Great British Menu 2025: Who won series 20?

It seems like no time at all since the last series, but it's already time for a fresh edition of Great British Menu, and we certainly aren't complaining.

An all-new series of the ultimate TV cookery show hit the screens at the end of January, providing a spark of light amidst a rather cold and gloomy winter. Whilst the format remained largely the same, and lots of familiar faces returned to our screens, there were a few changes for 2025. These including a new judge, with 2019 winner Lorna McNee joining Ed Gamble and Tom Kerridge. In honour of the 20th series, the 2025 Great British Menu theme was all about celebrating the Great Britons of ages past.

Great British Menu has now been on our screens for 19 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 as 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 (including 2024's winner, vegan chef Kirk Haworth), so it's not unlikely that you'll have an experimental youngster competing against an established Michelin-starred head chef.

Great British Menu 2025 has now finished, but if you're catching up with everything that happened in series 20, you've come to the right place. We've answered all of your burning questions, from who represented each region, to all the chefs that made it though to the Great British Menu 2025 final, as well as who took home the grand title of Great British Menu 2025 Champion of Champions.

Everything you need to know about Great British Menu 2025

As we get ready for the final week, 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?

Great British Menu officially started on Tuesday, 28 January 2025. 

Three one-hour episodes will be screened each week for the first eight weeks, with five episodes for the ninth week. Episodes of Great British Menu are set to air on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, with around 29 episodes in total.             

What channel is Great British Menu on?

Great British Menu is broadcast on BBC Two, and available for streaming on BBC iPlayer.

Who are the Great British Menu chefs this year?

All the official Great British Menu chefs for 2025 have been announced! Check out who competed from each region below:

London and South East England

From top left (clockwise): Jean Delport, Jason Howard, Eran Tibi, Eve Seeman

- Jean Delport, executive chef at Restaurant Interlude
- Jason Howard, culinary director at The Future Plate and chef owner of Flava Pepper
- Eran Tibi, executive chef at Kapara and Bala Baya
- Eve Seeman, head chef at Apricity

Northern Ireland

From top left (clockwise): Stevie McCarry, Marty McAdam, Lawrence Barrow, Jonny Taylor

- Stevie McCarry, chef owner of Lir
- Marty McAdam, chef owner and head chef of The Street Kitchen
- Lawrence Barrow, chef at pop-up concept Hearth and Tine
- Jonny Taylor, chef director at Saga

Central and Eastern England

From top left (clockwise): Sally Abé, Harry Kirkpatrick, Thom Bateman, David Taylor

- Sally Abé, executive chef at The Pem
- Harry Kirkpatrick, head chef at Trinity
- Thom Bateman, chef owner of The Flintlock
- David Taylor, chef director at Grace and Savour

Wales

From top left (clockwise): Ayesha Kalaji, Lewis Dwyer, Daniel Ap Geraint, Seb Smith

- Ayesha Kalaji, chef patron/owner of Queen of Cups
- Daniel Ap Geraint, head chef at The Gunroom Restaurant
- Lewis Dwyer, head chef/joint patron at Hiraeth Kitchen
- Seb Smith, head chef at Allt Yr Afon

North East and Yorkshire

From top left (clockwise): Callum Leslie, Ahmed Abdalla, Minal Patel, Scott John-Hodgson

- Scott John-Hodgson, head chef at Solstice
- Minal Patel, head chef at Prashad
- Callum Leslie, executive chef at The Black Swan
- Ahmed Abdalla, head chef at The Legacy at The Grand

Scotland

From top left (clockwise): Calum Munro, Hannah Rose, David Millar, Mark McCabe

- Mark McCabe, head chef at Henrock
- David Millar, executive chef at Carlowrie Castle
- Calum Munro, chef patron of Scorrybreac
- Hannah Rose, head chef on superyachts

South West 

From top left (clockwise): Amber Francis, Nicholas Balfe, Joe Fallowfield, Ashleigh Farrand

- Amber Francis, food educator and private chef
- Nicholas Balfe, chef director of Holm
- Ashleigh Farrand, head chef at The Kingham Plough
- Joe Fallowfield, head chef at Fallowfields at Housel Bay Hotel

North West

From top left (clockwise): Livia Alarcon, James Hill, Jack Bond, Eddie Shepherd

- Jack Bond, head chef/owner of Cottage in the Woods
- Eddie Shepherd, chef/owner of The Walled Gardens
- Livia Alarcon, head chef/owner of La Bistroteca
- James Hill, head chef/owner of The Oak at CurthWaite

Who's competing in the Great British Menu 2025 final?

