Great British Menu

This week it is the heats for the London and south east region. Competing for the top spot are three new chefs to the competition representing some of the most exciting culinary talent from London. Paul Walsh is executive chef at Michelin-starred City Social. He won his star there within just a few months of opening. On the other side of town, Luke Selby has just won a Michelin star as head chef at Hide in the West End. Finally, the youngest chef in the competition - Ben Marks is the chef owner of Perilla, in Hackney. He has been described as one of the most exciting new chefs of his generation by world-renowned chef Phil Howard. Do these three brilliant newcomers know what they have let themselves in for when they meet their surprise veteran judge and then get cooking on their starters in the new GBM kitchen? Ben’s dish Glass Onion takes inspiration from The Beatles track of that name as he reveals a very personal reason for feeling connected to this year’s music theme. Luke also has a dish, The British Invasion, themed around The Beatles for his starter, as he cooks a complicated, fragrant salad inspired by the lyrics from one of their early hits which won over America. Meanwhile, Paul the most experienced chef, has opted to cook Waterloo Sunset, a delicate fish and fregola dish inspired by the view from his rooftop restaurant and the Kinks hit. The chefs then move on to the fish dish. Paul is using john dory for his Oasis-inspired dish, What’s the Story Morning Dory?, while Ben is sticking with The Beatles as he attempts an ambitious, Indian-spiced mackerel dish. Luke’s Rock Stars heroes the lobster with Asian flavours – but just as he is due to plate his dish, he hits a disaster with his tempura batter which may spoil his chances in the competition.

The chefs are halfway through their heat and the pressure is mounting. Once again, they each serve a unique take on the brief. For mains, Ben is confident that his dish Blackbird, once again themed around The Beatles, will prove to be his best and most original dish yet. Luke is running around the kitchen with plenty to do to get his duck dish Spice, inspired by his favourite girl band, ready in time. Paul is using London honey for his dish, Let it Bee. After the nail-biting scoring on the mains dishes, it is the dessert and the chefs’ last chance to impress their veteran judge and stay in the competition to cook for the judges, so tensions are high. Ben finishes his tribute to The Beatles’ White Album, which his grandfather was involved in the design of, with a delicate all-white dessert set in shortcrust pastry. Paul demonstrates all his culinary skill with an ambitious dessert using layers of different chocolate and hazelnuts, called Tiers in Heaven, inspired by the Eric Clapton song and his love for his children. Luke has also given himself a lot to do with his final dish, a take on millionaire shortbread entitled Going Platinum. Will his white chocolate shards in the mould of a record be ready in time?

Today the two remaining London chefs must cook their four-course menus again. But will they take on board their veteran’s advice as they serve their tributes to Britain’s music success? The chefs need to impress the formidable judges - food writer Matthew Fort, restaurateur Oliver Peyton and broadcaster and cook Andi Oliver - as well as a guest judge - one of the pop stars the banquet will celebrate. Today they are joined by legendary bassist, Gary “Mani” Mounfield, from the Stone Roses and Primal Scream.

Three chefs new to the competition compete this week in the north east heats. Three of the region’s most exciting chefs battle it out for the top spot. Mike Carr is the former head chef at Harrogate’s Restaurant 92, Samira Effa, from Huddersfield, is head chef at The Box Tree in Ilkley and Tom Anglesea, originally from Durham, is head chef at ‘The Laughing Heart’ in London. Can these three ambitious newcomers present the menu of their careers, inspired by 50 years of British pop music? What will this week’s surprise veteran judge – who is very rock n roll - think of their efforts? Tom reveals some personal connections to this year’s music brief, beginning with his starter inspired by Britpop pioneers Oasis. Called My Masterplan, it combines the rather humble potato with lavish caviar and truffles to create a special version of a Bellini. To elevate the dish to a banquet-worthy status, Tom attempts some notoriously tricky pommes souffles but will they hit the right notes or could they fall flat? Meanwhile, Mike is bringing a contemporary vibe to the table with a starter inspired by a Clean Bandit tune, Symphony, which marries veal sweetbreads and pickled radish, but will they work in harmony? Finally, Samira’s taking her motivation from Elton John’s The Circle of Life and the very common but versatile tomato. After receiving the veteran judge’s scores for their starters, the competition ramps up a notch as the rival chefs move on to the fish course, as part of the new hour long format for the regional heats. Mike is using turbot for the second Oasis-inspired dish of the day called Champagne Supernova, Tom takes inspiration from Pink Floyd and dedicates his Japanese-style fish dish called Lost Souls in a Fish Bowl to both a dear departed friend and the pop stars no longer with us, while Samira goes all pun-tastic with a lobster and crab spicy dish called Tikka Look At Me Now.

