Gidda - Executive Chef at The Allbright, London
Shannon Johnson - Head Chef at Hicce, London
Stuart Collins - Chef Patron at Docket No.33, Shropshire
Liam Dillon - Chef Patron at The Boat Inn, Lichfield
London & South East
Kim Ratcharoen - Senior Sous Chef at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, London
Oli Marlow - Executive Chef at Aulis and Roganic
Tony Parkin - Head Chef at Tony Parkin at the Tudor Room, Surrey
Ben Murphy - Head Chef at Launceston Place, London
South West
Jude Kereama - Chef Patron at Kota, and Kota Kai, Cornwall
Elly Wentworth - Head Chef at The Angel, Dartmouth
Nick Beardshaw - Head Chef at Kerridge's Bar & Grill
Nat Tallents - Executive Chef at The Box Kitchen & Bar, Plymouth
North West
Kirk Haworth - Chef Patron at Plates, London
Dan McGeorge - Head Chef at Rothay Manor, Lake District
Dave Critchley - Executive Chef at Lu Ban, Liverpool
Ashwani Rangta - Executive Chef at GupShup, Altrincham
North East
Alex Bond - Chef Patron at Alchemilla, Nottingham
Ruth Hansom - Head Chef at The Princess of Shoreditch, London
Tom Spencely - Head Chef at Kitchen Table at Bubbledogs, London
Gareth Bartram - Head Chef at Winteringham Fields, North Lincolnshire
Scotland
Roberta Hall-McCarron - Chef Patron at The Little Chartroom, Edinburgh
Amy Elles - Chef Patron at The Harbour Café, Fife
Stuart Ralston - Chef Patron at Aizle and Noto
Scott Smith - Chef Patron at Fhior, Edinburgh
Wales
Hywel Griffith - Chef Patron at Beach House Restaurant, The Gower
Nathan Davies - Chef Patron at SY23, Aberystwyth
Ali Borer - Head Chef at Nutbourne, London
Chris Cleghorn - Head Chef at The Olive Tree, Bath
Northern Ireland
Paul Cunningham - Head Chef and Director at Brunel's, Newcastle, Northern Ireland
Gemma Austin - Co-owner and Executive Chef at Alexander's, Holywood
Phelim O'Hagan - Head Chef at Browns Bonds Hill, Londonderry
Andy Scollick - Head Chef at The Boat House, Bangor, Northern Ireland
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