The Great British Menu heats have concluded for 2025. So, who are the eight chefs competing in the Great British Menu 2025 final? We've been following along, keeping up with the highs and the lows (and placing bets for the winners).

From top left (clockwise): Jack Bond, Mark McCabe, Amber Francis, Sally Abé, Jean Delport, Stevie McCarry, Daniel Ap Geraint, Callum Leslie

Jean Delport, London & South East England

Originally from South Africa, now executive chef of the Michelin-star (and green-star) Restaurant Interlude in Sussex, Delport made history this year, beating the record for the highest score across four courses with 38 points total. His dessert 'Advanced Pudding Making', was a favourite across the board. Inspired by Alan Rickman's role in Harry Potter it came with a set of test tube toppings, a nut crumb in a cauldron, and a potion recipe book.

Stevie McCarry, Northern Ireland

Known for his innovative approach and use of traditional Irish recipes at fish and seafood restaurant Lir, Stevie McCarry is a self-taught chef centred on sustainability and local sourcing. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, McCarry experienced a hypoglycemic episode during the competition but continued to wow the judges nonetheless. 

Sally Abé, Central & Eastern England

Her third crack at the Great British Menu, Sally Abé impressed with her Florence Nightingale inspired starter and Sherwood Forest style main. Abé is best known for her work as executive chef of The Pem, leading a predominantly female team and modernising traditional British flavours.

Daniel Ap Geraint, Wales

After nabbing his first head chef role at the tender age of 23, Geraint went on to spearhead his first restaurant, which was quickly added to the Michelin Guide. Since then, he’s gone on to develop the offering at The Gunroom, showcasing the produce from the local Caernarfon area at the Plas Dinas estate.

Callum Leslie, North East & Yorkshire

Head chef of The Black Swan in Oldstead, Leslie comes with a star-studded career, working his way up from a job at the Box Tree in Ilkley at the age of 18 and later moving on to the two-star Restaurant Sat Bains. In the heats, Leslie demonstrated a knack for creating striking dishes, including a stunning dessert inspired by the work of Barbara Hepworth.

Mark McCabe, Scotland

Originally from Tannadice, close to Dundee, and now head chef of Simon Rogan’s Henrock, Mark McCabe wowed the judges with his main course. Paying homage to writer Nan Shepherd’s love of the Cairngorm Mountains, McCabe offered up a dish of barbecued venison loin with pancetta and bilberries along with a moss puree and smoked boar fat crumpets.

Amber Francis, South West

Now working as a food educator, the 2025 series is Amber’s second run at Great British Menu. Opening with a bang, Francis received praise for her Cornish camembert mousse canape and an impressive book-themed dessert with a ‘page’ of tempered white chocolate, which earned her a well-deserved full mark score.

Jack Bond, North West

From Cumbria’s Michelin starred Cottage in the Woods, head chef and owner Jack Bond first entered the industry as a 15-year-old. He’s since gone on to the three Michelin starred Eleven Madison Park and various roles under Gordon Ramsay and Marcus Waring. Serving up gravy in a thermos and a fantastic panna cotta among other dishes, Bond powers through to the next round.

Who are the Great British Menu 2025 wildcard chefs?

This year, Andi Oliver and Tom Kerridge have the chance to bring back their choice of chef who didn't make it out of the heats but deserves a shot at cooking a course in the next round.

After judging the London and South East England heats, Andi Oliver and Tom Kerridge announced they had decided on their wildcard chefs. 

Andi's wildcard chef, Ahmed Abdalla, returned to cook his fish course on Tuesday. He lost out to Callum Leslie in North East and Yorkshire heat, but his monkfish dish with callaloo and a Scotch bonnet emulsion received the highest scores from the judges out of all the finalist chefs. His stint at the finals was impressive, but he lost out on a place at the banquet after some elements were a little too bold.

Joining the finalists, Tom's wildcard chef was Calum Munro of Scotland. In the Scottish heats, the standards of the main course were incredibly high. Now, rejoining Mark, lighthearted banter in tow, Calum revived his 'Crofter's Revolt' lamb rump seared in butter, matched with haggis, smoked cauliflower, and a date and sherry puree. Read on to find out exactly how it went down. 