The chefs are halfway through their heat and today they serve up their main courses and desserts. The stakes are high and again they are each serving a unique take on the pop music brief. For their mains, Mike is confident his northern dish Rack n Roll, which puts both classic Yorkshire hogget and traditional Lancashire hotpot in the spotlight, has the edge to help him claim the top spot. Samira is bringing the Nigerian flavours of her childhood to the kitchen with her dish featuring ox cheek and okra, dedicated to the MOBO awards. Tom is trying to keep his nerves under control in order to pull off his Fields of Gold dish. Inspired by the Sting song, it uses guinea fowl as its centrepiece. After the nail-biting scoring on the main courses, it is the dessert and the chefs’ last chance to impress their veteran judge and stay in the competition to cook for the judges. Samira gets nostalgic with a dessert inspired by a memorable Coldplay concert she attended, called Paradise Whatever the Weather, featuring three different kinds of parfait. Tom is celebrating his north east heritage, with a dessert inspired by Billy Elliot and featuring coal-like black macarons. Meanwhile, Mike is praying the sun shines on his final dish of the day, Glass-Gin-Berry, an ambitious, fun dessert a tribute to Glastonbury, combining edible glass, gin and berries.

Today the two remaining north east chefs must cook their four-course menus again. But, crucially, will they take on board their veteran’s feedback as they serve their tributes to Britain’s music success? The chefs need to impress the formidable judges: food writer Matthew Fort, restaurateur Oliver Peyton and broadcaster and cook Andi Oliver, as well as a guest judge – one of the British pop industry’s finest that the banquet will celebrate. Today it is a pop impresario, responsible for many number one hits in the 80s and 90s - Pete Waterman.

Two returnees and a newcomer make their way to the kitchen for the central heats. Returner Sabrina Gidda from Wolverhampton is executive chef at AllBright, a women-only club in London. Newcomer Kray Treadwell from Solihull is head chef at Man Behind the Curtain in Leeds. Ryan Simpson-Trotman, making his third appearance in the competition, runs his own restaurant, Orwells in Oxfordshire. How will they handle this year’s pop music brief and what will their surprise veteran judge think of their efforts? Newcomer Kray brings an urban edge to proceedings, with a starter inspired by grime music called Fire in the Booth. It combines hot sauce, veal sweetbreads and tuna belly. Returner Sabrina is compiling a dish of her favourite ingredients, including pasta and ox cheek, for her Italian inspired starter called My Mixtape. Fellow returner Ryan opens up with a starter that he hopes will have some sway, combing pigeon and beetroot: he has taken inspiration from the Deep Purple track Smoke on the Water. The competition immediately heats up when both he and Sabrina misjudge their pressure cookers. Will they be able to salvage their starters? After receiving the veteran judge’s scores for their starters, the competition ramps up a notch as the rival chefs move on to the fish course. Newcomer Kray is pulling all the stops out with a plate inspired by punk music called Disdain for Orthodoxy, which includes oysters, mussels, skate, ray and turbot. Controversially Sabrina is re-releasing a dish she brought to last year’s competition. She has renamed it Brimful of Asha and it combines curry with crab, turbot and a poha rice salad. Will the veteran judge object? Meanwhile Ryan getting soulful with a plate that utilises Dover sole, verjus sauce and grapes, called Fishing for a 45.

