Great British Menu: Sheffield chef behind JÖRO finishes sixth in TV cooking competition - but will be back on screen tonight

Luke French, chef director and culinary mastermind behind the Kelham Island eatery, has wowed the judges on BBC Two’s popular Great British Menu.

He has beaten competition from other talented chefs in the regional heats – including Mark Aisthorpe, chef patron of the Bulls Head at Holymoorside, Derbyshire – to reach the final stages.

Luke appeared on the show last night when he represented the North East and Yorkshire region against other talented chefs representing areas from around the UK.

Each day this week the eight remaining chefs will be marked out of 10 for courses ranging from starter to desert by an expert judging panel that includes Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge, restaurateur Nisha Katona and food podcast host and comedian Ed Gamble.

This year’s series is celebrating 100 years of British Broadcasting with contestants tasked to reflect the theme in their cooking. The latest episode saw chefs compete to create the perfect main course.

Luke served up his take on a Christmas dinner, which included duck, red cabbage and roast potatoes, and was inspired by the first Christmas message broadcast on the BBC by King George V.

He had previously served the same dish in the regional finals but it received a mixed response from Tom Kerridge who said the dish “did not feel complete or rounded.”

Tom praised Luke this time around for ‘tightening up all the little elements around the outside’ of the dish.

But he added the duck was a ’real disappointment’ and described it as ‘quite chewy’.

Luke was placed joint sixth with fellow chef Sam Lomas.

Fellow judge Nisha Katona consoled both of them and said: “There is no room here for being disheartened,” adding: “You are epic in what you have achieved today.”

Luke finished in last place on Monday when chefs were tasked with coming up with the perfect starter.

He also finished joint last on Tuesday when chefs had to cook a fish course.

However, he will appear in the next round tonight on BBC Two at 8pm tonight alongside other chefs where they will be tasked with creating a dessert.

They are competing for a place in the grand finale, broadcast on Friday, that will see them cook a banquet at Alexandra Palace in London where the overall winner will be announced.

Ritz London head chef Spencer Metzger, representing London and the south-east, scored a double victory this week, winning the main course last night as well as the fish course.