Great British Menu 2016: London and South East heat preview
Two of the capital’s top chefs are joined by Hertfordshire’s finest to see who will make it through to the final round and possibly get the chance to cook at the banquet. Take a look at who’s competing.
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Great British Menu 2016Being home to some of the best restaurants in the world means the London- and South East-based chefs have no excuses if they fail to impress. The Central heat saw yet another coronation chicken-inspired dish, plenty of theatrics and a good use of regional, seasonal ingredients, and we expect the same – if not more – from the next batch of eager chefs.
With one of Marcus Wareing’s head chefs, Mark Hix’s ex-group head chef and the man who keeps Colette’s at The Grove full of happy diners, the talent in the GBM kitchen this week is huge. Here’s who’s stepping up to the hotplate.
Russell Bateman, Colette’s at The Grove, Hertfordshire
Training under Marcus Wareing, Daniel Clifford and Marc Veyrat, Russell is a font of culinary knowledge and now heads up the restaurant Colette’s in Hertfordshire. No stranger to accolades, he was named National Chef of the Year in 2014, and chefs such as Alyn Williams have described his cooking as genius. Working closely with the head gardener of The Grove to create a kitchen garden and grow his own produce, we’re sure Russell will do very well on this year’s Great British Menu.
Mark Froydenlund, Marcus, The Berkeley Hotel, London
Mark went to work for Marcus Wareing straight after finishing catering college, joining him in the kitchen at Petrus. By 2007 he was at Marcus, and five years later was named head chef, learning the ins and outs of running a Michelin-starred kitchen. With a passion for seasonal cooking and using the best of British produce, Mark is well put to follow this year’s brief perfectly and celebrate Britain as a nation.
Ronnie Murray, Peckham Manor, Peckham
Recently starting his own supperclub and private catering company called Peckham Manor, Ronnie was previously group head chef for all of Mark Hix’s restaurants. As a child he always dreamt of being a chef, and went to work with Michael Caines for a week which cemented his belief that a disability doesn’t set you back in the kitchen. Born with a shortened left arm, Ronnie is hoping to inspire other disabled people to start a career in the kitchen.
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