Ben Reid, of the Foxham Inn, Foxham, Chippenham, Wiltshire and Kris Jury of the Tradesman's Arms, Stokenham, Kingsbridge, Devon are appearing on tomorrow night’s show (Wednesday, 19 November).
They are among eight pub chefs featuring in the new series of the show. Mark Parkinson, head chef of the Fleece Inn, Barkisland, West Yorkshire; Jethro Lawrence and Samantha McCormick of the Stapleton Arms, Buckhorn Weston, Dorset and Zak Perrin of the Bell Inn, Stilton, Cambridgeshire and George Allan of pubco Cambs Cuisine’s the Cock in Hemingford Grey, Cambridgeshire, have all appeared in the series so far.
Lawrence made it to the quarter finals. The seven week competition for professional chefs sees them pushed to the edge of their gastronomic limits in the hunt for the next culinary superstar.
This year’s judges are two Michelin-starred British chef Marcus Wareing, chef Monica Galetti, and MasterChef’s seasoned diner Gregg Wallace. Forty chefs compete in the heat stages, which run over the first four weeks.
The heats are split over two nights each week and five chefs face three tests each show to determine who is good enough to progress to the next round. The best make it through to the weekly quarter final. The 2012 competition was jointly won by chef Anton Piotrowski, who has just been awarded his first Michelin star. He is chef/owner of the Treby Arms in Sparkwell, Devon and the Springer Spaniel in Launceston, Cornwall.
Details of the final pub chefs taking part are yet to be announced.
*MasterChef: the Professionals is on Tuesday to Thursdays at 8pm on BBC Two.