The BEST episodes of Great British Menu season 12
Every episode of Great British Menu season 12, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Great British Menu season 12!
Britain's top chefs compete for the chance to cook at a celebratory four-course banquet.
#1 - Banquet
Season 12 - Episode 45 - Aired 6/30/2017
It is the grand finale of Great British Menu and the winning chefs must now cook their dishes at the incredible Taste of Summer banquet. On arriving at Wimbledon, they are greeted by master of ceremonies Dan Bloxham, who gives them an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour. Once in the kitchen, the chefs face the huge challenge of scaling up their dishes. They must prepare the winning menu for the banquet guests including Wimbledon players and champions as well as those who work behind the scenes to deliver the Championships. From Tim Henman to Judy Murray, the guests are all expecting perfection. Determined to do their absolute best for the celebrations, the chefs are feeling the nerves in the kitchen. Will they be able to deliver?
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#2 - Central Fish
Season 12 - Episode 32 - Aired 6/13/2017
Pip Lacey is combining lobster with strawberry in tribute to the classic Wimbledon strawberries and cream. Ryan Simpson is also using lobster in his recreation of a barbecue and has invented a special technique to create his unique chips. Meanwhile, Nick Deverell-Smith is focusing on crab to make a savoury cream tea.
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#3 - South West Fish
Season 12 - Episode 7 - Aired 5/9/2017
This week, it is the south west heats as two ambitious newcomers, Tom Brown and Andy Clatworthy, take on returning chef Dominic Chapman. Today it is the fish course and with a seafood specialist in the kitchen, the competition is stepping up a gear. Tom, head chef at Outlaw's at The Capital in Knightsbridge, is hoping he will be able to elevate the humble mackerel to the standards required for the Wimbledon banquet. His competitors are looking to score highly with their more luxurious dishes. Dom is eager to impress with his turbot dish, which uses both traditional and modern cooking techniques. Andy takes a risk preparing lobster three ways, adding some unusual flavours.
#4 - Wales Fish
Season 12 - Episode 27 - Aired 6/6/2017
Today the pressure in the kitchen is high as the chefs prepare their fish courses. Paul Croasdale, who previously worked as Phil's head chef, is trying to recreate the elegance of Wimbledon with luxury ingredients such as king crab and scallops. Phil and Nick are both preparing dishes using humble mackerel which they hope they can elevate for the exacting standards of Wimbledon. Phil is using the flavours of summer cup cocktail to enhance his dish, while Nick hopes his elegant mackerel with nectarine will have the edge.
#5 - Wales Main
Season 12 - Episode 28 - Aired 6/7/2017
For the main course, all three chefs are cooking Welsh lamb in the hope of impressing this week's veteran judge. Nick Brodie, head chef at Llangoed Hall in the Brecon Beacons, is known for his use of local Welsh produce. He is using summer lamb to produce a modern update of a classic dish which he hopes will triumph over the other two. Phil is taking a risk with barbecued lamb and in an attempt to elevate a humble barbecue to banquet level, he is serving it with many accompaniments. But will he be able to bring everything this together and cook his lamb to perfection? Paul surprises the veteran chef with a number of unusual ingredients to accompany his lamb. Will Paul be able to pull off these unusual flavour combinations and find himself at the top of the scoreboard?
#6 - London & South East Dessert
Season 12 - Episode 4 - Aired 5/4/2017
All three chefs are feeling the pressure as they attempt their technical summer desserts. With only the two highest scorers going through to the regional final, who will be sent home? Dessert is the last chance for the chefs to secure a place cooking for the judges and the pressure in the kitchen is rising. Both Mike and Selin are inspired by Wimbledon's all-white clothing rule. Selin takes a risk using highly perfumed flavours in her dish that are notoriously difficult to balance. Mike is also using unusual flavours, making a coconut sago accompanied by mango, yuzu and yogurt elements. He must cook each of them to perfection to ensure his place. Tom is worried when he struggles to perfect the delicate tuilles that hold his layered dish together.
