We are well into the new season of The Great British Menu 2022 and fans have enjoyed watching the best chefs in Britain as they compete for the chance to cook one iconic course as part of a four-course banquet.
The season has been amazing so far with the highly talented chefs and now we are down to the finalists and fans want to know who has made it through and will be competing for the course.
Meet the finalists on The Great British Menu
Olivia Barry, Bristol
Olivia has always been into her food due to her Italian heritage. Her grandfather is her biggest influence and she initially learned a lot of her skills from him.
The talented chef trained at Bournemouth College and gained her work experience in Londons St Albans and The Wolseley. Olivia went on to work at the prestigious Wright Brothers and Galvin Bistro as well as the iconic Angela Harnett at Murano.
She opened her own restaurant in Bristol, Adelina Yard in 2015 which has already earned itself two AA Rosettes and has been awarded a Michelin plate.
Spencer Metzger, London
Spencer is from Essex originally and is currently the head chef at The Ritz in London. He entered the kitchen as part of his work experience when he was just 15 and ended up climbing his way to the top.
Metzger went on to win the Roux Scholarship in 2019 and was also awarded The Catereers Acorn Award. He is trained in classical French cuisine with a contemporary flair.
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Sam Lomes, Devon
Sam is the head chef at Glebe House, Devon. The dishes are creative, unique and locally inspired. The produce is locally sourced and produced and he also grows his food and raises his own livestock.
At just 18 he won competitions as an apprentice at River Cottage in Fearnley and he has a passion for sustained and locally sourced foods that he forages himself.
Chris McClurg, Padstow
Chris is a very talented chef and has trained with veteran chef Paul Ainsworth for over 10 years and is now the chef de cuisine at the top-rated restaurant, No.6.
The restaurant boasts an impressive four AA rosettes and a Michelin star and McClurg was named the Observers Food Monthly’s Chef Of The Year in 2018.
Chris was born in County Down in Northern Island and although he lives in Padstow now he is proud to represent his home country in The Great British Menu.
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Luke French, Sheffield
Luke was born in Cambridge and moved to Sheffield 11 years ago. He started working in the kitchen as a porter at just 14 and he now owns his own restaurant with his wife, Stacey.
He has experience cooking in restaurants such as Alimentum and The Fat Duck before he relocated to Steel City. His restaurant is called Joro and serves pure flavours with Nordic and Japanese flavours.
It has earned itself 3 AA Rosettes and came 32nd in the National Restaurant Awards.
Sally Abe, London
Sally is a chef consultant at The Pem restaurant in Conrad London Hotel in St James. The chef studied hospitality management at the Culinary Arts School in Sheffield and has since worked in some incredible restaurants.
Abe has worked in The Savoy, The Claridges and then in 2017 Sally took the reigns as head chef at The Hardwood Arms in Fulham.
Sally opened her restaurant, The Pem in 2021 during the pandemic and was named SquareMeal’s female chef of the year later that year.
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Nathan Davies, Aberystwyth
Nathan has a unique and signature style of cooking which is done simply over a fire. He has previously worked at the Shakespeare Globe Theatre and has been a private chef in France.
In 2019 he opened his restaurant SY23 in Aberystwyth, Wales. The restaurant follows the ethos of using locally sourced food and ingredients that can be cooked over an open fire.
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Adam Handling, London
Adam is originally from Scotland and approaches his food and cooking with the ethos of using minimal waste. In 2016 he started the Adam Handling Rest Group which through this he opened his restaurants, the Lock and The Tyne in Old Windsor.
He then went on to open his successful restaurant the Ugly Butterfly which is located on the Cornish coast in St Ives. He has won multiple awards for his cooking such as the Scottish Chef of the year and Restauranteur of the year at the British GQ food and drink awards in 2020.
His success in the industry comes from the intensive training that he received at Gleneagles where he was the youngest chef to join the apprenticeship course.
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