The Great British Menu judges’ panel saw one huge difference this year. Nisha Katona left the judging panel and was replaced by Lorna McNee. And honestly, it’s quite fitting. She was the winner of the competition in 2018.
The Great British Menu 2025 cast of judges includes Tom Kerridge, Ed Gamble and Lorna McNee. These three are very different people with totally different backgrounds. That’s what makes it work.
Tom Kerridge: The Michelin Star Heavyweight
Tom’s the heavyweight on the pane. A multiple Michelin-starred chef who really knows his stuff. He has been judging Great British Menu for years now, so he’s seen it all.
Tom was born in Salisbury in 1973; he’s now 52. He operates The Hand and Flowers in Marlow, the first pub in Britain to secure two Michelin stars. That was in 2012, and it has had them ever since. He also has The Coach, another pub with Michelin stars.
Tom knows what good cooking is all about. Since he was 18, he has been working in professional kitchens. He has trained under some brilliant chefs, Gary Rhodes and Stephen Bull. He gets what the competing chefs are going through because he’s been there himself.
When he’s judging, Tom wants to see technical prowess. Is the protein cooked properly? Are the flavours balanced? Does the dish make sense? He doesn’t care about the presentation if the food doesn’t taste good. He seeks food that actually functions.
He’s also brutally honest. If a dish doesn’t fly, he’s going to say it. But when it is brilliant, he’s the first to acknowledge it. That honesty’s what makes him a proper judge rather than just a personality on telly.
Ed Gamble: The Comedian Who Actually Knows Food
Ed’s the wildcard. He is a comedian and podcaster, not a chef. But don’t let that fool you. He knows food properly.
Born in 1986, Ed’s 39 now. He co-hosts the podcast Off Menu with James Acaster, in which they interview celebrities about their dream meals. That podcast has made him very knowledgeable about food. He has chatted with chefs, restaurateurs, and food critics. He’s eaten everywhere.
Ed brings a novel perspective to the judging panel. He does not think like a chef. He’s thinking like someone who eats at restaurants. Would you even want to eat this? Is it enjoyable? Does it make you happy?
He asks chefs questions they may not be taken to ponder. “But would you buy this in a restaurant?” That’s something worth pondering. Chefs can get so obsessed with technique that they forget that people have to want to eat the food.
Ed’s also funny, which helps. Great British Menu can be so serious. It’s also more watchable when there’s a person capable of cracking a joke once in a while. But he’s not just there for laughs. He takes the judging seriously.
Lorna McNee: The Former Champion Turned Judge
Lorna’s the new addition for 2025, and she’s brilliant. She was born in Forres, in Moray Scotland, and is now the chef director at Cail Bruich in Glasgow. That restaurant has a Michelin star, and she’s the only female chef in Scotland with one.
Here’s what sets Lorna apart: She won Great British Menu in 2018. She knows exactly what these rivalling cooks are experiencing. The pressure. The stress. The desperation to get that perfect score.
Winning changed her career. She says it herself: “Winning Great British Menu in 2018 made a really big difference to my career as a chef and was part of the reason why I became chef director at Cail Bruich.”
So when she’s judging, she gets it. She knows what it takes to compete at that level. She knows how hard it is to cook under that pressure.
But she’s not soft. And just because she’s been there, that doesn’t mean she’s giving anyone an easy ride. She seeks the same standards she held herself to when she competed. Technical excellence. Creativity. Flavour. Presentation. The whole package.
Lorna took over from Nisha Katona, a panellist since 2022. And Nisha was brilliant as well, bringing her mastery of Indian cuisine. But change is good. Fresh perspectives keep things interesting.
The Guest Judges in 2025
Beyond the main three, each regional heat features guest judges. These are people with strong connections to the region being judged. They help decide which chef wins their regional heat.
This year’s guests included people like Ben Thompson, an RNLI volunteer and firefighter who won Special Recognition at the 2024 Pride of Scotland awards. He judged the Scotland heat. Michael Caines judged the South West heat.
These guest judges bring local knowledge. They understand the regional heroes that chefs are celebrating. They know the area’s food culture. They add context that the main judges might not have.
The Veteran Judges
Then there are the seasoned judges who make their way into regional heats. These are ex-Great British Menu contestants who went on to massive success. The likes of Paul Ainsworth, Aktar Islam, Angela Hartnett, Michael O’Hare and Tom Aikens.
They judge the initial regional rounds, before dishes make it to the main panel. They are in the kitchen, watching the chefs cook. They can see the process, not just the final plate.
These veterans know the competition intimately. They’ve completed themselves. They know every trick, every shortcut, every way to save time. You can’t fool them.
What Makes This Lineup Work
The Great British Menu judges’ 2025 cast works because they bring different things to the table. Tom brings technical expertise. Ed brings the diner’s perspective. Lorna brings empathy and understanding of the competition’s pressures.
They’re not yes people. They disagree with each other. Sometimes quite strongly. That’s healthy. It means they’re actually thinking about the food rather than just going along with whatever everyone else says.
Good judging isn’t about being mean or nice. It’s about being fair. It’s about recognising when something’s brilliant and admitting when something doesn’t work. These three do that.
Why Lorna’s Addition Matters
Bringing in a former winner as a judge is smart. Lorna understands what competing on Great British Menu actually means. She knows it can change careers. She knows the stakes.
That perspective is valuable. When she’s critiquing a dish, she’s not just judging the food. She’s judging the thought process behind it. The technique. The ambition. Everything that goes into creating a Great British Menu dish.
And as Scotland’s only female Michelin-starred chef, having Lorna on the panel is important. Only about 8% of top-level chefs in the UK are women. Having her visible on one of Britain’s biggest cooking competitions matters.
The Great British Menu judges 2025 lineup is strong. Three very different people who all care deeply about food and about finding Britain’s best chefs. Not perfection, but passion and knowledge. These three have both.
