Great British Menu

The Great British Menu is a BBC Television Series involving some of Britain’s greatest chefs competing against each other to have one of their dishes cooked at a themed showpiece banquet. 
 
Judging the skilled competitors are esteemed food journalist and author, Matthew Fort, restaurateur and cookery writer, Prue Leith and fellow restaurateur and businessman, Oliver Peyton.
 
The first series culminated in a banquet cooked for the Queen’s 80th birthday at which Marcus Wareing served his legendary custard tart with Garibaldi biscuits.
 
The second series witnessed Richard Corrigan produce a memorable dish of whole poached wild salmon with a duck egg dressing while Nottingham based chef Sat Bains created a cheeky ham, egg and peas dish in a special menu designed for the British Ambassador to Paris.
 
GBM returned for a third series in 2008, culminating in a banquet cooked in Norman Foster’s Gherkin with Fat Duck chef Heston Blumenthal as the host. 
 
In the fourth series Jersey’s Shaun Rankin produced a knock-out Treacle tart with Jersey clotted cream and raspberry ripple coulis that was served to British Soldiers returning from Afghanistan. 
 
The importance of local ingredients was the focus for series five of Great British Menu in which Prince Charles made an appearance at the final banquet with dishes served by Lisa Allen and Tom Kerridge. 
 
The sixth series was all about sharing and the importance of food within communities. A wonderful dessert from Paul Ainsworth titled Taste of the Fairground wowed the judges and made it through to the final feast.

Great British Menu 2012 celebrates London hosting the games.  The series had an Olympic theme with the chefs preparing dishes for an Olympian banquet.  Dishes from Simon Rogan, Daniel Clifford and Phil Howard were served at the feast for the sporting celebrities. 

In series eight the chefs will be preparing a banquet for Comic Relief.  The challenge is for the dishes to taste amazing but also to bring a smile to the faces of the judges and UK comedians & comedy writers.
 
A large number of Great British Chefs have been involved with the Great British Menu:

Paul Ainsworth
Tom Kerridge
Philip Carnegie
Alan Murchison
André Garrett
Marcus Wareing
James Sommerin
Nathan Outlaw
Will Holland
Daniel Clifford
Shaun Rankin
Chris Horridge
Michael Wignall
Galton Blackiston
Simon Hulstone
Graham Garrett
Simon Rogan
Tom Aikens
Phil Howard