Ben appeared on Great British Menu last year and is hoping to get a place in the final on his second attempt. He's got serious culinary pedigree behind him, having previously been in charge of Noma's Nordic Food Lab, but his current project is definitely the most interesting. The Edinburgh Food Studio is a research-restaurant hybrid, serving incredibly interesting dishes in the city that are based on the cuisine and gastronomic history of Scotland. We're pretty sure he'll be representing the country like no one else.

Lorna McNee also returns for a second time to Great British Menu, having achieved plenty of fans after her first appearance. 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.

This year's newcomer, Gordon Jones is perhaps not as well-known as his competitiors, but food fans in Bath will certainly vouch for his talents. With a career working under the likes of Martin Wishart and Martin Blunos, he eventually opened his own restaurant where the tasting menus are a complete surprise to diners – a concept that's proved immensely successful in his adopted city.