#7 - London & South East Starter
Season 12 - Episode 1 - Aired 5/2/2017
Great British Menu is back. 24 of the nation's top chefs compete for a chance to show off their culinary skills at a banquet honouring 140 years of the iconic Wimbledon Championships. The chefs have been challenged to create outstanding dishes that capture a 'taste of summer' and the prestige of Wimbledon. Their menu must reflect the tastes, smells and colours of everybody's favourite time of year and pay tribute to the incredible history and prestige of the tournament. This week, it is the turn of three chefs from London and south east England who are all first timers in the competition. Tom Kemble is one of the youngest chefs in the country to hold a Michelin star and cooks at a restaurant in one of London's most exclusive auction houses. He is up against Mike Reid, who has cooked around the world and trained under both Gordon Ramsay and Michel Roux Jr, and Selin Kiazim, rising star of the London scene, renowned for her Turkish Cypriot fusion flavours. The three chefs meet their surprise veteran judge and cook their summery starters. A dish celebrating childhood summer memories takes on a complicated courgette dish and a technically tricky take on the cucumber sandwich. Michelin-starred Tom is eager to prove himself. His starter is based on the classic Spanish dish gazpacho and his summer memories spent with his grandma in Marbella. Rising star Selin creates a reworked version of the cucumber sandwich with influences from her Turkish Cypriot heritage, while internationally trained Mike makes a courgette salad inspired by his time in Australia.
#8 - Scotland Starter
Season 12 - Episode 21 - Aired 5/29/2017
This week is the Scottish regional heats and returning chefs to the competition Michael Bremner and Ally McGrath battle ambitious newcomer Angela Malik for a place in the national finals. Today they are cooking their starters. Michael, chef proprietor at Sixty Four Degrees in Brighton, is eager to win having narrowly missed out on a place at the banquet last year. He faces stiff competition from Angela and Ally. In the hope of edging ahead in the competition, each of the chefs takes a huge risk with their starter. Ally makes a homemade ricotta that should take 24 hours to prepare, Michael attempts to impress with a vegan starter and Angela intrigues her fellow chefs with a savoury ice cream dish.
#9 - London & South East Main
Season 12 - Episode 3 - Aired 5/3/2017
It is a smoke-filled kitchen as the three chefs prepare their summer-themed mains in the hope of impressing the veteran judge. Selin Kiazim, head chef at Oklava in London, is in her element, cooking a feast inspired by the summer barbecues she enjoyed with her family. It contains four lamb elements and she is under pressure to cook each of them to perfection. Mike Reid is also cooking a barbecue-inspired dish, using prized wagyu beef that he pairs with his take on traditional sides such as corn on the cob and jacket potato. Tom Kemble's looking to capture the taste of summer using juniper branches to smoke his meat. He is hoping his attempt at a more refined take on the brief will be fitting of a banquet held at Wimbledon.
#10 - Scotland Dessert
Season 12 - Episode 24 - Aired 6/1/2017
Dessert is the last chance for the chefs to secure a place cooking for the judges and the pressure in the kitchen is intense. Angela Malik is cooking a technically challenging dessert. For it to succeed she must complete each element with upmost precision and exact timing. Ally McGrath starts the round with confidence, but a series of errors leave him worried about completing it on time. Michael Bremner is pushing himself with a dish in tribute to Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, but with lots of complex elements to complete, has he given himself too much to do? Only the two highest scorers will go through to cook for the judges tomorrow.
#11 - Northern Ireland Dessert
Season 12 - Episode 39 - Aired 6/22/2017
Dessert is the last chance for the chefs to secure a place in the regional final. Both Eddie Attwell and Tommy Heaney are attempting technical desserts which feature edible white chocolate tennis balls, while Joery Castel is cooking poffertjes, a traditional Dutch pancake. Only the two highest scorers go through to cook for the judges tomorrow.
#12 - North West Fish
Season 12 - Episode 12 - Aired 5/16/2017
Today is the fish course and the atmosphere in the kitchen gets even more tense as the three newcomers begin to understand the perfection and skill veteran chef Daniel Clifford demands. Ellis Barrie, head chef at The Marram Grass in Anglesey, attempts to create the flavour of a summer barbecue without actually using one. Tom Parker and Paul Askew are both using luxury fish to try and meet the exacting standards of Wimbledon. Tom serves oysters and langoustines with a risky champagne sauce that combines both traditional British and Asian flavours. Paul is cooking turbot and oysters. Will his traditional cooking be distinctive enough to get him to the highest score?