What happened in the Great British Menu 2025 finals?

All eight chef finalists are gearing up for the chance to write their names on the Great British Menu board and cook at Blenheim Palace. We're updating this guide every single day, so stay tuned to find out who's cooking what and who the wildcard chefs for 2025 are.

Who won the starter course final?

The first day of finals week, Monday’s episode showed just how fierce the Great British Menu can be. But (mostly) playful banter aside, each of the eight chefs got down to it, cooking their improved all-vegan starter courses. Amber and Stevie struggled to hit the right notes, ending up at the bottom of the leaderboard, while Callum and Jean’s adjustments also didn’t quite meet the mark, leaving them in joint fifth place.

While fellow chefs dubbed Jack’s ‘Rough Terrain’ starter as one to beat, the judges found it lacked the savoury character seen in the heats and placed him fourth just behind Mark’s revamped beetroot starter. Taking the second spot in what was a very close match, was Daniel Ap Geraint’s carefully spherified laverbread ‘Welshman’s caviar’.

So who’s cooking the starter at the Great British Menu 2025 banquet? That would be Sally Abe. Her third time on the show, her Florence Nightingale inspired ‘Nursed Back to Health’ onion soup scored a total of 40 points, with judges praising the incredible depth of her roasted onion consume, onion filled with cheesy vegan mash, and fermented barley brioche glazed in yeast extract.

Who won the fish course final?

Great British Menu threw a few twists and surprises into the mix on Tuesday evening, with Andi’s wildcard chef choice, Ahmed Abdalla, temporarily subbing in for Wales’ Daniel Ap Geraint to bring back his high-scoring monkfish and callaloo dish. The guest judge for the night was Russell Kane, who' quick wit and mispronunciations served to lighten up the judging chamber.

Naturally, all eyes were on Lir’s Stevie McCarry for the fish course. But after a disappointing round in the heats, Stevie’s alterations to his French trim brill dish failed to compete with the incredibly high standards, landing him in eighth place. Following in seventh, Amber faced similar issues, as her altered dairy-heavy beurre noisette sauce unbalanced the dish. In sixth was Sally, while Callum’s refined fish and chips dish placed fifth.

One of the most intriguing plates came from Mark. Inspired by the inventor of the thermos flask, ‘A Day By The Sea’ saw haddock poached and served in the flask itself and attached to a miniature fishing rod. But it was Jack’s William Wordsworth confit trout that took third. Wildcard chef Ahmed took second with his monkfish, narrowly missing out on the top spot after concerns that his Scotch bonnet emulsion was too fiery, or, as Russell put it: ‘It’s spicier than a Jilly Cooper novel.’

That left Jean’s ‘Ode to Elizabeth’ in first, thanks to a faultless barbecue sole Veronique with potatoes en papillote, vermouth tarragon butter, and vin jaune sauce. The only niggle here was whether filleting tableside would be feasible at an 80-person banquet.

Who won the main course final? 

Winning the Great British Menu main course is the envy of every chef, so the pressure was on to deliver on Wednesday evening. Gearing up for what would become an incredibly tight round, the team brought in Clare Smyth, the only female three Michelin-starred chef in British history (Core by Clare Smyth) and president of the Bocuse d’Or. She was also a mentor to Sally Abe in the earlier stages of her career.  

With Stevie McCarry stepping out to make space, Tom’s wildcard chef choice, Scotland’s Calum Munro took up the pans for a reprise of his lamb rump and haggis dish. The second highest score for the main course, just behind Sally, we were expecting big things from Calum Munro, but the small details put him in eighth place followed closely by Amber. Callum Leslie and Daniel’s dishes came in joint third, while Jack and Mark took joint second.

Deciding first place, the judges found no clear or obvious winner, ultimately putting Jean and Sally in joint first. But who is cooking the Great British Menu main course at the 2025 banquet? With the help of Andi, the judges eventually decided on Jean’s ‘There and Back Again’ West African inspired feast.

A celebration of Charles Ignatius Sancho, a British abolitionist, writer, and composer born on a slave ship and sold by British slave traders, Jean’s plate received full marks from the panel. Clare praised its addictive qualities and distinctive but complimentary flavours while all judges commended the storytelling.

Who won the dessert final? 

