][1]The current series of Shouty Chef may be drawing to a close but television cookery show addicts can still get their fix when this year’s Great British Menu launches on BBC2 tonight.
The series is kicking off with three Scottish chefs doing battle to see whose dish will go forward to represent the country at a dinner hosted by HRH the Prince of Wales.
The contestants are Michael Smith who mans the pans at The Three Chimneys in Skye, Alan Murchison who runs a handful of Michelin-starred restaurants in southern England and Tony Singh, the Leith-born chef who runs Edinburgh’s Oloroso and Tony’s Table.
Shirley Spear, co-owner of the Three Chimneys, has been talking up her chef while Murchison, who is rumoured to be looking for premises in Edinburgh, has already proved his mettle in previous series.
I have no idea who will come out on top in the culinary stakes but, if there was a prize for patter, then Tony Singh would be a dead cert. The man has more cheeky stories than Marco Pierre White has product endorsements.
Tonight the chefs present their starters: a pigeon salad; a cock-a-leekie-terrine and, this is daring, a gourmet Scotch pie.