#13 - South West Main
Season 12 - Episode 8 - Aired 5/10/2017
This week, it is the south west heats as two ambitious newcomers, Tom Brown and Andy Clatworthy, take on returning chef Dominic Chapman. Today it is the main course. With a refined summer barbecue going up against a traditional Cornish speciality and a historic Wimbledon-related recipe, who will come out on top? Andy Clatworthy is using his passion for historical cooking to reinvent a dish that was served at an early Lawn Tennis Association banquet. Dom is going all out with a lavish summer barbecue, but with five side dishes and three different cuts of meat, has he given himself too much to do? The veteran chef worries that Tom's take on the traditional Cornish dish 'under roast' might be too wintry for a taste of summer banquet.
#14 - North West Main
Season 12 - Episode 13 - Aired 5/17/2017
Today is the main course and the pressure is intense in the kitchen. In the hope of impressing veteran judge Daniel Clifford, Paul Askew, chef patron at The Art School Restaurant in Liverpool, is serving an extremely personal main course based on his mother's favourite food. Ellis Barrie surprises with an imaginative dish that honours Wimbledon champion Fred Perry, originally from the north west. And Tom Parker is doing his take on a traditional summer barbecue, which he needs to elevate to banquet standard in order to make it through. All three chefs have several elements to complete and are feeling the pressure of the Great British Menu kitchen.
#15 - London & South East Judging
Season 12 - Episode 5 - Aired 5/5/2017
The two remaining London and south east of England chefs must cook their entire taste of summer menus again. They are hoping to impress the formidable panel of judges - Oliver Peyton, Matthew Fort and for the first time this year, broadcaster and restaurateur Andi Oliver. They are joined by Leon Smith, Davis Cup captain and former coach of Andy Murray. Both chefs raise their game and impress the judges with their inventive dishes but only one can go through to represent London and the south east of England in the national finals.
#16 - Central Dessert
Season 12 - Episode 34 - Aired 6/15/2017
Pip Lacey's pineapple dessert, in reference to the pineapple on the top of the Wimbledon men's singles trophy, features a strong second ingredient - coriander. Nick Deverell-Smith is also paying tribute to the pineapple, creating a layered dessert featuring an unusual rice pudding made with couscous. Ryan Simpson is hoping to celebrate summer nostalgia with his dish recalling an ice-cream van and featuring a number of complex technical elements.
#17 - Final Fish
Season 12 - Episode 42 - Aired 6/27/2017
The chefs need to convince the judges that their dish is worthy of a place on the final menu and that they have listened to any feedback the judges gave them in the regional heats. At the end of each round, when all the dishes have been cooked, the points are added together and the highest scoring chef wins the honour of cooking that course at the Wimbledon banquet. Today the chefs cook their fish courses but with some exceptionally high scoring dishes in the regional heats, each chef needs to deliver perfection in order to see off the competition. The judges are joined by guest judge Tim Henman, former British number one, who competed in Wimbledon's semi-final on four separate occasions and now commentates for the BBC.
#18 - London & South East Fish
Season 12 - Episode 2 - Aired 5/2/2017
The chefs do battle for the fish course. An unusual amberjack dish takes on barbecued octopus and a more traditional butter poached trout. Today the atmosphere in the kitchen gets even more intense as all the chefs take risks with their dishes. Mike Reid, executive chef at M Restaurants in London, shocks when he pairs his fish with some highly unusual flavours - white chocolate and strawberry. Selin's dish pays tribute to the notorious 2008 Wimbledon final between Federer and Nadal, using barbecued octopus and potato rostis as the central elements. Tom Kemble creates a more traditional dish, inspired by the classic summer picnic, but will his refined poached buttered trout be enough to impress the esteemed Great British Menu veteran chef?
#19 - North West Dessert
Season 12 - Episode 14 - Aired 5/18/2017
Dessert is the last chance for the chefs to secure a place cooking for the judges and the pressure in the kitchen is intense. Paul can't afford to make any mistakes and is pushing himself with a technically challenging baked alaska in tribute to the Wimbledon men's singles trophy. Ellis's dish is inspired by strawberries but with so many elements to perfect, has he given himself too much to do? Tom hopes to beat the other chefs with a savoury and sweet bilberry dish. With a place in the regional finals riding on three very different desserts, who will impress veteran judge Daniel Clifford and make it through to cook for the judges?
