It seems like no time at all since the last series, but it's already time for a fresh edition of Great British Menu and we certainly aren't complaining.

An all-new series of the ultimate TV cookery show is set to hit screens at the end of January, providing a spark of light amidst a rather cold and gloomy winter. The good news is you can expect the same judges, presenter and format as last year to make a return, albeit with a few exciting changes in place as well. The team behind the cooking show will be releasing details about the competing chefs a little differently this year, and stay tuned to find out what the theme of Great British Menu is for 2024.

Great British Menu has now been on our screens for 18 years (we know, we can't be that old either), with the first season having been screened in 2006, and over the years has been a springboard for some of the nation's now most successful chefs to go on to do some amazing things. Past contestants include Jason Atherton, Nathan Outlaw and Aktar Islam to name a few, and you can be sure that some of this year's competitors will go on to become equally as successful themselves. One of the things that we particularly love about Great British Menu is the fact that such a range of different chefs take part, so it's not unlikely that you'll have an experimental youngster competing against an established Michelin-starred head chef.

If you're as excited as we are about Great British Menu being back on our screens for an 19th series, you'll want to be in the know, from when it starts to who the contestants are. That's why below we've answered all the questions you might have about Great British Menu 2024.

Watch this space - we'll be updating it regularly to keep you in the loop!

Everything you need to know about Great British Menu 2024

As another year kicks off, we can't wait to see what's in store for the hopeful chefs. We've tried to answer some of the biggest questions you might have below and will be regularly updating this page with the latest information.

When is Great British Menu on?

The first episode of the Great British Menu 2024 aired on Tuesday 23 January at 8pm. As usual, there will be three one-hour episodes screened each week for the first eight weeks, and five episodes for the ninth week. Episodes will air on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

With this in mind we expect there to be 29 episodes in total.

What channel will Great British Menu be on?

Great British Menu will be broadcast on BBC Two.

Who are the Great British Menu chefs this year?

The team behind Great British Menu are following the same format that was introduced last year, where they shook things up by releasing the chefs taking part for each region week by week. This was different from previous years, with the chef line-up usually announced all at once. Over the course of the whole series, 32 chefs will represent eight different regions across the UK. 

Week 1 (North East)

Top left to bottom right: Cal Byerley, Samira Effa, Scott John-Hodgson, Adam Degg

- Cal Byerley, Chef Patron at Pine
- Samira Effra, Head Chef at EightyEight at Grantley Hall (eliminated)
- Scott John-Hodgson, Head Chef at Solstice (eliminated)
- Adam Degg, Head Chef at Horto (eliminated)

Week 2 (Central)

Top left to bottom right: Adam Smith, Sam Ashton-Booth, Liam Nichols, Louisa Ellis

- Adam Smith, Executive Chef at Woven by Adam Smith
- Sam Ashton-Booth, Development Chef at Muse by Tom Aikens (eliminated)
- Liam Nichols, Head Chef at STORE (eliminated)
- Louisa Ellis, Private Chef (eliminated)

Week 3 (London and South East)

Top left to bottom right: Ashok Kumar, Kate Austen, Joe Hill, Vince Smith

- Ashok Kumar, Executive Chef at Kanishka (eliminated)
- Kate Austen, Private Chef
- Joe Hill, Chef Patron at The Table (eliminated)
- Vince Smith, Development Chef (eliminated)

Week 4 (Scotland)

Top left to bottom right: David Millar, Ajay Kumar, Calum Montgomery, Kevin Dalgleish

- David Millar, Executive Chef at Jupiter Artland (eliminated)
- Ajay Kumar, Chef Patron at Swadish by Ajay Kumar
- Calum Montgomery, Chef Patron at Edinbane Lodge (eliminated)
- Kevin Dalgleish, Head Chef at Amuse by Kevin Dalgleish (eliminated)

Week 5 (Wales)

Top left to bottom right: Larkin Cen, Corrin Harrison, Lewis Dwyer, Nick Rudge

- Larkin Cen, Chef Patron at The Monkey King
- Corrin Harrison, Head Chef at Gwen
- Lewis Dwyer, Head Chef at Hiraeth (eliminated)
- Nick Rudge, Head Chef & Owner at The Jackdaw (eliminated)

Week 6 (North West)

Top left to bottom right: Andy Sheridan, Kirk Haworth, Ryan Stafford, Nina Matsunaga

- Andy Sheridan, Executive Chef and Owner at Restaurant 8 (eliminated)
- Kirk Haworth, Chef and Owner at Plates
- Ryan Stafford, Executive Chef at Fold Bistro (eliminated)
- Nina Matsunaga, Chef and Owner at The Black Bull (eliminated)

Week 7 (Northern Ireland)

Top left to bottom right: Lottie Noren, Naill Sarhan, Colin McSherry, Melissa McCabe

- Lottie Noren, Chef Patron at EDO (eliminated)
- Niall Sarhan, Head Chef at The Rabbit Hotel (eliminated)
- Colin McSherry, Head Chef (eliminated)
- Melissa McCabe, Chef Patron at Feast

Week 8 (South West)

Top left to bottom right: Andi Tuck, Elly Wentworth, Mike Naidoo, Ben Palmer

- Andi Tuck, Head Chef at Harbour House (eliminated)
- Elly Wentworth, Executive Chef at The Angel
- Mike Naidoo, Chef Patron at Catch at The Old Fish Market (eliminated)
- Ben Palmer, Chef Patron at The Sardine Factory

Who is through to the Great British Menu final 2024?

