BBC TWO’s Great British Menu is back and this year the chefs must plate up perfection, as they fight it out for the chance to cook at a glorious banquet marking 100 years of the Women’s Institute at London’s historic Drapers Hall.
Surprise veteran judge
Emily Watkins, a 2014 winner, owner and head chef at The Kingham Plough, re-joins this year as a surprise veteran judge in the South West Region heat of the competition.
The competing chefs in this region are Josh Eggleton, Dominic Chapman and Jude Kereama whom she competed against last year. In 2014, Emily competed in Great British Menu and won with her fish course. It was a huge honour for Emily to cook for war veterans at St Paul’s Cathedral in a banquet commemorating the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings. Emily is delighted to have been invited back to be in the judging seat for the 2015 heats.
Emily Watkins said: “I was thrilled to be asked to come back as a veteran for GBM this year, I thought the brief was something I would be able to give input to, especially having cooked at the Banquet last year at St Pauls cathedral. I couldn’t believe that I was going to be mentoring Dom and Josh who I competed against last year – not only are they friends but also I hugely look up to them as chefs. However, the whole week was a great pleasure. I got to enjoy some incredible food, and I hope the chefs took on board my comments as intended – constructive points in heading to a banquet. The South West is an amazing region and Jude, Josh and Dom are 3 fantastic chefs to be representing it.”
Honouring first class home cooking
‘’The challenge for the chefs is to produce 21st century dishes that honour the custodians of first class home cooking, and pay tribute to the generations of women who have helped make Britain the great culinary nation it is today. The chefs have taken inspiration from the women in their families – their mothers, grandmothers and great grandmothers – and the pioneering women of the Institute, to turn home-cooked classics, into modern masterpieces.
Great British Menu dinner at The Kingham Plough
‘’We will be holding our own Great British Menu dinner here at The Kingham Plough on Monday 31st August at which myself and our three regional heat chefs will be cooking, so anyone interested in sampling our cooking that day should get in touch.’’
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For more information about The Kingham Plough click here
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