A Northumberland chef has won a place in the Great British Menu Finals Week.

Cal Byerley, chef and co-owner of Michelin starred restaurant Pine, will be representing Northeast & Yorkshire, after securing victory in the regional heat.

Throughout the week, four competitors, including Mr Byerley, Adam Degg, Scott Hodgson, and Samira Effa, crafted dishes in celebration of Britain’s achievements in the Olympics and Paralympics.

Their efforts were aimed at clinching a place at a banquet hosted by the British Ambassador to France, in honour of Team GB athletes preparing for Paris 2024.

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After much competition, Mr Byerley and Ms Effa won through to showcase their respective menus for a panel of judges, including double banquet winner and Michelin starred Tom Kerridge, restaurateur Nisha Katona, comedian and food podcast presenter Ed Gamble, and Shauna Coxsey, Britain’s first-ever medal-winning sport climber.

The next stage of the series features Central England regional heats, and will air on BBC Two and iPlayer, at 8pm, on January 30.

Following this and the remaining regional heats, the finalists will convene for finals week, aiming to secure a spot at the banquet and win the series title.

Hexham Courant: Cal serving FishCal serving Fish (Image: Optomen Television Ltd)

Chef Byerley said: "That was a really tough week, there’s some serious cooking talent in the Northeast and Yorkshire, hats off to Adam, Scott and Samira they all created stand out dishes.

"I was fortunate enough to be able to pull everything together this year and do the business at the judges table, despite Samira giving me a run for my money.

"I’m looking forward to seeing who else makes it through from each of the regions in the coming weeks to see who I’ll be up against in Finals Week as I do my best to represent the Northeast and Yorkshire by hopefully getting a dish to the banquet.’’