The competing chefs are halfway through their heat and the pressure is mounting. Once again, they are each serving their own original take on this year’s Great British Menu pop music brief. For his main course, Ryan Simpson-Trotman is confident his dish, The UK’s Number 1, will hit the top spot with his combination of a beef pie and rump cap. Sabrina Gidda is taking inspiration from her grandad’s collection of old 45s for her Sunday Jukebox main: pork wellington and Black Country faggots. Kray is going all out for wow factor with wagyu beef, American-style scones and purple potatoes for Shaarron, dedicated to Birmingham’s own Black Sabbath, The Osbournes and heavy metal. Dessert is the chef’s last chance to impress and stay in the competition to cook for the judges, so tensions are high. Sabrina creates a Fools Gold dessert of ice cream, peanut sable and honeycomb, in a tribute to The Stone Roses track. Kray is showing his romantic side with his dish A New Romance, inspired by the smell of Brian Ferry’s aftershave. It features sweet smelling peaches presented in a variety of ways. Ryan is creating 2 Tone, a dessert dedicated to the Coventry record label and the ska music movement. It features a brownie made of white and dark chocolate as well as black and white meringues. But who is going home and who is staying on to cook for the judges tomorrow?

The two remaining central chefs must cook their four-course menus again. But will they take on board their veteran’s advice as they serve their tributes to Britain’s music success? The chefs need to impress the formidable judges - food writer Matthew Fort, restaurateur Oliver Peyton and broadcaster and cook Andi Oliver, as well as a guest judge - one of the pop stars the banquet will celebrate. Today they are joined by one of the UK’s most successful singer-songwriters, Ali Campbell from UB40.

This week, it is the heats for the hotly contested north west region. Competing for a place on the banquet menu are two chefs returning to the competition for a second time, plus a supremely talented newcomer. Liam Simpson, who co-owns a high-end gastropub near Henley-on-Thames, is hoping to make it all the way after being knocked out in the heats during the 2018 competition. Adam Reid, chef-patron of a top hotel restaurant in Manchester, is aiming to get to the banquet for a second time, after his dessert made it in 2017. But they are facing tough competition from ambitious newcomer Hrishikesh Desai – a Michelin-starred executive chef at a luxury hotel in the Lake District. The chefs begin by cooking their starters for a surprise veteran chef of the competition. Liam’s dish Banging Beets takes inspiration from Liverpool’s legendary Cream nightclub – the place to be in Britain’s 90s clubbing scene – and sees him transform the humble beetroot into a sophisticated dish he hopes is worthy of serving at the banquet. Adam’s musical inspiration is much broader with From the Beatles to Oasis – a refined take on corned beef hash, which he says northern musicians will have eaten through the decades. Meanwhile, Hrishikesh is hoping the luxurious ingredients of scallop, saffron and caviar will give him victory with his tribute to Great British musical greats, Old is Gold. With no time to rest, the chefs move on to produce equally brilliant fish courses. Liam aims to impress with a simple mackerel dish inspired by a song he used to listen to with his husband while fishing, Adam pays homage to Northern Soul music with a hearty dish featuring cod and a rich butter sauce, while Hrishikesh is upping the ante with a complex salmon curry, inspired by the time he taught Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason how to cook Indian food.

