Working with chefs at BBC TV’s Great British Menu
Once upon a time there was a TV cookery show…
Liquid’s client services manager Abigail Reeve has been putting her culinary skills to use on one of TV’s top cookery programmes.
Abigail, who has a first class degree in food innovation and development, has been working behind the scenes on BBC Two’s Great British Menu.
Her sabbatical role coincided with a new format for the popular show – with more top chefs and more amazing dishes on display than ever before.
The new series, due for broadcast in spring 2020, celebrates classic children’s literature and the chefs will be hoping for a storybook ending by clinching a place at the final banquet.
It’s 150 years since the death of Charles Dickens, whose famous novels include Oliver Twist, reputedly the first book in English to feature a child in a titular role. British writers and illustrators have subsequently written a wide variety of publications aimed at children and young people, many celebrating a love of food, such as “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
Working at Great British Menu’s flagship kitchens, Abigail’s busy schedule involved supporting some of the country’s leading chefs as they battled to impress judges Andi Oliver, Matthew Fort and Oliver Peyton.
Abigail (pictured above, far right) says: “It’s been an incredible learning experience from a TV food show point of view. The time and professionalism it takes to produce one hour of content is incredible.
“I’ve learned so much about ingredients and cooking methods and new processes. It’s been a real education. You get to see some very talented chefs in action. They all have their own unique style and different influences that they depict in their cooking.”
In the show, a guest joins the three judges to decide who progresses each week, helping to select the best dishes from each region in the Friday regional final. Guest judges in the latest season include teen novelists Malorie Blackman and Jacqueline Wilson, and Julia Donaldson, the award-winning writer of “The Gruffalo.”
Abigail says: “Viewers are in for a real treat. Great food and a great story makes for a winning combination, and Great British Menu is an outstanding advert for the quality of modern British cooking.”
Series 15 of Great British Menu is due to air in spring 2020 on BBC Two.