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After eight weeks of heats, and an intense final round, the Great British Menu has been revealed.

The winning four-course menu will be served at a banquet at the RAF's historic Halton House to honour men and women returning from active service in Afghanistan. It will be featured in a special documentary to be screened in mid-June on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Two (transmission details to be confirmed).

The winning menu and its chef creators are:

Starter – Salad of Aberdeen Angus Beef, carrots, horseradish and Shetland Black Potatoes (Kenny Atkinson for the North East)

Fish Course – Masala Spiced Monkfish with Red Lentils, Pickled Carrots and Coconut (Glynn Purnell for Central)

Main Course – Lonk Lamb Lancashire Hot Pot, Roast Loin, Pickled Red Cabbage, Carrots and Leeks (Nigel Haworth for the North West)

Dessert – Treacle Tart with Clotted Cream and Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream (Shaun Rankin for the South West).

The menu was the result of fierce competition involving 16 of the top chefs from across the country.

At the end of each of the eight week-long heats, Great British Menu judges Prue Leith, Matthew Fort and Oliver Peyton were faced with the task of deciding which chef from each region or nation would go through to the national finals and face the public vote.

In the final week, the eight heat winners returned to the kitchen to recreate their menus for the judges. At the end of each programme the public also had the chance to cast their vote for their favourite dish. The winning dishes were selected by combining the scores from the judges with the public vote.

The judges were delighted with the final menu and how well it captured the competition's theme of "A Taste of Home".

Prue Leith said: "What is really exciting for me is that they haven't made these traditional British things stodgy and boring – they are exquisite. Their skill, their passion for it, it's just lifted it to a degree that is just sublime and I can't wait. Roll on the banquet!"

Kenny Atkinson said: "With the history I have with my family in the forces, to be able to cook just one course for these returning heroes is just an absolute honour for me."

Glynn Purnell said: "It means a lot to me to cook at the banquet, to pay back the troops, the sacrifices they make. I'm thrilled to bits."

Nigel Haworth said: "It's absolutely fantastic! I'm really happy, delighted to be at the banquet with my main course."

Shaun Rankin said: "I've got a dish through and feel on top of the world. To me it's a taste of home, childhood memories and I think the troops are going to love it."

The Great British Menu Banquet will be broadcast on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Two, week commencing 15 June (details to be confirmed).

Notes to Editors

The chefs and regions represented in the Great British Menu series are (winners of each heat in bold):

Central: Glynn Purnell vs Daniel Clifford
London & South East: Mark Sargeant vs Tristan Welch
North East: Ian Matfin vs Kenny Atkinson
North West: Nigel Haworth vs Aiden Byrne
Northern Ireland: Danny Millar vs Clare Smyth
Scotland: Tom Kitchin vs Alan Murchison
South West: Nathan Outlaw vs Shaun Rankin
Wales: Stephen Terry vs James Sommerin

NE