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Aperfect menu created from British recipes and produce might seem an oxymoron, but a glittering prize awaits the chef able to prove the nation can hold its culinary head up high: lunch with the Queen.
Fourteen of the country's top chefs, including Gary Rhodes, Antony Worrall Thompson and Marcus Wareing, are to be pitted against each other in a national gastronomic search for the BBC's latest major project: The Great British Menu
Their efforts will be judged by cookery experts Matthew Fort, a leading authority on food, Prue Leith, author of the Cookery Bible , and Oliver Peyton, former owner of Atlantic Bar and Grill. The four winners will present an 80th birthday lunch for the Queen and Prince Philip at London's Mansion House on 15 June.
'In the past 10 years, there has been a massive shift in Britain in terms of appreciating good food, but there's a long way left to go when it comes to valuing the history of our cuisine,' Fort said. 'But if our food culture is to evolve, it is vital we educate ourselves about our history.'
Over eight weeks, two chefs from each British region will go head- to-head, scouring their area for the best local produce and crafting what they believe to be the perfect four-course menu from traditional recipes. The judges will narrow the dishes down to a select few and the final menu will be voted for by the public.
'I have to admit that I knew shamefully little...