8 things we predict will happen in Great British Menu 2016

It’s also nice to see a new generation of chefs competing as the years go by and, given the show’s impressive lifespan, it seems likely that by now we’ll begin to see even more bright young competitors who have trained under chefs who competed in the first few series – rumour has it the head chefs from Daniel Clifford, Marcus Wareing (my custard tart senses are tingling) and Jason Atherton’s restaurants, all already highly respected chefs in their own right, could be competing this year.

There's no question that each and every chef in the competition is extremely talented, but the pressures of a competition can get to anyone – especially when you factor in television crew buzzing about the kitchen zooming in to catch every drop of fear. With this in mind, there are bound to be some mistakes made in the heat of the moment which (to the viewer) seem absurdly amateur and (for the chef) result in some nervous bleeped out swearing and a tea towel being flicked dramatically over their shoulder. 'What, she forgot to set the right vacuum time on the chamber sealer?!' we cry from our armchairs, takeaway cartons and crisp packets stacking up by our feet. 'He tried to make a mackerel snow without using maltodextrin? Em-barrassing!' This is all part of the viewing process, and the show wouldn't be the same without it.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that a royal feast is on the cards for the sheer wealth of punning opportunities, offering some respite from Wendy Lloyd's voiceover saying 'the pressure is on' and 'no room for error' ad infinitum. Shall we start taking bets now on how often something will be described as ‘fit for a queen’, a disaster referred to as ‘a royal mess’ or the inevitable O’Hare cameo dubbed ‘Princess Michael of Leeds’? (Okay, fairly long odds on that last one I admit.)

It’d probably be more out-there of us to say that we think plates will be used this series, as the trend for ‘alternative’ ways of presenting food continues on and off our screens. To be fair to the competing chefs, though, there’s a big difference between creating a conceptual piece around a theme and serving some chips in a bucket and spade. Great British Menu brings us the former, and over the past few years we’ve seen pint-sized picnic benches, mess tins, canvases and however it is you’d want to describe the smoky, moss-strewn landscape that was Colin McGurran’s Quail in the woods, all of which add atmosphere and context to the dishes they’ve created. What can we expect from the competitors this year if they're given a regal theme to play with? Cheese soufflé served on a throne? Mackerel pâté balanced on a live corgi? A Duke of Edinburgh carved out of venison? I simply cannot wait.