Great British Menu 2021 episode 25 – The Finals: Starter – It’s national finals week on Great British Menu, where the winners from the regional heats compete to earn a place on the menu of a spectacular banquet celebrating British invention and innovation. Each episode sees the eight rivals compete over a different course, from starter through to dessert, where they are marked out of ten by an expert judging panel, which each episode features a different well-known guest judge.
In the first episode, comedian Phil Wang joins food critic Matthew Fort, restaurateur Oliver Peyton and cook and broadcaster Rachel Khoo on the judging panel. They’re tasked with picking a winner from eight innovative starter courses, which are all inspired by British innovators from the chef’s local regions or nations. The rivals pull out all the stops to impress, with dishes that are as varied for their choice of inspiration as they are for their style of food.
It’s the first time the chefs have shared a kitchen, so the atmosphere is tense and competitive. And as some of the chefs have taken the opportunity to improve – or in some cases completely reinvent – their dishes since cooking them in the regional finals, there are some shock results.
Great British Menu 2021 episode 25 – The Finals: Starter
Along with Masterchef, Great British Menu is a cooking show that has been running so long it is basically a national institution by now. However, even after all these years, Great British Menu manages to keep fresh with new ingredients for season 16 – former judge Andi Oliver is now presenter, with cook, writer and broadcaster Rachel Khoo taking her place on the judging panel.
It’s a very formidable line-up – so can the chefs impress with a menu based on innovation to celebrate thirty years of the world wide web?
Oliver Peyton
Oliver Peyton is a renowned restauranteur and founder of cafe and restaurant service Peyton and Byrne, and was awarded an honourary OBE in 2012. He has been a judge on Great British Menu since it began all the way back in 2006, and has released two cookbooks: The National Cookbook: Recipes from the National Dining Rooms at the National Gallery and British Baking.
Matthew Fort – Great British Menu 2021 episode 25
Food writer and critic Matthew Fort was the Food and Drink Editor of The Guardian for over ten years, and has also written for Esquire, The Observer, Country Living, Decanter, and Waitrose Food Illustrated. He has also written several books on gastronomy, and been awarded Glenfiddich Food Writer of the Year, Glenfiddich Restaurant Writer of the Year, and The Restaurateurs Association Food Writer of the Year.
Fort has also presented TV shows such as UKTV Food’s Market Kitchen, and has been a judge on Great British Menu since the show’s beginning.
Rachel Khoo – Great British Menu 2021 episode 25
Rachel Khoo’s breakthrough came through the BBC series The Little Paris Kitchen, which along with the cookbook of the same name brought critical and commercial acclaim. She has since released six bestselling cookbooks and toured the world making cookery shows for the BBC, Food Network UK, and other international broadcasters.
This will be her first year as a judge on Great British Menu, taking over from Andi Oliver who is now host.
