Great British Menu

It's the launch of 2026's Great British Menu, and four chefs compete for north west England with blockbuster canapes, starters and fish dishes celebrating the British film industry.

The dishes are judged by this week's veteran judge, Michelin-starred chef Lisa Goodwin Allen, and include a spicy squash noodle broth in honour of Grow Your Own, a film set on allotments in Merseyside, as well as a Wensleydale rarebit in honour of Wallace and Gromit. Who will impress, and who will be sent home?

The three talented chefs from north west England are halfway through their heat, and the pressure is mounting. Once again, they each serve a unique take on the brief celebrating the British film industry and films with links to their region.

The dishes are judged by veteran judge Lisa Goodwin Allen. They include an elevated roast dinner of chicken crown with boulangere potatoes and cauliflower cheese honouring the film Withnail and I, as well as an orange and chilli chocolate cremeux designed to evoke the tastes and aromas of Mumbai in a nod to the film Slumdog Millionaire. But who will be leaving the competition?

The two highest-scoring chefs from north west England must go head-to-head and cook their six-course menus again.

They need to impress a panel of exacting judges: Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge, former Great British Menu Champion of Champions Lorna McNee, and comedian and all-round food enthusiast Phil Wang. The guest judge is Debbie McWilliams, a veteran film casting director responsible for casting James Bond films since 1981. How will she judge dishes celebrating the British film industry?

Only one of the chefs will triumph and go through to represent north west England at the national finals.

Four chefs compete for Scotland with blockbuster canapes, starters and fish dishes celebrating the British film industry.

The dishes are judged by this week's veteran judge, Michelin-starred chef Adam Handling, and include a leek and potato veloute inspired by Trainspotting and an aubergine baba ganoush in honour of Limbo. Who will impress, and who will be sent home?

The three talented chefs from Scotland are halfway through their heat, and the pressure is mounting. Once again, they each serve a unique take on the brief celebrating the British film industry and films with links to Scotland.

The dishes are judged by veteran judge Adam Handling. They include venison loin smoked in gunpowder tea, inspired by Skyfall, and a frangipane custard tart in honour of Brave. But who will be leaving the competition?

The two highest-scoring chefs from Scotland must go head-to-head and cook their six-course menus again.

They need to impress a panel of exacting judges: Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge, former Great British Menu Champion of Champions Lorna McNee, and comedian and all-round food enthusiast Phil Wang. The guest judge is Bafta-winning actress Katherine Parkinson, a mainstay of British TV and indie cinema. How will she judge dishes celebrating the British film industry?

Only one of the chefs will triumph and go through to represent Scotland at the national finals.

Four chefs compete for central England with blockbuster canapes, starters and fish dishes celebrating the British film industry.

The dishes are judged by this week's veteran judge, Michelin-starred chef Spencer Metzger, and include a Jerusalem artichoke and turnip dish linked to War Horse and a monochrome, art-deco styled monkfish dish that pays homage to Birmingham's Electric Theatre. Who will impress, and who will be sent home?

The three talented chefs from central England are halfway through their heat, and the pressure is mounting. Once again, they each serve a unique take on the brief celebrating the British film industry and films with links to their region.

The dishes are judged by new veteran judge Tom Shepherd. They include a duck breast and celeriac bread sauce celebrating the special effects team who worked on Inception, as well as an edible film reel with white chocolate and ginger mousse. But who will be leaving the competition?

The two highest-scoring chefs from central England must go head-to-head and cook their six-course menus again.

They need to impress a panel of exacting judges: Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge, former Great British Menu Champion of Champions Lorna McNee, and comedian and all-round food enthusiast Phil Wang. The guest judge is acclaimed film producer, Bafta winner and Oscar nominee Alison Owen. How will she judge dishes celebrating the British film industry?

Only one of the chefs will triumph and go through to represent central England at the national finals.

Four chefs compete for Wales with blockbuster canapes, starters and fish dishes celebrating the British film industry.

The dishes are judged by this week's veteran judge, Michelin-starred chef Tommy Banks, and include two celeriac dishes, one honouring Under Milk Wood and Richard Burton, and the other, TE Lawrence. Who will impress, and who will be sent home?

