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Great British Menu

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The nation's top chefs compete for the chance to cook at an incredible four-course banquet

The best of British cuisine. Top chefs from across the UK put their hearts on a plate and showcase amazing culinary talent. Who will get to cook for a spectacular banquet?

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Great British Menu: Series 8

Marcus Wareing

Lisa Hazlehurst

Nicola Moody

Great British Menu: Series 8: Episode 31: Central Starter

Central Starter

Episode 31

Episode 31: Central Starter

Series 8

BBC Two - Great British Menu, Series 8, Central Starter

In central England, three culinary heavyweights return to the Great British Menu kitchen.

Chefs compete to cook at a banquet to celebrate 25 years of Red Nose Day. In central England, three culinary heavyweights return to the Great British Menu kitchen.

Great British Menu continues as 24 of the nation's finest chefs battle it out to cook gastronomic masterpieces that are also witty and fun. Their dishes have to put a smile on faces as they compete for the prize of cooking a dish at a special banquet at the Royal Albert Hall celebrating 25 years of Comic Relief's Red Nose Day appeals.

Three culinary heavyweights return to the Great British Menu kitchen, all determined to win a chance to cook at the banquet. Two Michelin star chef Daniel Clifford, who got his main course to the banquet last year, is desperate for a repeat performance. But Michelin star Richard Bainbridge has competed twice before and passionately believes that this year's brief gives him the best chance of going all the way. They are up against Will Holland, who has beaten them both before in the Great British Menu kitchen and is determined to do it again.

The three chefs are judged by Marcus Wareing, a veteran of the competition who has a reputation for exacting standards. He decides which two chefs make it through to face judges Prue Leith, Matthew Fort, Oliver Peyton and guest judge, comedian and actor Jim Moir, better known as Vic Reeves.

In the curtain raiser in central England, the chefs go all out to get to the top of the leaderboard. Daniel Clifford creates a dish called A Trip to the Chippy, where nothing is as it first appears. That is also the theme for Richard Bainbridge's starter, banana split, while Will Holland offers up goats cheese mousse, balsamic jelly and gingerbread. Which dish will impress veteran judge and two Michelin star chef Marcus Wareing?

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The nation's greatest chefs compete to cook at a special banquet for Comic Relief

The nation's finest chefs fight to cook at a special banquet at the Royal Albert Hall to celebrate 25 years of Comic Relief's Red Nose Day

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Episode 31: Central Starter

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