Interview with Georgia Sommerin representing Wales on Great British Menu 2023 – Women In the Food Industry

Great British Menu (GBM) returned to our screens in January 2023 for series 18. The BBC Two show puts the nation’s most talented chefs to the test. At Women in the Food Industry we are interviewing the strong female line-up of chefs from across Britain competing to serve their dish at the final banquet. Our co-founder, Mecca Ibrahim, interviewed Georgia Sommerin, Head chef at Home in Penarth.

How did you start working in the food industry?

I started when I was 13 working in my in the kitchen just to get a bit of pocket money. It developed into a love and a bit of an addiction really. I got the bug.  Dad’s kitchen as a Saturday job, just to earn a bit of pocket money.  Then I went straight into the kitchen when I left school, so I’ve only ever trained under my Dad.

How did you get onto Great British Menu again?

I was last on in 2020 and I got asked if I wanted to do the show again. They phoned me up one afternoon and I thought why not – I’ll give it another go.

How did you prepare for the animation theme?

Just sitting down and Googling different animations in Wales and going for which ones I liked the story lines for. Coming up with a dish that is linked to the brief is the hardest part. It is very tricky you think that you’ve got something and then doesn’t work, so it’s trial and error.

This is your second time on the show, did it differ to the last and in what way?

It was definitely different, I felt a lot more relaxed and prepared.  I didn’t put as much pressure on myself this time. I went in with a good mindset and whatever the outcome, thought I’ve got onto the show and that’s great in itself.

What did you  the hardest dish to prepare for?

Probably starter and the fish course. I think the fish course is always the hardest for me. Every piece of fish is so delicate, so trying to come up with that course and for it to represent the theme as well.

Did you embrace the props on the show this year?

Yes, I incorporated props into all of my dishes.  Everyone loves the props too.

Which chef that you have worked with has given you the most inspiration?

I have only every worked with my Dad, James Sommerin, so he’s the one I look up to the most.

If you were marooned on a desert island, what is the one type of dish you could happily live on?

Probably pasta, anything with pasta I love. Also tinned peaches and whipped cream. It was something I had at my Nanny’s whenever we used to go round. It sounds disgusting but it’s one of those flavour combinations that I love.

Finally, what do you know now that you wish you could have told your younger self when you were starting out?

Be prepared for hard work and keep pushing to be the best that you want to.

Georgia will be appearing on Great British Menu from Tuesday 14th February 2023 representing Wales. Look out for more in our series of interviews with the great women chefs on Great British Menu 2023.