The South West talent competing for the culinary crown in Great British Menu 2021 has been revealed
Great British Menu returns on March 24 to light up our screens with inspiring edible alchemy and this year’s theme is ‘British innovation’. A line-up of familiar faces will represent the South West and we can’t wait to see what they’ll conjure up for the 16th series of the cooking competition.
Jude Kereama, Kota and Kota Kai, Porthleven, Cornwall
Jude (pictured above) is a familiar face in the Great British Menu kitchen – this will be his fourth appearance on the show. Originally from New Zealand, the chef’s Asian-Kiwi fusion cuisine – influenced by his Maori, Chinese and Malaysian heritage – has earned him three AA rosettes, a Michelin Bib Gourmand and Best Chef in the 2019 Trencherman’s Awards. We spoke to Jude about foodie memories, self indulgence and comfort-food fixes: read it here.
Elly Wentworth, The Angel – Taste of Devon, Dartmouth
Elly has been head chef at The Angel – Taste of Devon in Dartmouth for the past two years, during which time she has been awarded accolades including a Michelin plate and two AA rosettes. South West born and bred and a former Masterchef: The Professionals finalist, she has been cooking since age 13 and has worked in some of the top South West kitchens including Tanners Restaurant, The Elephant and Lucknam Park. Her modern dishes are a true celebration of all things local and seasonal.
We caught up with Elly about how lockdown has been for her: read it here.
Chris Cleghorn, The Olive Tree, Bath
After working with the likes of Heston Blumenthal and Michael Caines, Chris became head chef at The Olive Tree Restaurant at the quirky, acclaimed Queensberry Hotel in Bath and has been crafting modern European dishes there for eight years. He’s held a Michelin star since 2018 for his striking and inventive dishes. While Chris currently works in Bath, he’ll be representing his home nation of Wales.
We asked Chris who he’d like to have supper with and what he wished he’d known ten years ago: read it here.
Nat Tallents, The Box, Plymouth
A fresh face on the Great British Menu scene, but a former finalist in the National Chef of the Year competition, Nat has been in the South West for the past seven years. She creates ingredient-led and visually exciting dishes as the executive chef of The Box (a museum and arts centre in the city), and before that held executive chef positions at The Lewinnick Lodge and The Plume of Feathers in Newquay.
Want to find out which other chefs will be competing for the Great British Menu 2021 crown? Find out here.
The pandemic has significantly affected advertising revenue in the publishing industry. If you would like to support Food Magazine, why not take out a subscription to our beautiful print edition which we’ll deliver to your door? Subscribe here for just £25 per year.