Eight weeks of fiercely fought heats have come down to this – eight chefs each representing a region of the UK, all cooking their hearts out to get a dish to the final banquet. There are only four spots available, so while everyone is a finalist not everyone can be a true winner. Here's who has made it to the last leg of the competition with hopes of making history and becoming a champion of Great British Menu 2019.

This year was Lorna McNee's second appearance on Great British Menu, and she'll be thrilled to get through to the finals. As a sous chef at Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, she's one of Scotland's brightest culinary talents, mastering classical cooking and always making the most of the country's bountiful larder. Her dessert was a particular highlight, combining chocolate and coconut to create a delightfully tropical dish.

Originally from Solihull, Kray is the head chef at the Michelin-starred Man Behind The Curtain in Leeds, working under Great British Menu veteran judge Michael O'Hare. He certainly showed off a similar style of plating to his mentor, with seriously arty and in-your-face dishes that suited the rock and roll brief perfectly.

Luke Selby certainly isn't a stranger to cooking competitions, which is perhaps why he fared so well on Great British Menu. He'd previously won the Roux Scholarship and been named National Chef of the Year, two highly respected accolades which already make him a revered chef in his own right. After cutting his teeth in the kitchens of Le Manoir, he became head chef of Hide Above – the high-end tasting menu restaurant overseen by Ollie Dabbous. Since his appearance in the heats Luke announced he's leaving Hide to pursue his own project, making him a chef to watch both on- and off-screen.

Much has been written about Manchester's lack of a Michelin star, but those in the know say that – star or not – Adam Reid at The French is arguably the city's best restaurant. Originally opened by Simon Rogan, Adam was the head chef and then took over after the contract with Simon ended. Since then the kitchen has gone from strength to strength, with Adam truly finding his stride and cooking 'modern British food with a northern accent'. This is something that came through in his Great British Menu dishes, and his roast chicken main was particularly well received.

Originally from Durham, Tom Anglesea has been making waves in London's food scene ever since he opened The Laughing Heart in Hoxton a few years ago. The trendy wine bar vibe is bolstered by some fantastic cooking that takes inspiration from all over the world, attracting serious foodies from across the capital (and beyond). Before The Laughing Heart, Tom worked at Per Se in New York, Rockpool in Australia and as part of the Gordon Ramsay Group, so he has some serious pedigree behind him. He'll be incredibly pleased to get through to finals week, but will he be able to get one of his dishes to the banquet?

Lee is the head chef of Samphire (previously Ormer under Shaun Rankin), a restaurant that serves Michelin-star-level food, so there was plenty of high-end technique on show throughout his heat. Originally from Nottingham, Lee trained at Le Manoir aux'Quat Saisons before moving to Jersey to work at Bohemia under Steve Smith. He then moved to Ormer and took over when it became Samphire. Getting a dish to the banquet would be a huge boon for Jersey's food scene, and yet another reason to visit the island for some of the best food the UK has to offer.

Andrew has loved cooking since he was a child; he and his brother taught themselves how to cook everything, and used to compete to see who could make the best dishes. He moved around Liverpool and Ireland during his teens, settling in north Wales as an adult. His first chef job was in a local pub, and he then acquired a place at Michael Caines’ Abode when it first opened in Chester. Andrew successfully worked his way up from a junior role to sous chef in the fine dining restaurant, before moving to join Sosban as head chef in 2017 (which then closed in early 2019). He's since moved to The Stargazy Inn in Cornwall. This is his second time on Great British Menu but the first time he's made it to finals week.

Chris has been at Number 6 for eight years now, and he credits it with turning him into the disciplined chef he is today. Originally from Hillsborough in Co Down, what sets him apart is his expert knowledge of butchery, thanks to a three-year stint at O’Shea’s in London. Knowing how to cook the best Cornish fish and seafood as well as meat is certainly a boon (and perhaps why he was named as The Observer’s Young Chef of the Year 2018) – and he's set to become an even bigger name in the world of food after his storming performance during the Northern Irish heats.