Cornwall chef Ben Palmer has gone on to win the BBC's Great British Menu with his starter.
In doing so he has become the first ever chef to grow up in Cornwall and land himself a place cooking in the show’s famous banquet.
Ben, of Looe, fought off national competition from seven other finalist chefs during the starter course element of the show last night (Monday). He wowed the judges with his take on a vegan Golden Beetroot starter dubbed ‘Firefly’, showcasing an artistic nod to the Olympic torch flame ahead of the Paris Olympics.
The show has many well-known links to Cornwall, with many previous Great British Menu chefs established there; however Ben is the first contestant who was actually brought up in the Duchy to make it to the banquet.
Previous competitors from Cornwall include Paul Ainsworth, won with his dessert ‘At The Fairground’ in 2011 after opening Michelin Starred Number 6 in Padstow, while his head chef Chris McClurg also took part in the series in 2022, but represented his homeland, Northern Ireland. Jude Kereama, originally from New Zealand and behind Kota and Kota Kai in Porthleven, finally reached the banquet on his fourth attempt in 2021 after wowing with an impressive petit four dessert – while Emily Scott of St Tudy Inn, who originally travelled down to live in Cornwall for love, also competed in the competition and represented the South West.
Ben said: “I cannot get over this win, it feels like a dream. All I wanted to do was come on the show and cook my full menu, so to get through the South West heats to the finals and then go on to beat off seven other incredibly talents chefs from all across the UK, feels totally unreal.
"All of the starters were absolutely epic and the talent in the kitchen was off the charts. I am so excited to cook my Firefly Starter at the Banquet and cannot wait to go to Paris and let rip!
"I can’t wait to see who will be joining me throughout the rest of the week with the fish, main and dessert courses.”
Ben was up against another Cornwall-based chef, Andi Tuck, head chef at the Michelin Guide-listed Harbour House in Flushing, during the earlier south west heat of this series.
Chef Ben - who already boasts two successful restaurants in the Cornish town of Looe, one with a Michelin accolade - has been dreaming of appearing on the show for nearly 20 years, since the shows inception in 2006.
Ben, who used to rush home from a shift in the kitchen to catch the programme in its earliest days, remembers vividly how much of an impact it had on him and spurred him on to strive for excellence.
“It was the first show of its kind that really showcased in-house chef talent on a nationwide platform – it was so exciting to see those who were working so hard in kitchens behind the scenes, who might ordinarily be a little overlooked, being elevated to celebrity status based on their talents alone.
"Just a very inspiring and exhilarating concept that amplified my natural desire to excel in the space. It added fuel to my fire and to be on the show is proof that if you work hard enough at something you can make great things happen,” he explained.
Ben returned to his hometown of Looe to open The Sardine Factory Restaurant in July 2018. The team were delighted to receive the prestigious accolade of a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2019 and have retained it every year since.
In 2023 Ben went onto open Yamas, a modern Greek restaurant in the same Cornish town, offering an array of traditional cuisine which Ben developed through a close personal relationship with the country.
It was there he met his business partner Nikos Oikonomopoulos and they cooked up a plan for Nikos to fly to Cornwall and run their authentic Greek venue. Nikos hails from the peloponnese region of Kalamata and Ben was introduced to him whilst cooking a dinner at Tikla restauarnt in Kardamyli – and Yamas was born!
Benjamin lives in Looe, Cornwall with his business partner and wife, Francesca, and his three children Molly aged 13, Bobby aged 10, and Loa aged 6.
Tune in this Friday (March 22) from 8pm to watch Ben and the finalists head to Paris for the banquet.
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