Liverpool-born Andrew Sheridan owns Restaurant 8, which has been rated as one of the top ten worldwide dining experiences by the Times Magazine. At 8, he gives customers a unique and immersive countertop dining experience and has gained three AA Rosettes and a place in the Michelin Guide for his efforts. Andrew first learnt his skills working at ABode Chester, initially working in the bistro, before being quickly promoted to work in the fine dining restaurant. He went on to become head chef of Sosban in Wales. It was during his tenure at Sosban that he got the opportunity to compete on Great British Menu for the first time. After opening the first installation of Restaurant 8 in Birmingham, Andy had the chance to move the concept up North West to be closer to his family. His style of cooking was often described as complex and theatrical during his first appearance on Great British Menu all the way back in 2008, but he is now returning with dishes based on simplicity and distinct flavours, while honouring each and every single ingredient used.

Coming from a multicultural background, Nina Matsunaga's food at The Black Bull celebrates the best of British ingredients, while taking inspiration from Japanese, German, and Modern European cuisines. The Black Bull hold two AA Rosettes and is a UK Top 50 Gastropub, while Nina recently received the Craft Guild of Chefs Award for Best Pub Chef, and was also a finalist in the Great British Pub Awards. Nina's culinary journey began when she relocated from Dusseldorf to London to study Culinary Arts Management before moving back to Germany, where she worked at a friend’s bakery and delivered courses at a leading cookery school. Coming back to the UK she moved to Manchester, where she fully embraced the thriving local food scene and honed her skills at Trove, before setting up her own a successful street food catering business with her partner James. This led to the opening of their first eatery, The Three Hares, which appeared in the Good Food Guide soon after opening. Nina now uses the best local and seasonal ingredients from the landscape around her restaurant to create flavourful pan-Asian and German inspired dishes. She also loves taking the time to forage for some of those ingredients with her family. Her menu celebrates several Olympic sports through her own unique cooking style.

Originally from Blackburn, Kirk is the first ever plant-based chef that has taken part in the competition. He first appeared in 2021 and is now back in the competition to showcase his food once more.  Kirk is set to open Plates, his plant based fine dining restaurant, in London this Spring.  Kirk learnt the ropes working as an apprentice at the one-Michelin-starred Northcote alongside his dad Nigel Haworth and won North West Young Chef of the Year aged seventeen. He also trained at some of the most renowned restaurant in the world including at The French Laundry, Restaurant Sat Bains, Sydney’s The Quay and The Square. Kirk wasn’t always a plant-based chef, but in 2016 after being diagnosed with Lyme disease, he decided to start exploring and learning about the power of fruits and vegetables on the body and that is how the concept of Plates was born. The concept is centered around serving delicious dishes without meat, gluten, refined sugar or dairy, whilst showing that plant-based cooking can be exciting and full of flavour.  His menu in the competition is inspired by the food high-end athletes need to be able to put a performance of a lifetime during the Olympics.

Ryan, a Manchester native, is a graduate from the prestigious Cordon Bleu programme and has gained
experience working for some of the biggest names in the industry, including Gordon Ramsay at Boxwood and Jamie Oliver's Fifteen. He now holds the position of executive chef at Fold Bistro, where he showcases his culinary skills through a menu of seasonal sharing plates that pay homage to the North West region. Ryan’s extensive experience in the food world extends far and wide, having worked as a private chef for A-list celebrities like Anthony Joshua to UK and US Presidents and even royal families. In 2008, he decided to challenge himself in a new way and took part in MasterChef UK, reaching the semi-final. That same year, he was also awarded the title of Young Chef of the Year at Gastronomy by the Seine in Paris Describing his cuisine as modern European with notable Italian and Asian influences, Ryan crafts dishes inspired by all his travels and using only the best seasonal ingredients. He’s also very used to working to a brief and hopes to incorporate some of the most memorable moments from the Olympics and Paralympics into his menu, adding a touch of excitement and celebration to his creations.