Great British Menu 2023 chefs: Nick Beardshaw, South West Heat

Head chef at Kerridge's Bar and Grill Nick Beardshaw is one of four chefs representing the South West region on Great British Menu 2023.

Series 18 of the competition starts on January 31 2023 on BBC Two at 8pm and will air for eight weeks.

Nick is going head to head with chefs Andrew Tuck, Charlotte Vincent and Amber Francis in a bid to represent the South West in the regional finals, and ultimately cook a dish at the final banquet.

Biography

Tom Kerridge protégé Nick Beardshaw joined the industry when he was just 11 years-old, sweeping the patio at his local pub.

He made his way into the kitchen after attending college, working in the kitchen at The Castle Hotel with Richard Guest in his home town of Taunton, followed by a stint under chef Daniel Clifford at Midsummer House.

He moved to The Hand and Flowers in 2010, where he progressed to the position of senior-sous, before joining The Coach as head chef in 2015. He was placed at the helm of Kerridge's Bar & Grill when it launched in 2018. 

This is Nick's second time on Great British Menu, as he also took part in the 2021 competition.

Full name

Nicholas Jon Beardshaw 

Nickname

Beardy

Age/DOB

37, born 4/07/1983

Place of birth / residence

Born in Weymouth, live in West Clandon 

Relationship status / children

Married / 1 daughter 

Height

183cm / 6ft

Type of chef (restaurant, hotel, development chef, etc.)

Restaurant (within a hotel) 

Favourite type of cuisine

British

Path to becoming a chef

Local pub... Potwash moving on to sandwiches and then all the way

Past and present place of work

Castle Hotel, Midsummerhouse, Hand and Flowers, The Coach and currently KBAG

Personal and professional mentors / role models 

Tom Kerridge, Daniel Clifford, Richard Guest, Heston, Clare Smyth

Guilty pleasure dish

Domino's American Hot

Best / worst thing about being a chef

Best: The spirit of the industry

Worst: unjustified reviews on user-generated review websites