Latest Press Release
The Prince of Wales will host the Great British Menu finale banquet
22nd March 2010
It was announced today that The Prince of Wales as President of the National Trust will host this year's Great British Menu finale banquet to be held in early Summer 2010.
The culinary television competition is returning to BBC Two Daytime as the chefs face their toughest challenge yet. This year is all about local food and, as the National Trust has such a strong tradition of local food production, the chefs are tasked with sourcing as many ingredients as they can from farms, estates and the surrounding neighbourhood of an historic property in their region.
Instead of their usual suppliers, the chefs will have to scour the land to unearth the very finest produce, celebrating Britain's home-grown food.
The President of the National Trust, The Prince of Wales, will be joined by The Duchess of Cornwall for the banquet and the guest list will be comprised of some of the nation's best food producers, farmers and fishermen, the people who toil to put the finest local British produce on the map.
Liam Keelan, Controller BBC Daytime, says: "We are delighted that The Prince of Wales has agreed to host this year's Great British Menu banquet. As a strong advocate of farming and of local and organic food, his involvement will help make the banquet a very special occasion. We hope the series will continue our aim to bring distinctive factual programming to our daytime audiences."
Nicola Moody, Director of Factual Programmes, Optomen Television says: "Cut off from their usual suppliers the chefs this year have been forced to truly celebrate the Great British larder. With the debate on the sustainability of food production heating up, the chefs' menus will prove that locally sourced ingredients can deliver the very finest British food. It's a challenge all the chefs have thoroughly enjoyed and with three chefs battling it out in the kitchen every week, the competition this year is tougher than ever."
Great British Menu begins on BBC TWO at 6.30pm on 5th April 2010 and the special one hour documentary featuring the banquet will be shown in early June.
Notes for Editors
The Prince of Wales has been President of the National Trust since February 2003.