With just a week to go before his debut on BBC2’s Great British Menu, Merseyside chef Matt Worswick has opened up about about his grandma and how she inspired his dishes.
Matt said:
“It’s a privilege to be invited to take part in Great British Menu to begin with, but when I learned the brief was about the Women’s Institute I felt a real connection with it. My grandma was incredibly involved with the WI so it seemed a fitting way to remember her, particularly as I never got the chance to cook for her.”
This year’s Great British Menu began in July and regional heats have already included the South West, Wales and Scotland. Matt will compete against Eve Townson and Mark Ellis in the North West heat, which airs on Monday 14th September. The following weeks sees each of the regional finalists pitted against each other for a place cooking one of four courses at a banquet in honour of The Women’s Institute centenary year.
Matt used his Grandma’s old cookbooks and family recipes as inspiration for his four course banquet menu and incorporated her love for homegrown produce and hearty food into his dishes.
Matt can’t reveal details of his menu before his heat airs but he hope he’s made his Grandma proud. He said:
“My grandma lived on the Isle of Mann and when I was a kid I spent a lot of time with her, out in the garden tending the fruit and vegetables. I really hope my menu has done her proud as well as the Women’s Institute.
“This was one of the most nerve-wracking things I’ve done and I’ve never felt pressure like it in the kitchen. It was a tremendous experience and I’m looking forward to watching it back.”
Matt’s Great British Menu dishes will be available as part of a tasting menu at Thornton Hall Hotel & Spa’s three AA rosette restaurant The Lawns during October.