Chef’s kiss
Great British Menu contestants 2022: Who are the chefs in series 17?
THE Great British Menu has welcomed some of the nation's top chefs.
The 2022 chefs have been creating dishes that reflect 100 Years of Great British Broadcasting, but only one can have their menu served at the banquet.
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Who are The Great British Menu 2022 contestants?
Central region
Sally Abe, The Pem, London - FINALIST
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Sally Abe is from Mansfield in Nottingham and is the chef consultant at The Pem restaurant in the Conrad London St James Hotel.
She studied hospitality management and culinary arts at Sheffield and then worked at The Savoy and then Claridge’s before she began five years under Brett Graham at the two Michelin starred The Ledbury.
She resigned in 2017 as head chef of The Harwood Arms in Fulham, where she managed to gain a loyal team and maintain the restaurant's Michelin star rating.
Sally opened The Pem in July 2021, in which the restaurant was inspired by Suffragette Emily Wilding Davison, whose family used to nickname her "Pem".
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Sally was also named Square Meal’s Female Chef of the Year in 2021.
Her style of cooking is British, seasonal, with elegance.
Her personal menu incorporates local produce from some of the UK’s most divine landmark events.
Ben Orpwood, Lucky Cat by Gordon Ramsay, London
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Ben was born in Cambridge and started his career off at Queens College.
He is a Asian cuisine enthusiast and spends a large part of his career cooking in places such as Australia and Asia.
He worked at Zuma in London, Istanbul, Dubai, and Toko in Sydney.
Ben found that the UK has more opportunities to offer him so he returned back to head up a new restaurant, Sexy Fish.
The opportunity to work with Gordon Ramsay to develop a restaurant based on Asian cuisine came up for Ben and he has become the Executive Chef at Lucky Cat for the last three years.
His food style is Asian influences, and pushes the boundaries of fine dining.
Liam Dillon, The Boat Inn, Lichfield
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Liam is from Lichfield and is very competitive.
His love for food started by spending evenings with his nan, making stews and baking.
Liam has worked in some of the UK’s top kitchens such as Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley, Five Fields in Chelsea and Story by Tom Sellers in Bermondsey, London
He has also travelled the world with appearances in Sydney ,Copenhagen and New York.
He then returned back to the UK in 2017 as chef owner of The Boat Inn.
Since then, the pub has become an award-winning modern British restaurant, and is Michelin recommended.
His menu for the competition is creative and innovative.
Harvey Perttola, Restaurant Six, Nottingham
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Harvey is originally from Nottingham and is the new head chef at Restaurant Six at the Trent Bridge cricket ground.
His career in food started at fourteen when he was an apprentice chef at Opus in Birmingham, before moving to Hampton Manor.
He was Birmingham’s youngest head chef at the age of twenty-four at Maribel Restaurant and was runner up in the 2017 Chef Stagiaire.
He was also a finalist in the 2018 British Culinary Federation’s Young Chef of the Year.
Harvey would describe his food as Modern British combined with classical French.
Wales
Nathan Davies, SY23, Aberystwyth - FINALIST
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Nathan Davies is back in the GBM kitchen having missed out on the banquet in 2021 despite being the second highest scoring chef EVER in the competition.
He opened Sy23 in Aberystwyth in 2019, where he showcases his ethos of locally forages or sourced ingredients cooked simply over the fire.
He is a keen woodsman, so makes his own pine oil which is just one unique ingredient he brings to the competition.
Larkin Cen, Woky Ko, Bristol
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Larkin Cen's interest in food began as a child, as he would watch his parents cook in their Chinese takeaway in Cardiff.
It wasn't until five years ago that he decided to give up his profession as a lawyer to pursue his career as a chef.
He used to work as a chef consultant at The Celtic Manor for three years before he opened his own restaurant Woky Ko.
Now the owner of four restaurants he hopes to bring his traditional Chinese flavours to the show and believes his competitive nature will take him all the way to the banquet.
Mark Threadgill, Head Chef at Portmeirion Hotel, Portmeirion
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Mark Threadgill was born and brought up in Gwynedd.
At just 14, he wrote in his school report that he would like to be head chef at Portmeirion Hotel.
Twelve years later he has managed to make that a reality.
Mark's menu is clean and he hopes to add emphasis on sustainability and local Welsh produce.
Tom Phillips, Head Chef at Restaurant Story, London
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Tom Phillips is returning to the competition for a second time after he earned his second Michelin star as head chef.