In this episode, the chefs are halfway through the regional heats and, as the lowest scoring chef will be eliminated from the competition at the end of the show, the pressure is on. They start by cooking their all-important main courses - the centrepiece of the banquet menu. Michelin-starred newcomer Hrishikesh Desai is pushing himself to the limit with a complex multi-part venison dish, inspired by the bands which play at the Kendal Calling music festival, held near his restaurant in the Lake District. Laidback Liam Trotman is desperate to impress with a meal he used to enjoy with his family while playing music at home - spicy barbequed pork with wedges. This deeply personal dish is also very simple so needs to be cooked to perfection to be deemed worthy of the banquet. Meanwhile proud Mancunian Adam Reid’s course, Comfort Food Sounds Good, is based around a deceptively simple chicken stew – but he is hoping its comforting, homely vibe can secure him a place at the banquet. After the competition tightens up during the main courses, the chefs turn to their final chance to impress the veteran judge - dessert. Liam’s dish, What’s Your Guilty Pleasure?, hopes to tap into the music diners wouldn’t admit to liking, and is based around the flavours of his own guilty pleasure dessert of black forest gateau. Adam Reid is serving another remake of a classic Northern dish - this time he is resurrecting the treacle tart and naming it Madchester: I Am the Resurrection, in homage to a track by Mancunian band The Stone Roses. Meanwhile Hrishikesh is attempting another highly complex dish, with no less than 13 elements. Perfecting them all could see him secure a place in the national final – but has he pushed himself too far this time?

Today, the two remaining chefs from the north west cook their dishes head to head for a panel of expert judges, in a bid to secure themselves a place in the national finals. Will they have acted on the advice given by the veteran judge earlier in the week, and learn from their mistakes? The chefs need to impress a panel of formidable judges: food writer Matthew Fort, restaurateur Oliver Peyton and broadcaster and cook Andi Oliver, along with a guest judge - one of the pop stars the banquet will celebrate. Today they are joined by multi-million selling singer-songwriter Amy MacDonald.

This week, three of Scotland’s finest chefs do battle for a chance to cook at the banquet celebrating 50 years of popular music. Gordon Jones, the only newcomer, faces returners Lorna McNee and Ben Reade, who are going head to head for the second time. Originally from north west Scotland, Gordon is a Michelin-trained chef and owner of Menu Gordon Jones in Bath, offering a surprise tasting menu that changes every day. Lorna McNee is a Scottish Chef of the Year winner and sous chef at Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, the only restaurant in Scotland to hold two Michelin stars. At last year’s GBM, she narrowly missed out on taking her dessert to the banquet. Finally Ben Reade, owner of the Edinburgh Food Studio, a restaurant and food research hub experimenting with the best of Scottish produce. Ben went out during last year’s heat - this time he is determined to make it to Friday’s judging chamber. The three chefs meet their veteran, before cooking their starters in the new GBM kitchen. Gordon’s dish, Fleetwood Mackerel, is a risky combination of raw mackerel and porridge, inspired by childhood memories spent fishing and listening to Fleetwood Mac in Scotland. Lorna’s starter Elton’s Cheese on Toast also draws on memories growing up, listening to Elton John, and offers a twist on the classic snack. Ben is choosing to pay tribute to the electronic rock band Prodigy’s album Fat of the Land with a pig fat centrepiece, but should he be taking a risk using produce he is not familiar with? The chefs then move onto the fish course. Lorna is taking a risk by cooking with Indian spices for her dish Spice Up Your Life, to honour the Spice Girls, while Gordon’s It Must Be Love celebrates his love of unusual flavour combinations with langoustine and lamb’s heart. For his fish dish, The Halibut Peel Sessions, Ben is choosing to champion halibut with a tribute to his favourite DJ, John Peel.