#20 - Scotland Judging
Season 12 - Episode 25 - Aired 6/2/2017
Today the two Scottish chefs must cook their entire taste of summer menus again. They are hoping to impress the formidable panel of judges - Oliver Peyton, Matthew Fort and broadcaster and restaurateur Andi Oliver. They are joined by guest judge Gary Parsons, Wimbledon's executive chef, who is in charge of feeding everybody at the tournament from the players to royalty. Both chefs raise their game and impress the judges with their inventive dishes, but only one can go through to represent Scotland in the national finals.
#21 - Wales Dessert
Season 12 - Episode 29 - Aired 6/8/2017
It's the dessert course and the last chance for the chefs to secure a place cooking for the judges, so all three chefs are feeling the pressure. Phil Carmichael creates a tennis ball dessert that combines two British classics - Eton mess and trifle. Stepping away from tradition, Paul Croasdale creates an inventive dessert that includes basil pesto, tomato seeds and peach. They both have a number of technical elements to complete and fear they have given themselves too much to do. Nick Brodie has his work cut out persuading the veteran that his technically challenging caramel apple dessert fits the taste of summer brief. Each chef is giving everything they have got in the hope of being put through to cook for the judges tomorrow.
#22 - Final Starter
Season 12 - Episode 41 - Aired 6/26/2017
It is finals week and the competition reaches its thrilling climax. The eight winning regional chefs now battle it out for the honour of a spot on this year's banquet menu, celebrating 140 years of the iconic Wimbledon Championships. The regional champions now face each other for the first time in the kitchen. Each day, they cook one of their courses for the discerning panel of judges - Matthew Fort, Andi Oliver and Oliver Peyton. They are joined by a host of guest judges who know what it takes to be a Wimbledon champion. The chefs need to convince the judges that their dish is worthy of a place on the final menu and that they have listened to any feedback the judges gave them in the regional heats. At the end of each round, when all the dishes have been cooked, the points are added together and the highest scoring chef wins the honour of cooking that course at the Wimbledon banquet. With finals week ahead of them, judge Andi Oliver first summons the chefs to Wimbledon to take a look at where they could be cooking if they win. Back in the kitchen, it is down to the chefs to prepare their starters. With three returning finalists, including former banquet winner Tommy Banks, taking on a host of chefs who have made it this far for the first time, the competition is fierce. The judges are joined by guest judge Sue Barker, host of the BBC's Wimbledon coverage for more than 20 years and a former British number one.
#23 - South West Starter
Season 12 - Episode 6 - Aired 5/8/2017
This week, it is the south west heats as two ambitious newcomers, Tom Brown and Andy Clatworthy, take on returning chef Dominic Chapman. After meeting their surprise veteran judge, the three chefs get in the kitchen where each is taking a risk with their starter. Dom, taking part in the competition for the third time, is under pressure to prepare the many elements of his complex summer salad. Newcomer Tom worries his clean and elegant dish will fail to impress the veteran judge. Fellow first-timer Andy tries to prove that his mushroom-centred dish has a place at a taste of summer banquet.
#24 - Wales Judging
Season 12 - Episode 30 - Aired 6/9/2017
Today the two winning chefs from the Wales region cook their entire taste of summer menus again. They are hoping to impress the formidable panel of judges - Oliver Peyton, Matthew Fort and broadcaster and restaurateur Andi Oliver. They are joined by guest judge Dan Bloxham, Wimbledon's Master of Ceremonies, who is responsible for presenting the trophy to the Wimbledon champions. Both chefs raise their game and impress the judges with their inventive dishes but only one can go through to represent Wales in the national finals.
#25 - Central Main
Season 12 - Episode 33 - Aired 6/14/2017
Ryan Simpson hopes to elevate a ploughman's lunch into a gourmet affair, Pip Lacey pays tribute to an unusual Wimbledon icon, while Nick Deverell-Smith looks to celebrate a meat which he thinks is underused - venison.