Jean Dalport grew up in Cape Town, and trained at Zevenwacht Chef School. After working at some of South Africa’s top restaurants, a game lodge in Namibia and the Killeen House Hotel in Ireland, Jean eventually decided to move to the UK to achieve his lifelong ambition of gaining a star.

He opened Restaurant Interlude on the Leonardslee Estate in Sussex, a stunning 240 acre estate where he grows his own herbs and works with local farmers. At the restaurant he fuses British, French and South African influences. His menu celebrates a diverse group of British Heroes, including British cookery writer Elizabeth David.

Barbadian-born chef Jason Howard started his career working at a five-star hotel in Barbados. IHe moved to the UK in 2009, where he ran Espelette, which held 3 AA rosettes. He trained under Hélène Darroze as a sous chef at the then 2 Michelin starred restaurant in the Connaught Hotel in Mayfair. There, he refined his classical French techniques, blending them with the Caribbean flavours of Barbados.

Since then, Jason has worked as a chef director for the Culinary Caribbean Collective and is the culinary director at Future Plate. Future Plate's mission is to promote African and Caribbean in the UK, bringing together leading Black chefs from across the UK.

Over the past two years, Jason has hosted residencies and pop-ups both in the UK and back home, and has recently opened Flava Pepper in Brixton.

He was recently awarded an Emmy for the Caribbean Cook-Out Show.

Of Syrian and Tunisian descent, Israeli-born chef Eran Tibi grew up working at his father’s bakeries. However, his passion for food came later. He initially worked in marketing, before pivoting at the age of 30 to becoming a chef. He studied at Le Cordon Bleu in London, before working with chef and restaurateur Yotam Ottolenghi at his various restaurants.

Then, in 2017, Eran opened his own restaurant Bala Baya in Southwark, whose menu was inspired by his dad's bakeries, his mum's passion for hosting and his own love of music. This was followed by its sister restaurant, Kapara in Soho. Both restaurants serve Eran’s take on Eastern Mediterranean dishes.

Eran’s competition menu draws inspiration from his mother’s traditional cooking and his father’s baking heritage.

French chef Eve Seemann has honed her craft in some of the best kitchens in London, starting as a Commis Chef at the luxurious Sheraton Park Lane. Eve then spent two years working at the then two Michelin-starred Sketch before landing a job at Marcus Wearing’s restaurant.

She worked her way up to being head chef at Tredwells and then became head chef of Chantelle Nicholson’s restaurant Apricity in Mayfair in 2022. Eve has also worked at the 1 Michelin-starred restaurant Trinity in Clapham. 

Eve describes her cooking style as vegetable-forwards, and she is passionate about promoting a sustainable and low waste style of cooking. She uses seasonal produce, spotlighting vegetables from independent farmers in London.

For the competition, her menu celebrates the rich history of British heroes while incorporating elements of her French heritage.