Three Manchester-based chefs are all set to represent the North West in the new series of The Great British Menu. Brazilian-born, Manchester-based Caroline Martins will be returning for her second stint on the show.
Martins is known for her Sao Paulo Project, a pop-up which has taken in locations like the Blossom Street Social in Ancoats, and more recently Exhibition, the new food hall off Peter Street based in Manchester’s old Natural History Museum.
Her food is a fusion of Brazilian and British influences, and she appeared on the Great British menu on the last series of the show in 2022, though her dishes didn’t make it to the show’s final banquet.
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Martins is joined in the kitchen this year by Danielle Heron, co-owner of Prestwich restaurant Osma, known for its Scandinavian influenced menu. It’ll be Heron’s first time on the show, but not the first time working alongside Martins.
Coincidentally, she also has a concession at Exhibition, debuting Osma’s cuisine at the food hall since it opened in September last year.
The third chef appearing on the show is Sam Grainger, and though he’s better known for his work in Liverpool, he’s been working in Manchester since last year. Grainger is one of the team behind hit Liverpool restaurants Belzan and taco spot Madre.
However, he’s also been working at Carnival in Escape To Freight Island and chicken spot Lucky Foot since 2022, with a branch of Madre also set to open at Kampus this year (alongside a Madre pop-up at Freight Island too). Meanwhile, Grainger will also be running one of the kitchens at the Treehouse Hotel at the end of Deansgate, which is set to open in the spring.
The North West heat of this year’s Great British Menu series starts tomorrow. The series this year is dedicated to British animation, and devised to celebrate the 65th birthday of Paddington Bear.
Martins will be basing her plates on Postman Pat and Wallace and Gromit, Heron on Bob the Builder and The Wombles, and Grainger on Dennis the Menace, and children’s book The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Making up the four this year will be chef Laszlo Nagy, head chef at Chester restaurant Hypha. The first episode of the North West heat airs on February 21 on BBC2 at 8pm.
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