We've got a trio of Ds – a Daniel, a Danny and a Dave – to kick the 2018 edition of Great British Menu, with the first heat focusing on the North East. Two of the chefs are working in Newcastle, whilst the third is from North Yorkshire but currently a head chef in London. Take a look below at who's competing and learn a little bit more about their careers to date.

Danny only recently made the move to Jesmond Dene House, having made his name at Kenny Atkinson's Michelin-starred House of Tides in Newcastle. He also got to the finals of MasterChef: The Professionals in 2014, so he's no novice when it comes to cooking in front of the cameras.

Daniel Fletcher cooks at London's Fenchurch Sky Garden at the moment, but he was born and raised in Northallerton, North Yorkshire. He's worked for some seriously talented chefs, including Phil Howard, Tommy Banks and Tom Kitchin, but it's at Fenchurch that he's finally had the chance to express his own style of cooking, focusing on incredible ingredients and getting the very best flavour out of them.

Another MasterChef: The Professionals finalist (albeit from the 2010 series), Dave has been the chef-patron and co-owner of Peace & Loaf since it opened in 2013. A Newcastle lad through and through, he worked in places like Le Gavroche under Michel Roux Jr before returning to his hometown to open his own restaurant.