Liverpool-born Jack Bond, head chef at The Cottage in the Woods in the Lake District, has worked in hospitality since has was 15. A week’s work placement at a delicatessen unexpectedly grew into a lifelong passion for restaurants, and an illustrious career in restaurants across the UK.

Jack has worked as sous chef at Marcus Wareing’s The Berkley, under his joint head chefs Mark and Shauna Froydenlund. He then had a stint in New York at three Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park, the same year it was awarded the number one spot on the World’s 50 Best list. Upon returning to London he worked at three Michelin-starred Restaurant Gordon Ramsay under chef patron Matt Abé and head chef Kim Ratcharoen.

Jack’s menu at The Cottage is focused on seasonal and environmentally-conscious fine dining. He runs the restaurant with his wife, Beth Bond. The couple got married in the Lakes, and fell in love with The Cottage when they visited just after their wedding. 

Eddie Shepherd is a vegetarian and vegan chef based in Manchester. Eddie runs ‘The Walled Gardens’, which serves eight diners a 12-course menu each night. Usually running a restaurant is absolutely a team sport – but in the case of The World Gardens, Eddie operates completely solo. The Sustainable Restaurant Association awarded the restaurant three stars in its Food Made Good Standard. The intimate restaurant is a great way to experience sustainable, plant-based and – most importantly – delicious fine dining.

Eddie has run pop-up restaurants and worked in kitchens around the world, from Mexico to China. He also has a YouTube channel which takes you behind the scenes of his most intricate dishes, showing you how to do everything from use a centrifuge to a dehydrator.

Eddie’s GBM will be vegetarian and showcase his commitment to sustainable fine dining.

Born and bred in Liverpool, Livia Alarcon was a head chef before many people have even finished university. Maray, Liv’s first head chef position, was soon mentioned in The Good Food Guide, and during her time as head chef at Queens – a popular bistro in Liverpool – Jay Rayner described it as ‘a gentle salve for the soul’.

Livia is no stranger to for cooking on TV either, having taken part in BBC’s Chefs’ Brigade with Jason Atherton, and also making all the food for the BBC TV show Boiling Point. Both experiences helped her learn the ropes of cooking for the camera.  

She then opened her own restaurant, La Bistroteca, at the age of just 26. Bistroteca champions comfort food classics like steak frites, French dips and fish finger butties. It’s based in Baltic Market in Liverpool.

James Hill runs The Oak at Curthwaite, Cumbria, an inn and restaurant. Carlisle-born, James has worked in country hotels around the North West as well as The Connaught in London. His previous restaurant – the Lounge on the Green – was awarded two AA rosettes and got a mention in the Michelin guide.

Jame's competition menu showcases his commitment to modern British cooking and seasonal Cumbrian produce.