Chef Aktar Islam to feature in this year’s BBC TWO series Great British Menu

Lasan’s chef director, Aktar Isam, will be competing on BBC TWO Daytime’s popular series Great British Menu.  Aktar is competing in the Midlands regional heat.

This year the theme for the series is cooking for the people. Britain’s best chefs from across the country are vying for a place in the final.   The chefs’ challenge: to create awe inspiring food that can be shared at the ultimate street party: The People’s Banquet.

The series is working with The Big Lunch, a Big Lottery funded community street party initiative, run by The Eden Project. Last year the best part of a million people took part in a nationwide one day event that encourages people to cook and eat with their neighbours. Inspired by this, the Great British Menu chefs are battling to create spectacular sharing dishes, platters that will get everyone talking, proving food has the power to bring us all together for the best street party ever.

If Aktar makes it to the final, his dishes will be paraded down the ancient cobbled streets of Leadenhall Market in London to about 100 expectant guests.  But first he must get past chef judge Glynn Purnell and then face the Great British Menu judges, Oliver Peyton, Prue Leith and Matthew Fort in the regional final.

The People's Banquet will be part of a wider street party in Leadenhall Market where food groups will be serving up delicious street party dishes for people to enjoy. Street party and street food enthusiasts will come along and enjoy the party as well as provide food at the event. The Big Lunch team will help co-ordinate this event.

On Sunday 5th June 2011 Big Lunch street parties will be held all over the country and fans of Great British Menu will be able, if they wish, to cook home-cooked versions of the winning chef's dishes for street parties in their own neighbourhoods.

Great British Menu is back on BBC TWO Daytime at 6.30pm every week day from Monday 4th April.