Returning chef Andi Tuck is back in the Great British Menu kitchen to try and battle his way into finals week. Andi first fell in love with food whilst fishing with his father as a young boy and has since had the opportunity to learn from chefs such as Ben Quinn and Simon Stallard, giving him a particular passion for open fire cooking. Having worked at the award-winning St. Kew Inn, which recently ranked thirty-sixth in the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastro Pub, he now runs the kitchen at the Michelin-recognised Harbour House in Flushing, where he is bringing his love of open fire cooking to the village. Andi often puts his skills to the test, participating each year in London's Meatopia food festival alongside some of the world’s best live-fire chefs. Tuck brings to the competition a unique skill set, and an ability to create amazing flavour combinations, taking inspiration for his menu from Cornish Olympians.

No stranger to competitions, Elly took part in the prestigious Royal Academy of Culinary Arts and was one of four chefs to receive an Award of Excellence. She’s raring to return to the GBM kitchen for the third time, having narrowly missed out in 2022. Elly has worked at some of the best restaurants in the South West: the three-AA rosette Tanners Restaurant in Plymouth under Chris and James Tanner, and Michelin-starred restaurants including The Elephant, under Simon Hulstone, The Bybrook at The Manor House under Richard Davies, and Restaurant Hywell Jones at Lucknam Park. Between 2018 and 2023, Elly has been head chef at the Angel in Dartmouth, where she has gained two AA rosettes and Taste of the West’s award for Best Fine Dining Restaurant, and has recently become executive chef. Elly’s menu showcases the best local ingredients in a modern style with inspirations including South West sporting legend Tom Daley.

Growing up in Looe and being surrounded by tourism and restaurants directly inspired Ben to become a
chef. He remembers, when he was younger, seeing boats coming in daily with huge fresh hauls and became interested in local provenance and fresh ingredients. He was also directly influenced by his mother who was a talented home cook and his father who was a local gamekeeper. Having worked in Plymouth with the Tanner brothers and done stages with Tom Kerridge and Gordon Ramsay, his skills have been crafted in kitchens of the highest level. Not afraid of a competition, Ben got to the quarterfinals of Masterchef the Professionals in 2011, so he also knows how to work under pressure. Ben opened The Sardine Factory back in Looe in 2018 and received a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2019 (he's retained it ever since). The restaurant used to be an old sardine factory and Ben remembers this building as a child when it was used as fishermen's stores. It was Ben’s dream to open a restaurant in his hometown and when the opportunity arose to have a restaurant in this building, Ben jumped at the chance. His cooking style is heavily influenced by the surrounding area, drawing inspiration from the sea and respecting the local South West produce. His menu reflects his love of local produce and celebrates the olympic flame arriving in Cornwall in 2012 from Olympia, as well as diving legend Tom Daley.

Opened just after the pandemic in 2021, Mike’s restaurant Catch at The Old Fish Market offers a unique
sea-to-plate dining experience and prides itself in its sustainability efforts, serving fish caught daily by their own boats. All ingredients, meanwhile, are sourced from sustainable suppliers. It is now in the
Michelin Guide and the Good Food Guide. Starting his career working in a local fish and chip shop, Mike soon moved to London to learn more about cooking and was able to work alongside some of the best chefs in the country, including under Jason Atherton at Pollen Street Social. Mike’s sustainable ethos is mirrored in his GBM menu, which celebrates the Olympics and the home of sailing for the 2012 Olympics, Weymouth.