The three talented chefs from Wales are halfway through their heat, and the pressure is mounting. Once again, they each serve a unique take on the brief celebrating the British film industry and films with links to Wales.

The dishes are judged by veteran judge Tommy Banks. They include a guinea fowl that serves as a tribute to Welsh-Zambian director Rungano Nyoni and a dish inspired by Snow White that uses frozen snow. But who will be leaving the competition?

The two highest-scoring chefs from Wales must go head-to-head and cook their six-course menus again.

They need to impress a panel of exacting judges: Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge, former Great British Menu Champion of Champions Lorna McNee, and comedian and all-round food enthusiast Phil Wang. The guest judge is Sally El Hosaini, the BAFTA-nominated director of critically acclaimed film The Swimmers and ambassador for Into Film Cymru, where she champions film education and accessibility across Wales. How will she judge dishes celebrating the British film industry?

Only one of the chefs will triumph and go through to represent Wales at the national finals.

Four chefs compete for north east England and Yorkshire with blockbuster canapes, starters and fish dishes celebrating the British film industry.

The dishes are judged by this week's veteran judge, chef and long-time friend of the competition Paul Ainsworth, and include a pearl barley dal with a Gladiator theme and a black-and-white monkfish that celebrates Newcastle film noir. Who will impress, and who will be sent home?

The three talented chefs from north east England and Yorkshire are halfway through their heat, and the pressure is mounting. Once again, they each serve a unique take on the brief celebrating the British film industry and films with links to their region.

The dishes are judged by veteran judge Paul Ainsworth. They include a dish using duck, fresh fig and king oyster mushrooms to show what the kestrel in the classic film Kes might see whilst flying over the moors, as well as a dish made from coconut and black sesame to resemble a garden in celebration of The Secret Garden. But who will be leaving the competition?

The two highest-scoring chefs from north east England and Yorkshire must go head-to-head and cook their six-course menus again.

They need to impress a panel of exacting judges: Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge, former Great British Menu Champion of Champions Lorna McNee, and comedian and all-round food enthusiast Phil Wang. The guest judge is award-winning screenwriter and author Frank Cottrell-Boyce. How will he judge dishes celebrating the British film industry?

Only one of the chefs will triumph and go through to represent north east England and Yorkshire at the national finals.

Four chefs compete for Northern Ireland with blockbuster canapes, starters and fish dishes celebrating the British film industry.

The dishes are judged by this week's veteran judges, 2025's banquet winners Sally Abe and Jean Delport, and include an homage to The School for Good and Evil that features a red knotted brioche handkerchief, and a tribute to director Lisa Barros D'Sa with barbecued monkfish served from a teapot. Who will impress, and who will be sent home?

The three talented chefs from Northern Ireland are halfway through their heat, and the pressure is mounting. Once again, they each serve a unique take on the brief celebrating the British film industry and films with links to Northern Ireland.

The dishes are judged by veteran judges Jean Delport and Sally Abe. They include a roast chicken tribute to Kenneth Branagh's adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express, as well as two desserts inspired by the film Good Vibrations. But who will be leaving the competition?

The two highest-scoring chefs from Northern Ireland must go head-to-head and cook their six-course menus again.

They need to impress a panel of exacting judges: Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge, former Great British Menu Champion of Champions Lorna McNee, and comedian and all-round food enthusiast Phil Wang. The guest judge is award-winning Belfast director Lisa Barros D'Sa, whose films Ordinary Love and Good Vibrations have already been celebrated in dishes earlier in the week. How will she judge dishes celebrating the British film industry?

Only one of the chefs will triumph and go through to represent Northern Ireland at the national finals.

Four chefs compete for London and south east England with blockbuster canapes, starters and fish dishes celebrating the British film industry.

The dishes are judged by this week's veteran judge, Michelin-starred chef and former banquet fish course winner Aktar Islam, and include a Paddington-inspired take on savoury marmalade and a stuffed poached brill with a Vesper martini broth in a nod to Casino Royale. Who will impress, and who will be sent home?

The three talented chefs from London and south east England are halfway through their heat, and the pressure is mounting. Once again, they each serve a unique take on the brief celebrating the British film industry and films with links to their region.

The dishes are judged by veteran judge Aktar Islam. They include a 28-day dry-aged duck inspired by 28 Days Later, and a peanut and salted caramel parfait that serves as a tribute to the Baftas. But who will be leaving the competition?

