Nottingham chefs have a strong record of success in TV cookery competition, Great British Menu.
Sat Bains and Alex Bond, who both run Michelin-starred restaurants, have made it through to the final where the winners get to cook their dishes at a banquet.
The latest series of the BBC show features two more Nottinghamshire hopefuls - and a shake-up of the judging panel.
Episode one kicks of with four chefs representing the Central region, competing against each other each week to cook canapés, starters, fish dishes, main courses, pre-desserts and desserts.
This year theme celebrates 100 years of British broadcasting with chefs conjuring up a homage to the infamous Blockbusters' phrase 'Can I have a P please Bob?', a smoky dish celebrating Peaky Blinders and a dessert which brings the sparkle with a rotating dancefloor and disco ball honouring pop music’s finest show Top of the Pops.
Newcomer Harvey Perttola is head chef at fine dining Restaurant Six, at Trent Bridge, the elevated dining room with stunning views that was set up by another Great British Menu alumnus, Tom Sellers.
Originally from Nottingham, Harvey's career in food started at the tender age of 14 when he was an apprentice chef at Opus in Birmingham, before moving to work at Hampton Manor.
He became Birmingham’s youngest head chef at the age of 24 at Maribel Restaurant and used to run Hill 101 but since filming he has moved to Restaurant Six in West Bridgford.
Harvey describes his food as modern British cuisine combined with classic French cookery. Inspired by his Punjabi background, he likes to use spices where he can within his dishes, giving a nod to his family and Birmingham’s curry culture.
The second competitor with Nottinghamshire links is Sally Abé, who was born in Mansfield.
Sally, who has appeared on Great British Menu previously, is chef consultant at The Pem Restaurant in the Conrad London Hotel in St. James’s.
After training in Sheffield, she went to work at some of London's top hotels, The Savoy and then Claridge’s before she began a formative five years under Brett Graham at two Michelin-starred The Ledbury.
Sally opened The Pem in July 2021, the restaurant name inspired by suffragette Emily Wilding Davison, whose family used the pet name ‘Pem’ for her and celebrates generations of pioneering women leading from the front.
Named SquareMeal’s Female Chef of the Year in 2021, Sally's style of cooking is British, seasonal, with a touch of elegance and a fondness for game.
Her personal menu celebrates local produce and champions some of the UK’s most iconic programmes and landmark events.
They will be up against returning chef Liam Dillon who has the only 3 AA rosette restaurant in his home town of Lichfield and another newcomer Cambridge-born Ben Orpwood, the executive head chef of Gordon Ramsay’s Lucky Cat in London.
Now in its 17th series, Great British Menu has a new line-up of judges. Out go Matthew Fort, Oliver Peyton and Rachel Khoo. In come Tom Kerridge, Nisha Katona and Ed Gamble, joined by host Andi Oliver.
The first episode kicks off on Tuesday February 1, airing weekly Tuesday to Thursday, at 8pm on BBC Two.
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