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After dazzling judges on last year’s Great British Menu, a local chef is starting a new chapter with the show.
Number 10’s Joe Baker has been selected to compete in the competition’s South West category in the BBC programme’s 15th series, which comes with a literary twist.
Last year, he was pitted against ex-Samphire Head Chef Lee Smith in the category, with the pair ordered to mix eats and beats in an Abbey Road-inspired brief.
Joe wowed judges with an ambitious crossover of Octopus and cheese, cod with a squid ink sauce served on a record, and a Police-themed ‘Message in a Bottle’ dessert, which saw chamomile ice cream and jelly, blackberry gel, bee pollen and French meringue shards top a honey granola base.
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He was pipped to a place in the finals by Lee, but vowed to “have another crack” at the competition.
On Instagram, Joe said he was "blessed, excited [and] pumped to be given another crack of the whip".
He added: "It's an honour. Big drama show ahead. Let's do this Jersey!"
This year, he’ll be focusing on dishes centred around children’s books.
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The BBC said the theme was chosen due to the vast array of stories celebrating food, ranging from Alice in Wonderland’s Mad Hatter Tea Party to Willy Wonka, and 150 years since the death of Charles Dickens, the first English author to create a child protagonist with Oliver Twist.
Along the way, judges will be joined by a guest, including comedian and children’s author David Baddiel, teen novelists Malorie Blackman and Jacqueline Wilson, and award-winning writer of The Gruffalo, Julia Donaldson.
But while the theme may be whimsical, the show is planned to be more intense than ever.
In this series, there’ll be an additional chef competing in each region.
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Small mistakes could mean an early exit, as the lowest scorer will leave after the starters and fish course in the first episode of their heat, and will not be able to cook their entire menu.
There will also be two extra ‘mini’ courses to cook: an amuse-bouche and a pre-dessert palate cleanser.
Speaking of the theme, Judge Andi Oliver enthused: “I am so thrilled about the theme for this year’s Great British Menu. Books have always played a pivotal role in my life, so celebrating 150 years of children’s literature fills me with such joy! The kitchen is buzzing with creativity and we have a whole new family of exciting, inspired chefs to introduce you all to. This year is truly astonishing and moving, I can’t wait for everyone to experience it too.”
Matthew Fort added: “Food and children’s books - what a wonderful combination. Both are doorways to fabulous worlds. At their best, both celebrate the power of imagination. And I have the feeling that we’re going to get rather a lot of that.”
The new series, presented by comedian Susan Calman, starts on BBC Two at 20:00 on Wednesday 18 March.
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