Great British Menu

Great British Menu

The last few decades have seen a revolution in the way we think about food in Britain. We're no longer a nation of shopkeepers, in the 21st century Britain has become a nation of foodies. We eat out more than any other nation in Europe and our restaurants have been named amongst the best in the world.

Each week on Great British Menu two chefs from a culinary region go head to head, trying to secure a place for their recipes on the Great British Menu. Sourcing the best ingredients from their local area, our chefs each create a starter, a fish course, a meat course and a dessert that they feel epitomises all that's best about their beloved region. At the end of each week the two chefs representing the featured region present their dishes to an expert judging panel who decide which chef's menu goes forward to the national final.

In the final week the nation's top chefs compete to have their dish chosen for the Great British Menu and the judging panel give their opinion on which starter, fish course, main course or dessert they think deserves a place on the final menu.

Series 1’s menu, celebrating the range of Britain’s culinary traditions, was served to the Queen and her guests at a banquet to celebrate Her Majesty's 80th birthday.

In Series 2, Britain’s leading chefs had an opportunity to dazzle some of the most respected members of the French food elite at an exclusive dinner in the grandeur of the British Ambassador’s Residence in Paris.

In Series 3 the stakes were higher than ever as Britain’s best chefs from ten regions fought for the honour of representing their region at a banquet celebrating the spirit of modern, culturally diverse Britain. The dinner, for the elite of contemporary Britain’s best loved faces and a selection of world-leading international chefs took place in the restaurant in the sky at the top of London’s iconic "Gherkin" building.

In Series 4, the nation’s finest chefs will compete to honour the men and women from all three forces serving in Afghanistan with a glorious homecoming dinner that captures the authentic tastes of home. The British Forces richly deserve a sumptuous feast, and the best British chefs will be determined to win the honour of cooking it for them: four courses chosen by the nation to reflect and celebrate the best of British food, a feast fit for the Armed Forces and the families that love them. The banquet will be held at the beginning of June and the venue will be the RAF’s historic Halton House in Buckinghamshire.

In Series 5, the chefs face their toughest challenge yet. This year is all about local food and, as the National Trust has such a strong tradition of local food production, the chefs are tasked with sourcing as many ingredients as they can from farms, estates and the surrounding neighbourhood of an historic property in their region. Instead of their usual suppliers, the chefs will have to scour the land to unearth the very finest produce, celebrating Britain’s home grown food.

The final banquest will be hosted by HRH The Prince of Wales, who is a long-time advocate of local, seasonal food, and also serves as the President of the National Trust. He'll be joined by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall for the banquet and the guest list will be comprised of some of the nation’s best food producers, farmers and fishermen, the people who toil to put the finest local British produce on the map.

Click here for the new Great British Menu 2010 trailer.