Emily Watkins of the Kingham Plough in Kingham, Oxforshire and James Durrant of the Plough, Longparish, Hampshire, have competed against nine top chefs to be selected as one of the four winners.
The chefs’ dishes have been selected to serve at a banquet for war veterans to commemorate the 70th anniversary of D-Day at St Paul’s Cathedral in London. The banquet will be screened tonight (Friday, 6 June) on BBC Two.
Watkins, who is executive chef/owner of the Kingham Plough, which she owns with husband Miles, has been selected to cook the fish course with her seafood and shellfish dish entitled ‘Fight them on the Beaches’ and James Durrant, chef/owner of the Plough at Longparish, Hampshire is cooking the main course with a veal sharing platter dish called ‘Blitz Spirit’.
Watkins is serving her winning fish course dish to customers at her pub tonight and Durrant is screening the banquet at the pub and has been offering his Great British Menu dishes on the pub’s menu this week.
Watkins beat Michelin-starred pub chefs Dominic Chapman in and Josh Eggleton in the south west heat. She was also a finalist in last year’s Great British Menu.
This series was Durrant's first appearance on the show.
*The banquet will be screened on BBC Two tonight at 7pm