Great British Menu 2026 chefs revealed

The BBC has revealed the 32 chefs set to compete in Great British Menu 2026, as the series returns to BBC Two and iPlayer on Tuesday, February 24.

Filmed from its kitchen in Stratford upon Avon, the latest series will see chefs from across Britain and Northern Ireland battle through eight regional heats for the chance to cook at this year’s banquet, celebrating the British movie industry.

The finale will be held at St George’s Hall in Liverpool, a building that famously featured as Gotham City Hall in Batman.

Eight heats, 32 chefs, one banquet

This year’s theme centres on British movies and movie makers, with competitors tasked with creating “blockbuster dishes” that connect cinema to their region or nation.

Only one chef from each heat will progress to represent their area in the finals.

The regional line-up is as follows:

Week one – North West: Jack Bond, Paul Leonard, Exose Grant and Daniel Heffy

Week two – Scotland: Hannah Rose, Jun Au, Rohan Wadke and Orry Shand

Week three – Central Region: Louisa Ellis, Nikita Pathakji, Ash Valenzuela-Heeger and James Sherwin

Week four – Wales: John Chantarasak, Corrin Harrison, Dan Andree and Carl Cleghorn

Week five – North East: Cal Byerley, Jamie Keeble, Ryan McVay and Weike Zhao

Week six – Northern Ireland: Lawrence Barrow, Kristin Reagon, Callum Irwin and Marion Lancial

Week seven – London and South East: Abbie Hendren, Dana Choi, Josh Hughes and Vincent Smith

Week eight – South West: Jeffrey Robinson, Mark Tuttiett, Ciaran Brennan and Martin Baylis

Week nine will feature the finals and banquet.

A veteran judge will join each week to help select the two chefs who go through to cook for the Great British Menu judges and a guest judge at the end of each heat.

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Judges promise glamour, nostalgia and bold creativity

Comedian Phil Wang replaces Ed Gamble and joins lead judge Tom Kerridge and Lorna McNee for the new series, with Andi Oliver returning as presenter.

Speaking about the 2026 theme, Andi said: “There is glamour and really quite moving nostalgia in equal measure.

“The chefs are celebrating everything from huge blockbusters to independent cult arty inspiration. The chefs really went deep with this year’s inspiration and it really made me think about the affecting backdrop that movies play in all our lives.”

Tom said the theme offered chefs “such a large and exciting narrative to explore,” adding that stylised cinematic moments had allowed competitors to push both technique and flavour.

“Not only are they recreating movie infrastructure, their connection to flavour and ingredients are also being pushed,” he said.

Lorna highlighted the storytelling element behind this year’s brief.

“They’re translating mood, character and emotion into food, which has led to bolder and more imaginative dishes,” she said, noting that the cooking felt “more expressive” and that chefs were taking bigger creative risks.

For Phil, who described Great British Menu as being “at the vanguard” of the evolution of British food, the quality of cooking stood out.

“There’s some truly exceptional cooking on offer this series, with flavours I had never had in my mouth before,” he said.

Great British Menu judges Phil Wang, Lorna McNee and Tom Kerridge in James Bond pose

A platform for the next generation

Now a mainstay of the BBC’s culinary calendar, Great British Menu continues to provide a national platform for emerging and established chefs alike.

Former winners include Paul Ainsworth, Lisa Goodwin-Allen, Tommy Banks, Michael O'Hare, Spencer Metzger, and reigning 2025 champion of champions Amber Francis.

With a theme rooted in British cinema, the 2026 series promises a blend of nostalgia, spectacle and technical ambition - and, as Andi suggested, perhaps “brand new stars in the making”.