The Great British Menu

In case you have been living under a rock on another planet for a couple of years it's my duty to inform you that food is now seriously trendy in the UK. Not just going out to fancy restaurants but also cooking. Don't believe me? Have a look at the television schedules. They are stuffed full of cooking programmes.

Well I say that. There are lots of entertainment programmes with a pretext of food. With limited channel surfing you can choose between watching some hapless restaurateur being shouted at by someone with more awards than fingers; keen as mustard amateurs striving to impress dubious judges; some outrageous science where the results can be eaten or a crusade being worked out through the medium of food. Amongst all of this are shows where highly decorated chefs take you through some D.I.Y recipes at just the right pace to require you to buy the accompanying cook book to get the full details of what ingredients and techniques are needed.

If I'm sounding cynical, I don't mean it too literally. Most of the shows are quite entertaining, some I watch avidly. Admittedly, some I avoid like the plague. However amongst all of this is one programme which showcases some of the best aspects of the food culture in Britain today. It is the Great British Menu.

For those of you not familiar with it, this is a cooking competition where chefs from around Britain aim to represent their region at a ceremonial banquet. The banquet in question usually has some theme which has to be reflected throughout the cooking. With some notable exceptions (not mentioning any comic relief series... funny food indeed) this has usually provided some interesting ways for the competing chefs to flex their cooking muscles. Among my favourites were showcasing local suppliers and the current series which is working towards a banquet commemorating D Day.

The main reason I love this series is that it focuses unashamedly on gastronomic brilliance. Recipes may be published on the BBC website but in the real world, most "civilians" wouldn't dream of trying to replicate the dishes produced. They are designed to make the diner go "wow" and frequently have that effect (on one viewer at least). It is also a brilliant way to see some of Britain's best chefs at work and get an insight into the way they cook. This has led, on several occasions, to investigating the restaurants some of the competitors cook in and finding some absolute gems. Best of all is being able to watch experts at work.

So as competition is starting to warm up I highly recommend watching. My support is strongly with Emily Watkins of the Kingham Plough.

TFB