TOP CHEFS’ NHS BANQUET BATTLE IS ABOUT TO BEGIN
Great British Menu is back and, as GEMMA DUNN finds out, there are few more deserving recipients of the chefs’ culinary delights than the heroes of the NHS
FORGET unlucky 13 – Great British Menu’s latest series could well be its best yet.
For the culinary hit – a summer staple in the BBC calendar – will not only return with a shiny new title up for grabs in the form of ‘champion of champions’, but ready and waiting in the wings is a stellar line-up of chefs set to pay homage to our beloved National Health Service as well.
Following on from previous seasons, in which competitors have cooked for the likes of the Queen and British Services personnel, the 13th run will see competitors whip up a selection of heartfelt dishes in tribute to the NHS’S 70th anniversary and, crucially, its heroic staff.
It’s certainly a healthy dose of gratitude that won’t go amiss in today’s climate, say its returning co-judges.
“The stories of the NHS have been slightly lost in the news of the world at the moment,” reasons restaurateur Oliver Peyton OBE. “It’s the beating heart of Britain for me, the thread that joins us all together, and we’re being reminded of it through this competition, rather than just talking about funding or crisis.” Food critic Matthew Fort agrees: “You’re reminded of what a central part it is in the lives of so many people.” Food broadcaster and restaurateur Andi Oliver adds: “When you personalise it and you take it away from the politics, when you get down to the men and women – the people – that make up the NHS, you can’t help but feel so overwhelmed by gratitude and happiness.
“It’s brilliant to have the opportunity to just say ‘thank you’.
For those familiar with past series, the tried-andtested format remains largely unchanged.
The competition will challenge 24 of the UK’S top chefs to create dishes with the aim of making it to a banquet finale.
First up are the weekly regional heats, during which three chefs battle it out to impress a formidable veteran judge (names include Michael O’hare, Daniel Clifford and Tom Aikens), whose identity won’t be revealed until they walk through the door.
Two chefs will make it through to the regional final, where they’ll need to convince the panel of expert judges that their dishes deserve a place in the national finals – and eventually the banquet, which will be held in the rather fitting Great Hall of St Bartholomew’s Hospital.
A sure-fire way to impress these industry heads? “With the NHS, it’s really about your heart and soul,” insists Oliver, 56. “A lot of emotion was shown in the food – and that’s when food is at its best. When a lot is laid bare.”
“Every single person has got their own story about how the NHS has been pivotal to their family’s life, to their life. So for all of us, it was quite emotional,” recalls Andi, 54.
“Particularly for the chefs, as it turns out every single one of them had an aunt who was a nurse or had a baby that had been delivered by the NHS,” adds Matthew, 71. “So there was a feeling of paying back a debt.”
The decision of who will make it through isn’t entirely up to the returning trio, however. A run of guest judges-come NHS heroes – from Dan Smith, one of the first paramedics at the Manchester Arena bombing; to Aneira Thomas, the first baby born on the NHS; and Jenny Turner, Britain’s longestserving nurse – will play a pivotal part in the outcome.
Top talent, tick. Inspiring tales, tick. Healthy competition, tick. Great British Menu certainly has all the ingredients of a winning formula.
■ Great British Menu returns to BBC2 on Monday, at 7.30pm.