Great British Menu 2025 – who is new judge Lorna McNee?
She once appeared on the show as a contestant!
Great British Menu is returning to TV screens tonight (28th January) with a landmark 20th season and there are some new, yet familiar, faces at the helm.
Joining Tom Kerridge and Ed Gamble is Lorna McNee, who many will recognise from earlier seasons in which she was a contestant and subsequent winner!
This season will lead with the theme of Great Britons, which will see the chefs draw inspiration from their choice of important people, from ancient to modern history, and who has come from their area.
Lorna's arrival on the judging panel "promises to bring a fresh perspective and inspiration, with her success story resonating with chefs and viewers alike".
So, who is Lorna McNee? Read on to learn more about the Great British Menu judge.
Who is Lorna McNee?
Lorna McNee is a chef and previously won Great British Menu in 2019 and is regarded as one of the UK's most acclaimed and decorated chefs.
She joins Ed Gamble and Tom Kerridge on the hint for the next best in British cuisine and takes over from Nisha Katona, who served as a judge for three years.
Lorna began her craft at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's for two weeks before partaking in work experience at Restaurant Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles Hotel, where she worked as the sous-chef.
In 2020, Lorna became the head chef at Cail Bruich in Glasgow and won a Michelin Star the following year, becoming the first restaurant in Glasgow to achieve that in 18 years.
What has Lorna McNee said about joining Great British Menu?
Speaking of her new role, Lorna said it was "a total surprise but a delight" to join the judging panel in this year's series.
She said: "Winning Great British Menu back in 2018 made a huge difference to my career as a chef and was partly behind me becoming Chef Director at Cail Bruich, so I know just how much the competition means to Britain’s chefs.
"Being invited to join the judges this year was a total surprise but a delight, and I’m loving the chance to help choose this year’s banquet finalists.
"Tom, Ed, and Andi have made me feel very welcome, and I'm also meeting some amazing guest judges every week – each of whom has been invited to help us choose the dishes representing their areas to go with this year’s theme of UK Heroes."
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Great British Menu season 20 begins on Tuesday 28th January at 8pm on BBC Two and iPlayer.
Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.
