BBC Two's Great British Menu has announced the four chefs it's taking to the famous banquet following the last round of finals. Over the last week, the winners of each region have been going head-to-head for a spot at the banquet, which this year is celebrating British animation and illustration for Paddington Bear's 65th anniversary.
There were four opportunities to make it to the last hurdle, with a starter, fish dish, main, and dessert all up for grabs. During the episode that aired on Thursday, March 30, Welsh-speaking chef Mark Threadgill just missed out despite impressing the panel, and even getting a 10 from guest judge Morwenna Banks, who is the voice of Mummy Pig on Peppa Pig.
Mark, who prioritises using Welsh homegrown produce to showcase his heritage, described his cooking style as modern Welsh based in the French classics, with influences from Japan. His menu was a nod to Welsh fantasy animation, both classic - The Tales of Mabinogion, and modern - Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom.
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In a bid to secure the last place on the menu at the banquet, Mark served up a dessert called Honey Sandwich, My Favourite based on the animation, Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom. The dish was a honey tuile and honey sourdough parfait sandwich. Mark completed the dessert with honey and raspberry mead jelly bees made from Heather Honey in the Welsh mountains and raspberry sorbet, fresh raspberries, edible flowers, and rice paper characters.
All components of Mark's dish impressed the judges, with Nisha Katona saying: "I think he's done very well here, and these mead and honey jellies, these little bees, they are fabulous." Ed Gamble added: "A special shoutout to this raspberry sorbet because I absolutely love it," and Tom said: "The parfait is excellently made, and wonderfully executed but it's a real celebration of the honey."
Then it was down to actor and scriptwriter Morwenna, who actually voices Queen Marigold in Little Kingdom, and looked blown away by the dish as she told the panel. "It's gorgeous, it's what you'd want to eat if you went to the Little Kingdom. It is really like magic food."
"It's lovely, Morwenna, hearing you talk about the Little Kingdom and the delicacy of it, because that's absolutely what you get here," Nisha responded. "It's diaphanous and pretty."
However, despite great feedback, Mark was up against some very stiff competition and ended up coming in joint fourth place. It was instead Scottish chef Adam Handling who got the last place on the banquet with his dessert.
Alongside Adam, the Great British Menu finalists are London and South East's Avi Shashidhara, South West's Nick Beardshaw, and Central England's Tom Shepherd, who have all secured a spot at the Great British Menu banquet and are now in the running to be named the Champion of Champions.
Great British Menu: Banquet Special will air on Friday, March 31, at 9pm on BBC Two. For more showbiz and television stories get our newsletter here.
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