Great British Menu Returns for Series 21 with New Judge Phil Wang
The BBC's popular culinary competition, Great British Menu, is making a highly anticipated return to television screens this week for its twenty-first series. The show, which is filmed in Stratford upon Avon, will feature thirty-two chefs from across Britain and Northern Ireland competing in eight heats. Their ultimate goal is to earn a coveted spot to cook a dish at the grand finale banquet.
Judging Panel Shake-Up: Phil Wang Replaces Ed Gamble
In a significant change to the judging lineup, comedian Phil Wang joins the panel as a new judge, replacing Ed Gamble, who departed the show last year. Phil Wang will work alongside lead judge Tom Kerridge and judge Lorna McNee as they search for the next standout talent in British cuisine. Ed Gamble expressed his support for the transition, stating that Phil Wang is an ideal successor due to his humour and shared passion for food.
Phil Wang shared his enthusiasm for the new role, highlighting the enjoyable experience of collaborating with Tom and Lorna and learning culinary terminology while sampling numerous dishes daily. Each week, a veteran judge will also join to score the dishes and select two chefs to advance to cook for the main judges and a guest judge, with only one chef progressing to represent their region or nation in the finals.
Series Theme and Finale Details
This season's theme celebrates the British movie industry, with chefs tasked to create blockbuster dishes that have a connection to their specific region or nation. The winning chefs will have the honour of cooking at a prestigious banquet held at St George's Hall in Liverpool, a location famously featured as Gotham City Hall in the Batman films. This adds an exciting cinematic twist to the culinary competition.
Competing Chefs by Region
The thirty-two competing chefs are divided into eight regional heats, each spanning a week of the series. The lineup is as follows:
- Week 1: North West – Jack Bond, Paul Leonard, Exose Grant, Daniel Heffy
- Week 2: Scotland – Hannah Rose, Jun Au, Rohan Wadke, Orry Shand
- Week 3: Central Region – Louisa Ellis, Nikita Pathakji, Ash Valenzuela-Heeger, James Sherwin
- Week 4: Wales – John Chantarasak, Corrin Harrison, Dan Andree, Carl Cleghorn
- Week 5: North East – Cal Byerley, Jamie Keeble, Ryan McVay, Weike Zhao
- Week 6: Northern Ireland – Lawrence Barrow, Kristin Reagon, Callum Irwin, Marion Lancial
- Week 7: London & South East – Abbie Hendren, Dana Choi, Josh Hughes, Vincent Smith
- Week 8: South West – Jeffrey Robinson, Mark Tuttiett, Ciaran Brennan, Martin Baylis
Week 9 will air the finals and the banquet, culminating the competition.
Broadcast Information
Great British Menu returns to BBC Two and BBC iPlayer on Tuesday, February 24, with the first episode airing at 7pm. Host Andi Oliver is back to present the series, ensuring continuity and her signature engaging style. Fans can tune in weekly to follow the culinary battles and see which chef will triumph in this celebration of British food and film.
