Great Women on Great British Menu 2023

We are delighted that Great British Menu (GBM) is returning to our screens on 31st January 2023 for series 18. The BBC Two show puts the nation’s most talented chefs to the test. It will air weekly, Tuesdays to Thursdays, 8pm on BBC Two for eight weeks.  Finals week will start on 27th March, with the banquet on 31st March.  After a significant re-vamp in 2022 the show will return with the same panel of judges.

The judges are Ed Gamble, Nisha Katona and Tom Kerridge.

Nisha Katona, is one of the UK’s most successful food entrepreneurs and founder of the Mowgli Street Food group of restaurants, She is also a founder of the Mowgli Trust charity.

Nisha said “What’s fantastic about the Great British Menu is it’s not just a competition about food. It is about the very best chefs in the country, creating not just extraordinary dishes, but these real flights of fantasy. I know that having watched it in the past, these people pour their hearts into what they do and it’s just a complete privilege to taste that.”

This year’s theme is inspired by Paddington Bear’s 65th Birthday. The chefs will be competing to cook at a six-course banquet celebrating the best of British animation and illustration. We should expect to see imaginative dishes based on cartoon series and comics right through to computer games. New for 2023 the starter will be a vegan course.

https://twitter.com/GBMofficial/status/1615740812020572161

Andi Oliver will be returning as presenter. She said “I feel really proud to be able to support our chefs and help guide them through the competition. Being able to be there to help them cope with how challenging the competition can be, and watch them develop their dishes – and their mental and culinary agility – is a sight to behold. It’s something extraordinary to see.”

Last year we were delighted to interview all of the women chefs who took part in Great British Menu 2022 and this year we are doing the same.  Keep an eye on this page and our social media for updates each week.

We look forward to talking to all of the female contestants on the show. We’ll discover what inspired their dishes and what it’s like working under the pressure of an unfamiliar kitchen with a TV crew filming their every move.

In the meantime you  can  catch up with our  interviews with the following amazing women who appeared on Great British Menu in 2022 –  Sally Abe of The Pem, who reached the banquet,  Caroline Martins of Sao Paolo project, Liz Cottam of HOME, The Owl and CORA,  Olivia Barry of Adelina Yard, Nat Tallents of Food by Nat Tallents, Charlotte Vincent now at Hotel Meudon,  Elly Wentworth of the Angel, Dartmouth and Gemma Austin of A Peculiar Tea. They all performed amazingly and did their regions proud.

We’ll be uploading our interviews with the women who are appearing on Great British Menu 2023 here. So keep an eye on this page and watch this space.

UPDATE – here are our latest interviews with the women on Great British Menu 2023 here:

Caroline Martins representing the North West on Great British Menu 2023

Amber Francis representing the South West on Great British Menu 2023

Charlotte Vincent representing the South West on Great British Menu 2023

Simmie Vedi representing Wales on Great British Menu 2023

Georgia Sommerin representing Wales on Great British Menu 2023

Kerry Roper representing Northern Ireland on Great British Menu 2023

Gemma Austin representing Northern Ireland on Great British Menu 2023

Marianne Lumb representing the Central region on Great British Menu 2023