You’re joining the judging panel on Great British Menu. What are you most excited about and what can viewers look forward to in the new series?

I’m excited about just how much the quality of British food improves year on year. And Great British Menu is at the vanguard of that evolution. There’s some truly exceptional cooking on offer this series, with flavours I had never had in my mouth before - and I’ve eaten crocodile and five different bugs.

What did you most enjoy about being a judge on the series?

I loved having my experienced, but amateur palate, go toe-to-toe with Tom and Lorna’s professional gobs. My fellow judges have taught me all kinds of new terms like ’sable’, ‘roulade’, and ’salty’. That and eating about 12 full meals a day.

This year the theme is British movies and movie makers. British cinema is hugely varied with many local connections across the country. What do you think makes this theme such a rich source of inspiration for chefs?

The first bite is of course with the eyes. And having such a deep and diverse collection of stories, images and characters to draw from allowed the chefs this series to design some really show stopping dishes, with big helpings of drama, spectacle, or just silly fun. British filmmaking and British cooking both show just how much quality and talent this relatively small set of nations has to offer.

How does GBM compare to the world of comedy - is the pressure in the kitchen anything like the pressure of a live gig?

Cooking is like live comedy in that you’ve only got one shot to make this thing work. If you fluff a line, or collapse a soufflé, the moment is ruined. There are no second chances ‘on the night’. It’s clear both chefs and comics get off on the adrenaline of risk. Cooking is definitely more physically dangerous, though. I’m very grateful my microphone isn’t incredibly hot, for instance.

If you could have one British film turned into a dish just for you, what would it be and why?

I wanna eat James’s Giant Peach! With all the characters inside. For protein. Gotta hit my macros!

Great British Menu is back from its kitchen in Stratford upon Avon on 24 February on BBC Two and iPlayer.

Interview/pictures supplied by BBC