The regional rounds are still ongoing, but so far the following have made it through to the finals.

Cal Byerley: Chef Patron at Pine - North East
Adam Smith: Executive Chef at Woven by Adam Smith - Central
Kate Austen: Private Chef - London and South East
Ajay Kumar: Chef Patron at Swadish by Ajay Kumar - Scotland
Corrin Harrison: Head Chef at Gwen - Wales
Kirk Haworth: Chef and Owner at Plates - North West
Melissa McCabe: Chef Patron at Feast - Northern Island
Ben Palmer: Chef Patron at The Sardine Factory - South West

Who is cooking at the Great British Menu Banquet 2024?

STARTER - Ben Palmer, Chef Patron at The Sardine Factory (South West)

Firefly
Golden beetroot cooked in a kombu and salt crust, glazed with beetroot liquor and lemon thyme, then placed on a base of cashew and seaweed pastry, whipped vegan feta and black garlic ketchup.

FISH COURSE - Adam Smith, Executive Chef at Woven by Adam Smith (Central)

The road to Paris
Day-boat Cornish brill, covered with a trout and truffle mousse and served with cauliflower puree, Romanesco cauliflower, pickled cucumber and caviar. Two sauces accompany – a chicken-based truffle sauce and an English sparkling wine and lemon verbena sauce.

MAIN COURSE - Kate Austen, Private Chef (London and South East)

Symposium: A Greek inspired banquet
Deboned and stuffed quail, turnip purée, verjus figs, hispy cabbage stuffed vine leaves with hazelnuts, Manouri cheese and truffle French toast, scotch eggs and vin Juane sauce

DESSERT - Kirk Haworth, Chef and Owner at Plates (North West)

A taste of unity
Raw ceremonial grade cacao gateux, sour cherry, toasted macadamia, coconut blossom ice cream, African pepper and vanilla caramel sauce.

Who won Great British Menu 2024?

The winner of Great British Menu 2024 was Kirk Haworth. Kirk is the chef and owner of planted based restaurant Plates that is due to open in 2024. 

Kirk wanted to celebrate the coming together of all the cultures, countries and continents that create such a magical event. Inspired by the Olympic rings, each one representing a chosen flavour within it’s own continent:

Americas : Cacao
Asia : Coconut
Europe : Cherry
Africa : Pepper
Oceania : Macadamia

Adam impressed the judges in the final banquet with his dessert, which ultimately led him to be crowned Champion of Champions. 

What is the theme of the new season in 2024?

The Great British Menu theme 2024 will celebrate The Olympics and The Paralympics, and the final banquet will be to wish Team GB good luck in the Paris Olympics later this year.

Who are the new Great British Menu 2024 judges?

The judging panel is set to be the same as last year, with Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge, restaurateur Nisha Katona (who runs the Mowgli restaurant chain) and comedian Ed Gamble (co-host of the Off-Menu podcast) making a return to TV screens for 2024. They will judge the regional finals and finals week, while being joined by a guest judge each week who is connected to the theme of animation and illustration.

Who is the Great British Menu presenter?

Andi Oliver will continue to host the Great British Menu for another year.

What is the format of Great British Menu 2024?

The format of Great British Menu is similar to previous series, with chefs from eight different regions of the UK taking part. Each week is dedicated to a different region with four chefs cooking innovative dishes, based on the brief, for a veteran judge who will score each course out of ten. The lowest scoring chef after the starters and main courses will leave the competition, and then another chef will leave after all four dishes have been cooked. The remaining two chefs will then cook all four of their dishes for the panel of judges, who will then decide which competitor has won the region.

In finals week the winners of all eight regions will then cook off one last time against each other in a last bid to win a place at the prestigious Great British Menu banquet, with the judges making the final decision.

Do Great British Menu chefs get paid?

GBM contestants aren't paid to take part in the show. In fact, the restaurants they represent have to supply a budget, although they more than make the money back in exposure we'd imagine. 

Who are the Great British Menu 2024 veterans?

The BBC hasn't confirmed the full line-up of veteran judges for the 2024 series yet, but we imagine it'll be a combination of familiar faces such as Tom Aikens, Richard Corrigan, and Michael O'Hare, with some of last year's winners. 

Fancy treating yourself to a top-notch meal cooked by the country's greatest chefs? Check out SquareMeal's Top 100 restaurants in the UK.