It is the halfway point in the competition. The chefs cook their mains and desserts, each battling to produce smash hit dishes that wow their veteran. For her main, Lorna is confident her lamb dish With A Little Help From My Friends, dedicated to supportive friends, is a celebratory dish fit for the banquet. Ben is also using lamb for his Bass Notes and Beats, paying tribute to his favourite ‘old school’ drum and bass music, with ‘old school’ cooking techniques, while Gordon has chosen pigeon as the star of his dish Parklife, inspired by 90s Britpop artists Blur. There is still everything to play for as the three chefs enter the dessert course, their last chance to secure a place to cook for the judges on Friday. Ben’s dish Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast plays tribute to a Pink Floyd B-side by incorporating breakfast elements. Gordon’s picked British-Indian Bhangra music as the inspiration for his dessert Bhangra Beats and Bhangra Sweets, celebrating Indian flavours of mango, pistachio and saffron. Lorna has given herself a lot to do with her ambitious Lime and Coconut, There’s Enough for Everyone, which celebrates the Wham classic Club Tropicana. She is building a dessert to look like a coconut, in the hope of whisking diners away to their own tropical paradise.

Today the two remaining Scottish chefs must cook their four courses again, but this time they need to appeal to four new palates: food writer Matthew Fort, restaurateur Oliver Peyton, broadcaster and cook Andi Oliver, plus a celebrity guest judge. Today they are joined by popstar Keisha Buchanan – former member of one of Britain’s most successful girl bands, The Sugababes. So whose menu honouring British music success will take them to the national finals?

This week it is the heats for the south west. Battling it out for a spot on the banquet menu are three new chefs to the competition who are at the cutting edge of the food scene in the region. Emily Scott is the chef proprietor of Cornwall’s renowned St Tudy Inn, a firm believer in fuss free and paired back food. Her two rivals are from across the sea on Jersey. Joe Baker is largely self-taught, but at just 28 is already running his own restaurant, No 10, in St Helier. A neighbouring restaurant is Michelin-starred Samphire, where Lee Smith is head chef. Classically trained, Lee has worked his way through the ranks of restaurants including Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons. Today they cook their musically-inspired starters and fish courses for a surprise Great British Menu veteran. For the starters Joe goes out on a limb with his Beatles-inspired dish My Octopus’s Garden – an unorthodox pairing of seafood and cheese. Lee’s dish Beets of the Sixties is devoted to the colourful music of the 1960s. It is a risky move as it involves creating a pesto he can’t taste prior to plating because of his nut allergy, leaving the final flavour balance a guessing game. Meanwhile, Emily creates a salad inspired by David Bowie, called I Don’t Know Where I’m Going From Here But I Promise It won’t Be Boring. But could her relatively simple salad be just that? For the fish course Lee creates a dish called A Whiter Shade of Pale, featuring turbot and the humble turnip which he cooks in a variety of ways. Joe celebrates the golden era of pirate radio with a dish called Off the Record, that pairs steamed cod with an oyster and squid ink sauce. Emily is also inspired by radio (Desert Island Discs) to create her dish called Half Shell Heroes, featuring scallops.

The chefs are halfway through the south west heat. Today they present their mains and desserts to veteran Daniel Clifford, aiming to secure a place at Friday’s judges’ chamber. Emily’s David Bowie-inspired dish celebrates Britain’s food heroes and she is using Cornish duck meat from her local producer that she pairs with grilled radicchio and Malbec sauce. Joe has sourced his ingredients locally too – using hay from his family farm and Jersey beef. But can he convince veteran Daniel that beef from a milk cow is worthy of the banquet? Furthermore, he is going head to head with Lee in a ‘battle of the beef’. Lee has opted for sirloin, which he accompanies with bone marrow jam and grilled hispi cabbage with yeast extract butter and celeriac crumb. Dessert gives the chefs their last chance to fight for a place at Friday’s judges’ chamber, so there is everything to play for. The Police are Joe’s inspiration for his dish Message in a Bottle, which includes chamomile ice cream made from Jersey milk along with granola and fennel pollen meringue all set in a half glass bottle. Emily’s dessert is dedicated to disco and like Joe she is also making ice cream but, in a nostalgic move, has decided to make hers in her mother’s antiquated ice cream machine from the 1980s. Will it be up to the job? Meanwhile, Lee’s Beatles-inspired dish Strawberry Fields is a complex creation which takes the strawberry to the next level. But will he impress the judges with the technical nature of his dish?

