Great British Menu 2020: Everything you need to know, when is it on, where to watch it, chef line-up and more

Great British Menu is back this year for its fifteenth series. Take a look at when the series starts, find out what the theme is and how this year differs from the rest, before getting to know a little bit about each of the chefs competing.

When does Great British Menu start?

The Great British Menu 2020 line-up has been announced with the show returning to screens on Wednesday 18th March. As 2020 marks 150 years since Charles Dicken's death, this year's theme is children books. It runs for nine weeks in total (eight regional heats and then the final), with hour-long episodes every Wednesday and Thursday, followed by a half-hour regional final every Friday.

What's new? 

The format for 2020 has changed and will hopefully keep you hooked: 

• More chefs: there will be four chefs competing in each regional heat instead of the usual three

• More drama: the chef with the lowest score after cooking their starter and fish course will be sent home, without a chance to show off their main and dessert

• More courses: in addition to the starter, fish, main and desserts, each chef will also create an amuse bouche and pre-dessert palate cleanser, to give their menus a more contemporary tasting menu feel. Fish and main courses will be lighter as a result

• A new presenter: Great British Menu has been without an on-screen presenter since its second season, but this year they've appointed. 

The chefs competing by region in Great British Menu 2020

Central

Sally Abé, The Harwood Arms

Head chef at the Michelin-starred Harwood Arms in London.

Niall Keating, Whatley Manor

Executive chef at the two Michelin starred, The Dining Room at Whatley Manor.

Alex Claridge, The Wilderness

 chef-owner of The Wilderness in Birmingham.

Dom Robinson, The Blackbird

The chef owner of The Blackbird in Bagnor, near Newbury.

London & South East

Steve Groves, Roux at Parliament Square

The head chef of Roux at Parliament Square in London

Kerth Gumbs, Ormer Mayfair

The head chef at Ormer Mayfair in London.

Karl O’Dell, Texture

Head chef of Michelin-starred Texture in London

Ivan Tisdall-Downes, Native

The co-founder and head chef of Native in London.

North East

Samira Effa, TRUEfoods

A senior production chef for TRUEfoods which develops premium products for the food and restaurant industry.

Alex Bond, Alchemilla

The chef owner of Michelin-starred Alchemilla in Nottingham.

Josh Angus, Hide Ground

For the last three years Josh Angus has been head chef at Michelin-starred Hide in London, working under Ollie Dabbous and running a team of up to fifty chefs.

Ruth Hansom, Pomona's

Head chef at Pomona’s in London, her style is modern British underpinned by a classical French training.

Northern Ireland

Alex Greene, Deanes EIPIC

The head chef of Michelin-starred Deane's Eipic in Belfast.

Shauna Froydenlund, Marcus

The joint chef patron of Michelin-Starred Marcus in London with her husband Mark.

Paul Cunningham, Brunel's

The head chef and co-owner at Brunel’s in Newcastle and this is his first time in the Great British Menu kitchen.

Leigh Ferguson, Clenaghans

He started in the industry at 12 years-old, he spent ten years at the Square Bistro in Lisburn beofre joining Clenaghan’s restaurant in Moira as head chef.

North West

Hrishikesh Desai, Gilpin Hotel & Lake House

Executive chef at The Gilpin Hotel and Lake House in Windermere, Lake District and the holder of a Michelin star since 2016.

Tom Barnes, Rogan & Co

Executive chef of Rogan & Co, Simon Rogan's neighbourhood village restaurant in Cartmel.

George Farrugia, Fenchurch Restaurant at Sky Garden

The former head chef at the two AA-Rosettes Fenchurch Restaurant at the top of London's 'Walkie Talkie' building.

Sam Buckley, Where The Light Gets In

Chef-patron of Stockport’s Where the Light Gets In which opened in 2016. 

Wales

Hywel Griffith, Beach House

The head chef and director of Beach House Restaurant in Oxwich.

Tom Phillips, Restaurant Story

Head chef at Michelin starred Restaurant Story.

John Chantarasak, AngloThai

The owner of Anglo Thai, which has held pop-ups in numerous locations while he and his wife are looking for the perfect permanent site in London.

Scotland

Ross Bryans, Les 110 de Taillevent

Head chef at Les 110 de Taillevent in Marylebone, London.

Roberta Hall-McCarron, The Little Chartroom

The chef-owner of The Little Chartroom in Edinburgh.

Amy Elles, The Harbour Café

The owner of The Harbour Café in Fife.

Gordon Jones, Menu Gordon Jones

The chef-owner of Menu Gordon Jones in Bath.

South West

Joe Baker, Number 10

The chef owner of Number 10 in Jersey and this is his second year in the Great British Menu kitchen - he narrowly missed getting to the finals last year.

Guy Owen, St Enodoc Hotel

The executive chef at The St Enodoc Hotel overlooking the Camel Estuary in Rock, Cornwall.

Harriet Mansell, Robin Wylde

Has a pop-up restaurant, Robin Wylde, in Lyme Regis and this is her first time in the Great British Menu kitchen.

Thomas Carr, Thomas Carr at The Olive Room

 chef owner of the one Michelin starred, Thomas Carr at The Olive Room in Devon.