He began his career at the Ritz in London before moving on to various other places across Europe.
His cooking style is elegant, innovative, precise and unpretentious.
North West
Caroline Martins, Sao Paulo Project, Manchester
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Caroline Martin lives in Manchester where she runs her own pop-up Sao Paulo Project, showcasing fine dining Brazilian/British fusion cuisine.
She studied at London's Le Cordon Bleu and has worked at many Michelin starred restaurants.
Her cuisine brings together Brazilian flavours with the best of local British ingredients to create a unique fusion.
Caroline took part in the Brazilian MasterChef and came runner up in National Chef Of The Year 2020.
Dave Critchley, Lu Ban, Liverpool
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Dave Critchley has been in the kitchens since he was 15-years-old.
Even though he trained at university as a graphic designer and children's book illustrator it was his love for cooking that swayed his career path.
He ran some of Liverpool’s and the North West’s flagship restaurants
including Alma de Cuba, The Noble House with its modern American menu, and Australasia (Manchester).
He also became Executive Head Chef at The London.
In 2019 Dave decided to take a different direction and was selected as the last ever apprentice of a world-famous Chinese Chef, Master Wu.
He went on to explore traditional Chinese cooking and is now the executive chef at Liverpool's Lu Ban.
Sam Lomas, Glebe House, Devon - FINALIST
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Sam Lomas is a 26-year-old from Macclesfield and is the head chef at Glebe House in Devon.
When he was 18 he won a competition as an apprentice at River Cottage with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, and this is where his love for sustainable practices, foraging and seasonal cooking developed.
His dishes are creative, seasonal and locally inspired.
Sam is dedicated to having a close connection with local supplies and hopes to grow his own livestock on site.
Stevie Lamb, The Orangery, Darlington, County Durham
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Stevie Lamb is a 26-year-old Preston lad who is head chef at the 3AA rosette The Orangery in Darlington.
He fell in love with cooking at an early age and thanks his nan who was a home baker.
Stevie uses inspiration from her classics in his cooking to this very day and is extremely proud to be representing the North West in the competition.
London and South East
Angelo Sato, Humble Chicken, London
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Angelo was born in Japan and moved to London when he was 17.
He was just 15 when he first stepped foot into a professional kitchen and has since amassed an impressive array of interstellar restaurants on his CV.
He opened Humble Chicken at the start of 2021, taking a truly nose-to-tail approach to cooking.
Angelo describes his food as “European with a Japanese accent”, and concentrates on layering flavours where he takes inspiration from every kitchen he has worked in .
The Chelsea Flower Show and the BBC Natural History Unit are the inspiration for his competitions menu.
Robbie Lorraine, Only Food & Courses, London
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After two decades of picking up awards while cooking for other people,
Robbie decided to take the plunge and open his own restaurant in Brixton.
His playful cookery skills all come from his own past and plays heavily on nostalgia from his trips to various diners.
Robbie's menu aims to celebrate 100 years of British Broadcasting which includes a homage to Absolutely Fabulous and a tip of the hat to Grange Hill.
Spencer Metzger, The Ritz, London - FINALIST
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Essex lad Spencer comes fresh to the competition from a promotion to head chef at The Ritz.
He first entered the kitchen at 15-years-old on a work experience placement.
He became an apprentice shortly afterwards, and has climbed up through the ranks.
He is no stranger to competitions and has won the Roux Scholarship in 2019 and was awarded The Caterer’s Acorn Award, celebrating the industry’s brightest talents under thirty.
His background is firmly rooted in classic French cuisine but he has picked up some more contemporary flourishes along the way.
Tony Parkin, Tony Parkin at The Tudor Room, Surrey
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Tony comes from Reading and is eager for a second shot at the competition after scoring a ten with a beautiful dessert last time.
He always knew he wanted to be a chef while growing up, with his parents already in the industry.
Since the age of 19 he has worked in some of the best kitchens in the world including Copenhagen’s Noma under René Redzepi, Kommandanten, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and Northcote Manor in Lancashire.
In 2019 Tony became head chef at The Tudor Room in Surrey.
The opportunity soon came forward for Tony to run this restaurant and put his own stamp onto it turning it into Tony Parkin at The Tudor Room – within five months of reopening he was awarded a Michelin star.
He is classically trained, and has a French style of cooking using modern techniques and Thai influences.