The two highest-scoring chefs from London and south east England must go head-to-head and cook their six-course menus again.

They need to impress a panel of exacting judges: Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge, former Great British Menu Champion of Champions Lorna McNee, and comedian and all-round food enthusiast Phil Wang. The guest judge is Simon Callow, the much-loved actor who has starred in such box office hits as Shakespeare in Love, A Room with a View and Four Weddings and a Funeral. How will he judge dishes celebrating the British film industry?

Only one of the chefs will triumph and go through to represent London and south east England at the national finals.

Four chefs compete for south west England with blockbuster canapes, starters and fish dishes celebrating the British film industry.

The dishes are judged by this week's veteran judge, Michelin-starred chef Simon Rogan, and include a potato peel pie that pays homage to the film The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, as well as a dish including foraged ingredients from the pathway to Cornwall's Minack Theatre, which features in the film Fisherman's Friends. Who will impress, and who will be sent home?

The three talented chefs from south west England are halfway through their heat, and the pressure is mounting. Once again, they each serve a unique take on the brief celebrating the British film industry and films with links to their region.

The dishes are judged by veteran judge Simon Rogan. They include a guinea fowl dish designed to bring Aardman character Feathers McGraw to life, as well as a rum-soaked savarin, earl grey tea mousse and a milk ice cream paying homage to Sense and Sensibility. But who will be leaving the competition?

The two highest-scoring chefs from south west England must go head-to-head and cook their six-course menus again.

They need to impress a panel of exacting judges: Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge, former Great British Menu Champion of Champions Lorna McNee, and comedian and all-round food enthusiast Phil Wang. The guest judge is comedian and actor Ben Whitehead, who has recently taken over the infamous voice of Gromit's sidekick, Wallace. How will he judge dishes celebrating the British film industry?

Only one of the chefs will triumph and go through to represent south west England at the national finals.

It's finals week, where the winners from the heats compete to cook a course at a red-carpet banquet in Liverpool's St George's Hall to celebrate the British film industry.

The eight rivals from all corners of the UK compete over a different course, from starter through to dessert, where they will be marked out of ten by an expert judging panel, including a surprise guest judge - in this episode, film director Marli Siu.

It's a nerve-wracking first day as the chefs settle into the kitchen and meet their rivals. Each wants to win a course at the banquet and get their name on the menu. Can they improve on their scores from the first rounds?

Actor Will Poulter, who studied chef skills for his role in The Bear, joins Tom Kerridge, Lorna McNee and Phil Wang on the judging panel. They're tasked with picking a winner from eight fish courses, which are all inspired by the British film industry.

With Tom remarking that every single piece of fish is cooked perfectly, the judges have their work cut out in picking a winner, and the decision goes right to the wire. Only one of the chefs will earn the right to cook their fish course at the banquet.

Eight regional champions cook their main courses again in a bid to secure a place at a banquet celebrating the British film industry.

The multi-award-winning director of such films as The Queen, Philomena, My Beautiful Laundrette and Dangerous Liaisons, Sir Stephen Frears, joins Tom Kerridge, Lorna McNee and Phil Wang on the judging panel. They're tasked with picking a winner from eight main courses.

And in a twist, a mystery wildcard chef is invited into the kitchen to enter the fray. Can they steal the winning crown from the other chefs?

It's the dessert final, the last chance for the chefs to win a dish at a red-carpet banquet in Liverpool to celebrate the British film industry.

Michelin-starred chefs Tom Kerridge and Lorna McNee and comedian Phil Wang join GBM royalty Dame Prue Leith on the judging panel. They're tasked with picking a winner from eight fantastic dessert courses.

It's the banquet finale, where the overall winner of this 20th anniversary competition will be decided at a red-carpet event at St George's Hall, Liverpool.

The judges, Tom Kerridge, Lorna McNee and Phil Wang, have chosen the chefs from different regions of the country to create a special banquet. It's being served to celebrate the great and the good of the British film industry, including BAFTA and Oscar winners, actors, directors, costume designers, casting directors and more.

The chefs need to work together to wow the guests with their depth of flavour and flawless presentation. Who will triumph and become 2026's champion of champions?