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An incredible roll call of British chefs, all former winners of the competition, compete to prepare an extra special festive feast for some of the heroes of this year’s pandemic, with a total of 17 Michelin stars competing across the series. Great British Menu judge Andi Oliver takes charge of proceedings as the show’s host.

Tonight, eight former champions compete to create Christmas-themed canapes and starters. And in a twist - they aren’t just cooking - they are judging each other too! Four chefs cook, while the other four taste and score their dishes in a blind tasting with Andi as referee. Then the roles are reversed as they take it in turns to both cook and score. Expect amazing cooking, tough criticism and surprising scores!

The tastes of Christmases’ past provide a lot of inspiration for the chefs, with prawn cocktails, parfait and vol-au-vents all receiving a Great British Menu makeover. Christmas crackers are an inspiration too - both in terms of presentation and in the punning titles of dishes, including Shrimply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time and Not Mushroom Under this Tree.

Each episode, an extra special veteran chef completes the line-up. Tonight it is Michelin-starred Lisa Goodwin Allen, who cooked the starter when Prince Charles was a banquet guest a decade ago and has since gone on to become a regular veteran judge on the competition. Now, to say thank you to key workers, she is bravely putting on her apron again in the GBM kitchen. Expect other big names from GBM’s illustrious history to join her in later episodes.

With only three chefs out of the eight going forward to cook for the judges in the next episode, competition is hot and the standard of cooking world class as the chefs unite to create unforgettable dishes for Britain’s key workers.