In general, the dessert round of the Great British Menu finals has been the hardest and most disaster-prone. With Prue Leith returning to the show as a judge, and Jean and Sally already through to cook at the banquet, the pressure was mounting. Primed to take the dessert course was Amber with her full marks book-themed dessert, Sally’s Spinning Jenny parfait, Jean’s Severus Snape themed interactive potion course, and Mark’s Ode to Mould Koji-infused rice pudding.

Early on in the day, Daniel faced disaster as the Pacojet ice cream broke, leaving him scrambling (with Mark’s help) to blend the remaining ice cream and run it through the Carpigiani machine instead. Stevie’s experience wasn’t any better, as his custard-filled bilberry pie didn’t set, causing it to spill out of the casing as he attempted to serve it up in front of the judges. The chefs came seventh and eighth, respectively.

Coming in sixth position was Jack’s roly poly dessert, with Callum’s mushroom dessert in fifth, and Mark’s ‘Ode to Mould’ in fourth. Jean placed third, leaving Sally and Amber to battle it out. Both with a perfect score, they secured joint first place, with the judges deciding on Amber to helm the dessert course at the banquet.

What happened at the Great British Menu 2025 banquet? 

It wouldn’t be the Great British Menu banquet without a few things going wrong. Almost straight out the gate, the chefs discover the gas in the Blenheim Palace kitchen isn’t working. Though that problem is quickly rectified, Amber has to change tack while tempering her chocolate, opting instead for a Thermomix, while Jean slices himself badly on a mandolin. Despite all this, spirits in the prep kitchen seem high, thanks, in part, to Mark’s efforts and support - even while battling to produce countless thistle-shaped liver parfait canapes.

With some of the world's best chefs, modern-day Great Britons, and friends and family all rolling into the dining room, things kick off with Sally's ‘Nursed Back to Health’ starter. It’s a hit, with Michael O’Hare applauding the skill of the vegan brioche. Following was Jean’s sole Veronique fish course, which saw the chefs in attendance brush off their filleting skills to serve each table.

Then, straight into the main course, Jean’s ‘There and Back Again’ West African goat feast received much praise, though some diners, including Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill of Blenheim Palace, found it too spicy. Only after did he realise he’d forgotten to add the herb crumb to the goat.

Then, calm as usual, Amber’s Hannah More dessert, ‘Books, The Mind’s Food’ finished off the night. A cold set cream pudding with fermented strawberries, a honey parfait and charcoal sable and a page of white chocolate, it was a roaring success.

Who won Great British Menu 2025?

After a vote, diners' comments seemed to suggest that Amber and Sally were the favourites to win. So who won Great British Menu 2025? That would be Amber Francis, who secured the title of Champion of Champions for 2025 by popular vote, presumably with Sally coming in as a close second.

Accepting the award in tears, Amber reflected on her journey in the industry expressing gratitude she stated that becoming a school chef was one of the best things she’s ever done in her career.

What was the theme of the 2025 series?

The Great British Menu theme for 2025 celebrates 'Great Britons', with the chefs challenged to draw inspiration from important and influential people from their region. 

Who were the new Great British Menu 2025 judges?

The judging panel was a bit different this year. While this new series still featured Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge and comedian Ed Gamble (co-host of the Off-Menu podcast), restaurateur Nisha Katona left the series after a three-year run.

Nisha was replaced by Lorna McNee, the chef director at Cail Bruich and Scotland’s only female chef with a Michelin star. Lorna won Great British Menu back in 2019, stating that it ‘made a huge difference to my career as a chef and was partly behind me becoming Chef Director at Cail Bruich.’

The three judged the regional finals and finals week, alongside a selection of guest judges with strong ties to each region.

Who is the Great British Menu presenter?

Andi Oliver remained as host of the Great British Menu for 2025.

What is the format of Great British Menu 2025?

The format of Great British Menu was similar to 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 scored 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 last bid to win a place at the prestigious Great British Menu banquet, with the judges making the final decision. There are also two wildcard places up for grabs, with Andi Oliver and Tom Kerridge each able to select one chef to return and cook a starter, fish, main or dessert course and compete against the eight heat winners.

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. 

Who are the Great British Menu 2025 veterans?

The BBC hasn't confirmed the full lineup of veteran judges for the 2025 series yet, but we've already seen appearances from Paul Ainsworth, Lisa Goodwin-Allen, Tom Aikens, Angela Hartnett, and Tommy Banks, along with Simon Rogan, Michael Caines, Aktar Islam, Michael O’Hare, and Spencer Metzger. We expect some of them to return for finals week.

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