Great British Menu
Contents |
Host
Co-hosts
Judges: Matthew Fort, Prue Leith and Oliver Peyton
Broadcast
Optomen for BBC Two, 2006 to present
Synopsis
14 top chefs compete for the honour of producing a menu for the Queen's 80th birthday bash. There are seven regional heats, each of which unfolds over five weekday programmes (starters, fish, mains, desserts and judging day). The seven winning menus go forward to a public vote at the end of the series. The two chefs in each heat work on opposite sides of the same kitchen, giving them the opportunity to engage in crosstalk as they cook, and there are also filmed inserts going into how the chefs come up with their dishes and source their ingredients.
Jennie Bond flanked by series 1 champions Nick Nairn, Marcus Wareing, Bryn Williams and Richard Corrigan
We can't honestly say it floats our boat, particularly as the only payoff on Monday to Thursday is the chefs tasting each other's dishes, which is a bit limp. This makes these programmes essentially redundant since all the judging is done on Friday. Nevertheless, it should fill a gap for the foodies missing Masterchef Goes Large.
The four winning chefs returned for Great British Christmas Menu in December 2006. For the second series proper, the seven regional winners from series one returned to face new challengers.
Trivia
For some reason, poor Jennie Bond is only given one outfit to wear for the whole of the week. Bless.
