The head chef of Gateshead Quayside restaurant Träkol will be seen making a TV debut in the new series of Great British Menu next week and the restaurant team are just as excited about the prospect of seeing 'one of our own' do battle in the kitchen.
Chef Rory Welch, who is head chef at the 'open fire' restaurant inside By The River Brew Co. on the banks of the Tyne, will be among local talents showcasing their culinary skills in the new series of the BBC2 cookery competition. Rory will appear alongside rivals including Cal Byerley, the chef-owner of the Michelin star Pine in Northumberland, in regional heats on January 31 as the first episode gets under way.
A post on By The River Brew's Facebook page announced Rory's place on the show saying: "He's one of our own! We are delighted and excited for our head chef who is competing in this years Great British Menu representing The North East, Yorkshire and Humberside." And among the responses came 'good luck' messages for Rory.
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The chef - who was classically trained in French cuisine, became a head chef at 23 and moved to Träkol in 2019 - is a previous North East Culinary and Trade Association (NECTA) chef of the year winner. At the time of his win in 2017, when he beat seven other top regional chefs over a two-day contest, he said: “Competitions give you the chance to do things you wouldn’t usually do, to take yourself out of your normal comfort zone and show people what you are made of."
At Träkol, which takes its name from the Swedish word for charcoal, the chef creates dishes based upon the Gateshead restaurant's ethos of seasonal and ethical cooking. The BBC show's write-up about the contestant describes how he takes inspiration from Scandinavia and has developed his open-fire cooking style through his passion for outdoor cooking and BBQ.
The upcoming episode of Great British Menu will see the local chefs compete for a place in finals week. Also set to take part are believed to be Gareth Bartram from Winteringham Fields in Scunthorpe and Will Lockwood of Roots in York.
The theme of the series is about celebrating Britain’s success in animation and illustration. Viewers can expect to see the creation of dishes which pay homage to such stand-out figures as children’s book illustrator E. H. Shepard and animator Sheila Graber.
As for Rory, he is set to take his inspiration from classic northern humour - the comic strip Andy Capp, created by cartoonist Reg Smythe. The Facebook post added of the upcoming TV contest: "Gan on Rory" with followers' responses including "Class, and best of luck Rory" and "Good luck Rory".
Great British Menu can be seen on BBC2 on January 31 at 8pm. The series is set to air for eight weeks.
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