Scotland
Calum Montgomery, Edinbane Lodge, Isle of Skye
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Calum was born and bred on the Isle of Skye, and is an ambitious chef that is determined to showcase "a taste of Skye" for his menu.
He is a chef patron at Edinbane Lodge which is a sixteenth century hunting lodge that he renovated himself into a Michelin-recommended returnated that has been awarded three AA rosettes.
He is thrilled to be representing Scotland in 2022 and will be paying homage to the classic Scottish tradition of "First Footing" and "Hogmanay Live".
Fraser Smith, Angels with Bagpipes, Edinburgh
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Fraser is confident that his seasonal creative dishes will have what it takes to impress any veteran judge.
He began cooking when he was fourteen and spent eight years on and off working with Ian McNaught at The Roman Camp Hotel, which has held 3 AA rosettes for over twenty years.
He credits Ian for his biggest inspirations when it comes to his love of cooking great food.
Fraser is now proud to be head chef at Angels with Bagpipes on Edinburgh’s most iconic street, The Royal Mile.
Adam Handling, Frog by Adam Handling, London - FINALIST
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Competitive chef Adam Handling is back in the GBM kitchen once more and this time with even more drive and determination to hit the brief and showcase his unique style of cooking.
Adam is strong on the idea of sustainability and that is at the heart of his approach when it comes to food.
In 2016, The Adam Handling Restaurant Group was born and Adam went on to open The Loch and the Tyne in the countryside of Old Windsor, before opening up Ugly Butterfly on the beautiful Cornish coast in St Ives.
He holds a number of impressive awards under his belt from Scottish Chef of the Year to being voted Restaurateur of the Year at the British GQ Food and Drink Awards 2020.
Stuart Ralston, Aizle (and Noto), Edinburgh
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Stuart returns to the Great British Menu kitchen for his second consecutive year.
He has worked at prestigious restaurants including Gordon Ramsay in NYC and catering for VIPs at the exclusive Sandy Lane in Barbados.
Stuart opened up Aizle, a fine dining restaurant in Edinburgh which serves a carefully crafted tasting menu, and Noto, a wine bar with delectable tasting dishes inspired by his time in NYC.
He describes his style of cooking as natural and organic with Japanese and Asian flavours and techniques.
North East and Yorkshire
Bobby Geetha, Fleur Café
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Globetrotter Bobby has been based in Leeds for the last two years, developing his menus for Fleur Cafe, Casa Peri Peri and Fine Indian Dining.
Before living in Yorkshire, he has worked in many prestigious kitchens such as Noma, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal and Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons.
He takes great pleasure to incorporate western techniques with his own style of cooking as his food is "innovative Indian dishes with an international approach."
He is no stranger when it comes to competitions, having won the Hozpitality Excellence award for Best Executive Chef in the Middle East, the LTG Best Indian Restaurant award in Dubai and the Prochef award for Best Indian Speciality Chef in the Middle East when he was working in the UAE.
Elizabeth Cottam, Home
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Elizabeth was born and bred in Leeds.
In 2016, she decided to walk away from her successful corporate career to become a full-time chef, starting at The Star Inn the City in York and The Boc Tree in Ilkley.
In 2017, she opened Home and became the recipient of a Michelin Plate not long after.
She has since gone on to open two more restaurants; The Owl (also featured in the Michelin Guide) and Cora.
Her food is described as "progressive with traditional foundations, inspired by nature and using the best of Yorkshire produce".
Luke French, Jöro - FINALIST
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Luke was born in Cambridge and moved to Sheffield eleven years ago.
He started out as a kitchen porter when he was 14 and has since gone on to cook in the kitchens of Alimentum and The Fat Duck before relocating to Steel City.
In 2016, he and his wife, Stacey, opened Jöro, serving clean, pure flavours with a Nordic/Japanese inflection.
Shortly after opening came a Michelin Plate, 3 AA Rosettes and placing 32nd in the National Restaurant Awards.
They have now expanded their business by serving up a more casual east Asian-inspired food in Sheffield and Liverpool at Konjö and Nama.
Mark Aisthorpe, The Bulls Head
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First-timer Mark is ready to prove himself.
While attending the University of Sheffield he was part of the catering team before going on to complete spells at Cliveden House and Pétrus under Marcus Wareing.
In 2016, he managed to gather enough funding to fulfill his lifelong dream of opening his own pub restaurant which uses locally soured produced.
His aim is "to give traditional British food the elegance of a contemporary fine dining experience".
