Wales is famous for its produce, and with good reason – the lamb is a given, but ingredients such as laverbread, incredible Caerphilly cheese and a thriving craft beer scene put food and drink high on the country’s agenda. Many of the UK’s best chefs originally come from Wales, too – either moving elsewhere in the UK to cook or staying close to home and working to make Wales a world-class food destination. Here are three of them, appearing on this year’s Great British Menu.
The competition moves from bonnie Scotland to beautiful Wales, pitting another three chefs against each other. See who’s stepping up this week.
Phil Carmichael, Berners Tavern, London
Phil has been working with famed chef Jason Atherton for years, helping him open six different restaurants including Gordon Ramsay’s Maze, winning a Michelin star in the process. Now he’s executive chef of Berners Tavern in London, serving modern British dishes throughout the day.
With a classical cooking style, we’re looking forward to seeing how Phil adds all the pomp and theatre that seems to accompany every dish on Great British Menu. This will be his third appearance in the competition (see how he fared last year here), and he will be looking to improve his scores and hopefully go through to the final.
Nick Brodie, Llangoed Hall, Brecon
After stints in London and Hong Kong, Nick took up a job as head chef at Llangoed Hall five years ago and hasn’t looked back since. Using fresh produce from the hotel’s own garden (including eggs from the chicken, quail and duck houses), the majority of the other ingredients on the menu are sourced from just five miles away. Nick follows the seasons whenever he can, and is committed to keeping Llangoed Hall as sustainable as possible – using leftover cooking oil to produce bio-diesel and eliminating waste wherever he can.
Paul Croasdale, Alyn Williams at the Westbury, London
Originally from Abersoch, Paul has worked with some of the greatest chefs in the UK, including Gordon Ramsay when he was head chef at Heddon Street Social in London. Now he works at the Michelin-starred Alyn Williams at The Westbury, sending out playful, inventive dishes made from the very best ingredients. It’s Paul’s first appearance on Great British Menu, and he’ll be looking to prove his worth in the kitchen.