Today the two remaining south west chefs must cook their four-course menus again. But will they take on board their veteran’s advice as they serve their tributes to Britain’s music success? The chefs need to impress the esteemed judges: food writer Matthew Fort, restaurateur Oliver Peyton and broadcaster and cook Andi Oliver - as well as a guest judge - one of the pop stars the banquet will celebrate. Today they are joined by one half of the synthpop duo The Communards – Rev Richard Coles.

This week it is the Welsh heats. Competing for a place at the regional final on Friday are two chefs new to the competition and one returning for a second helping. Tom ‘Westy’ Westerland is a former National Chef of Wales and head chef of the Brasserie at Lucknam Park in Wiltshire. Cindy Challoner is the former head chef at prestigious teaching restaurant The Classroom in Cardiff. They are facing Andy Sheriden, formerly of Sosban restaurant in Llanelli, returning to the competition for his second attempt at making it to the banquet. Today they cook their musically-inspired starters and fish courses for a surprise Great British Menu veteran with a reputation for being tough. Westy’s starter Top of the Crops features a rabbit kiev, turnip puree and pickled vegetables. It is jointly inspired by memories of watching Top of the Pops on television as a child and also his father’s vegetable garden. Andy’s lamb belly dish, called Green, Green, Grass of Home, is a very personal interpretation of the brief celebrating the journey he makes through the Welsh valleys to visit his children every fortnight with an additional nod to Welsh music legend Sir Tom Jones. Like Andy, Cindy’s starter also features lamb and is also called Green, Green, Grass of Home! She has opted to make a deconstructed version of the classic Welsh dish lamb cawl, which includes a savoury Caerphilly cheese welsh cake as well as a notoriously tricky consomme. Moving onto the fish course, Andy’s dish Top of the Cods reinvents his childhood favourite dish of fish and chips that he used to eat whilst watching Top of the Pops. The Stereophonics cover of The Kink’s hit Sunny Afternoon is the inspiration behind Westy’s dish, which also conjures up memories of childhood holidays on the Welsh coast. The dish includes cornets of feuille de brick pastry filled with diced mackerel belly, smoked tomato ketchup and horseradish creme fraiche. Meanwhile, Cindy’s dish I Don’t Know Where I’m

The chefs are halfway through the Wales heat. Today they present their musically-inspired mains and desserts aiming to secure a place at Friday’s judges’ chamber. Andy is cooking venison in celebration of his favourite band, Oasis. He accompanies the loin with rhubarb and beetroot ketchup, black pudding puree, pickled beetroot and a pistachio crumb. Westy’s beef dish The Cow Shed is named after a former stage at the Glastonbury festival. But his beef cheeks take longer to cook than he had hoped, leaving him with little time to make his tricky consomme. Cindy’s Spice Girls-inspired beef main course, called Spice Up Your Life, involves an unusual and risky combination of wasabi and horseradish that she is hoping will set her apart from the other two chefs. But will this be a risk that pays off? With the main course scores leaving the bottom two chefs just one point apart it is down to dessert to decide which of our three chefs will be going home and which two will stay to cook for the judges’ chamber. Andy’s tribute to legendary Welsh songstress Dame Shirely Bassey is called Goldfinger. It is a symphony of chocolate and coffee with bling decoration befitting the diva herself. Westy pays homage to his music idols The Sex Pistols with his dish God Save The Queen. He battles to create an eton mess with colours of the Union Jack but can he pull it off? Cindy has her struggles with her dish Our Number One, which celebrates the unsung heroes of the music industry. She has already taken risks with various degrees of success and now she takes the riskiest of all – putting everything she has on a dessert that requires molecular gastronomy technique. Only veteran Phil Howard can decide if she made the right choice.