South West
Olivia Barry, Adelina Yard, Bristol - FINALIST
The chef took a chef training course at Bournemouth College before undertaking work experience at London’s St Albans and The Wolseley.
Olivia went on to later work at the prestigious Wright Brothers, Galvin Bistro and under Angela Hartnett at Murano (1*).
Returning to Bristol, Olivia opened Adelina Yard in Bristol with her partner Jamie Randall in 2015.
The restaurant has 2 AA Rosettes, a Michelin plate and a place in the Sunday Times Top 100 Restaurants.
This is Olivia’s second run in the competition, having previously taken part in 2018.
Elly Wentworth, The Angel, Dartmouth
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Elly grew up in the south west and has been cooking since she was thirteen.
Now 28-years-old, she is no stranger to competitions as she took part in the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts and was one of the four chefs to receive an Award of Excellence.
For the last two years she has been head chef at The Angel in Dartmouth where she gained a Michelin plate, 2 AA rosettes and Taste of the West's Best Fine Dining Restaurant 2021.
Her menu showcases the best local ingredients in a modern style with inspirations from William Henry Fox Talbot and his pioneering paper photography method.
Nat Tallents, The Box, Plymouth
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Nat is from Oldham originally but proudly calls the South West his home after spending seven years here.
She is the executive chef of The Box Kitchen & Bar in the center of Plymouth.
Nat was a semi-finalist in National Chef of the Year in 2019 and 2021.
Her menu for the competition pays homage to female scientist and innovators including Mary Ida Roper and fossil hunter Mary Anning.
Northern Ireland
Chris McClurg, No.6, Pladstow
Last time Chris appeared on the show, three of his four dishes came second to the winners in Finals week.
Chris worked with veteran chef Paul Ainsworth for over 10 years, and is now Chef de Cuisine at No6.
He’s part of the team that boast a 1*and 4 AA rosettes which was named the Observer Food Monthly’s Chef of the Year in 2018.
Chris was born and bred in County Down, Northern Ireland.
Gemma Austin, A Peculiar Tea, Belfast
Gemma is back on the Great British Menu for the second time running, having made it through to the judges chamber last year.
A Peculiar Tea is known for serving themed dinners and afternoon teas.
Gemma's mother was a chef in a local Belfast restaurant and at the age of 21 taking Gemma took her first job at Slims Kitchen on the Lisburn Road.
Gemma worked at the Fitzwilliam hotel in Belfast where she became head pastry chef, before moving to The Old Inn, Crawfordsburn where she eventually became sous chef.
Stephen Hope, Dawsons Restaurant, Castledawson
Stephen Hope began his career at Merchant Hotel, where he worked his way up to Sous Chef before transferring to Michael Deane's 1* restaurant, Deanes.
He entered the Gordon Ramsay Scholarship and has since cooked at many of Ramsay’s restaurants around the world.
Stephen describes himself as highly competitive, and at 18 he claimed a silver medal in Ireland’s Junior Chef of the Year before going on to be the youngest person to win Ireland’s Senior Chef of the Year two years later.
Stephen is the proud owner of Dawsons, a casual dining restaurant and he plans to open a BBQ restaurant in the near future.
Marty McAdam, Paget Lane, Enniskillen
Marty’s career took off after working under the legendary Tom Kitchin at his 1* restaurant, The Kitchin before moving back to Ireland to work with Neven Maguire in Macnean House.
After four years, he travelled the globe to cook in some of the most beautiful destinations in the world.
Marty spent a year in Australia before cheffing on a superyacht which took him around the Med and the Indian Ocean.
On returning home, Marty fulfilled a life-long dream and opened his own restaurant, The Street Kitchen and Paget Lane.
Who is in the final of Great British Menu?
Eight contestants from eight different regions have made it to the final of Great British Menu, they are:
- Sally Abé - Central
- Sam Lomas - North West
- Nathan Davies - Wales
- Spencer Metzger - London & South East
- Adam Handling - Scotland
- Luke French - North East & Yorkshire
- Liv Barry - South West
- Chris McClurg - Northern Ireland
When is The Great British Menu on BBC2?
The Great British Menu airs on three consecutive nights on BBC Two.
During the regional heats you can catch the Starter and Fish courses on Tuesdays at 8pm.
The Mains and Dessert follow on Wednesdays at 9pm.
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Then on Thursdays at 8pm it is judges day with only one chef going through to represent their region in the finals.
You can watch episodes online and catch up on past series via the .
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