Today the two remaining chefs from Wales must cook their four-course menus again. But will they take on board their veteran’s advice as they serve their tributes to Britain’s music success? The chefs need to impress the esteemed judges - food writer Matthew Fort, restaurateur Oliver Peyton and broadcaster and cook Andi Oliver, as well as a guest judge. Today they are joined by one member of former boy band JLS, JB Gill.

This week it is the heat for the Northern Ireland region. Competing are three exciting new chefs to the competition, all at the top of their culinary game. Chris McClurg from County Down is head chef at Paul Ainsworth’s Michelin-starred restaurant No. 6, in Padstow, Cornwall. Alex Greene from County Down is head chef at Michelin-starred Deane’s Eipic in Belfast and Glen Wheeler from Fermanagh is chef patron at the Michelin-recommended 28 Darling Street in Enniskillen. The three chefs begin by cooking their starters for a surprise veteran of the competition. Chris’ dish Brixton Academy Through the Years is his refined take on the classic lamb, post-gig junk food he ate after nights out at Brixton Academy. Can his aged hogget breast, crisp oyster, glazed sweetbread and charcoal grilled flatbread elevate this late night favourite to a Banquet worthy dish? Alex is taking inspiration for his starter Breakfast: Oh You Pretty Things from the artists over the decades that have sung about the first meal of the day. He is attempting to take some of the key flavours of a traditional British breakfast – egg, mushroom, soda bread and bacon - and really make them sing. Glen’s starter is an ode to British hip hop and, fittingly, puts rabbit in the limelight with a stuffed saddle, cep and rabbit ravioli all united with a wild mushroom foam and black garlic puree. The chefs then move on to cook their fish courses. Chris is using scallops for his Oasis-inspired dish Champagne Supernova, while Alex is including lobster, cockles, mussels and salmon in his dish Coney Island and Dundrum Bay, a tribute to Van Morrisson, and Glen is hoping his Procul Harem tribute A Whiter Shade of Pale, featuring john dory, will be all white on the night.

The chefs are halfway through the Northern Ireland heat. Today they serve their mains and desserts to veteran Tommy Banks hoping to claim one of the two places up for grabs at the regional final. Chris is cooking his interpretation of the classic beef dish Tournedos Rossini using guinea fowl. His inspiration is Proms in the Park and the British artists who mix classical and modern music styles. Alex’s dish commemorates his late brother and the song by Northern Ireland artist Donna Taggart that he associates with the difficult time of his death. Glen creates a chicken dish that he serves in a model of the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury complete with stage smoke. He struggles to serve on time for the third course in a row. It is down to dessert to decide which of the three chefs will be going home and which two will get to cook for the title of regional champion in the judge’s chamber. Dessert promises to be quite the battle, and two of our chefs struggle with the technical elements of their dishes. Chris’s dessert is inspired by the music and food heritage of London’s Camden Town and pairs muscovado monkey bread with soft serve vanilla ice cream. But when he can’t quite get to grips with the ice cream machine and his dish looks in jeopardy, the threat of going home seems very real all of a sudden. Alex’s dish inspired by The Beatles and their Apple record label promises to reimagine the humble apple as an edible sculpture. However, he misjudges critical temperatures and struggles to deliver the dish he’d hoped to. Glen, on the other hand, sails through and banishes his timing demons to serve his pavlova based homage to his favourite band Oasis that he calls Champagne Pavlova.

Today, the two remaining chefs from Northern Ireland recreate their four-course menu for the esteemed judges - food writer Matthew Fort, restaurateur Oliver Peyton and broadcaster and cook Andi Oliver. There is also a guest judge – one of the pop stars the banquet will celebrate. This week they are joined by rapper Loyle Carner. Will they hold their nerve and take on board their veteran’s advice as they serve their tributes to Britain’s music success?

It is national finals week, where the winning chefs from the regional heats compete for the honour of cooking at a banquet celebrating the brilliance of British popular music, held at Abbey Road Studios. Each episode sees the eight rivals cook a different course – and with this being the last chance they have to impress the expert judges and a raft of guest judges from the British music industry, the pressure is on. In the first episode, the eight chefs battle to get their starter course to the Abbey Road banquet and don’t disappoint with stunning dishes dedicated to everything from Tom Jones to grime. The rivals are cooking to impress food writer Matthew Fort, restaurateur Oliver Peyton, broadcaster and cook Andi Oliver, and guest judge and British music legend Martin Kemp. Since the chefs last cooked their starters in the regional finals, they have had an opportunity to tweak the dishes with the judge’s feedback in mind, and with one chef choosing to cook a brand new, previously untested dish, there are some big surprises in store. With the stakes so high, and the finest chefs in the competition all vying for victory, which of the fierce rivals can secure the first place on the banquet menu?

Some of the finest chefs in the UK compete to cook a fish course worthy of serving at a banquet celebrating the brilliance of British popular music, held at Abbey Road Studios. Along with the show’s panel of expert judges, the rivals need to impress guest judge Kanya King - a key player in Britain’s music industry, and the founder of the MOBO awards. As ever, the judges are expecting fish courses with both stunning flavour, and a theatrical wow factor worthy of the legendary banquet venue. Battle lines were drawn during the starters yesterday, with one chef securing the first place on the banquet menu, and others falling behind against such stiff competition, and now the rivals are even more desperate to impress. With incredibly creative fish courses that pay tribute to British music ranging from the Pink Floyd to the Spice Girls, the food is show-stopping – but only one fish course will make it to Abbey Road.

It is the national finals of the Great British Menu and the eight regional champions compete to get their main courses onto the final menu of the banquet at Abbey Road Studios. They are cooking for the judges food critic Mathew Fort, cook and broadcaster Andi Oliver and restaurateur Oliver Peyton, as well as guest judge, former Wham! star Andrew Ridgeley. As ever, the judges are looking for dishes laced with star quality and a good sprinkling of rock and roll wow factor worth of a banquet full of the music industry’s finest. The main course is the course all the chefs want to win so they will all be bringing their A-game today to try and secure the third place on the banquet menu. With inventive dishes drawing inspiration from British music ranging from Sting to Ozzie Osbourne, the competition is fierce and the stakes are high as the heat is turned up in the kitchen. Only one dish will be awarded a place on the banquet menu – which one will it be?

Some of the country’s finest chefs compete over the final place cooking at a banquet celebrating the brilliance of British popular music, held at Abbey Road studios. Each rival needs to cook a dessert to impress a panel of expert judges, along with guest judge Peter Hook – Joy Division and New Order bassist, and pioneer of Britain’s Madchester scene. With only one place left on the banquet menu, the chefs know this is their last chance to earn the honour of cooking at Abbey Road, so pull out all the stops in creating a banquet-worthy dish that does British music proud. With tributes to acts as diverse as Shirley Bassey to Wham!, there is no shortage of musical inspiration – but with so much at stake, some chefs crumble under the pressure, while the judges have their work cut out picking a winner from a spectacular top tier of delectable desserts.

This year’s Great British Menu comes to an all singing, all dancing climax with a star-studded banquet celebrating Britain’s success in pop music at Abbey Road Studios. Ahead of our chefs is the challenge of cooking in a kitchen they don’t know, as well as having to scale up their dishes to provide the highest calibre of dining for a full banquet room of diners. And, in a Great British Menu first, they have to rise to the challenge of adapting their dishes for vegetarian diners. Their guests are celebrities and unsung heroes who have helped create British music’s unparalleled global reputation - artists such as Andrew, Ridgeley from Wham!, Martin Kemp of Spandau Ballet, Keisha Buchanan of the Sugababes, Peter Hook of Joy Division and New Order and Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield from the Stone Roses. At the end of the banquet all the guests vote for their favourite dish, choosing this year’s Champion of Champions. Who will it be?