ANGELA HARTNETT JOINS BEST HOME COOK

Angela Hartnett joins the panel of judges on BBC One’s eight-part series Best Home Cook, hosted by Claudia Winkleman, airing at 8pm on Thursday evenings. The Michelin-starred chef joins queen of home cooking, Mary Berry, and produce expert, Chris Bavin, to put ten of the nation’s best home cooks through their paces.

Of her new role, Angela said: “I’m looking forward to joining the incredible Mary Berry and Chris Bavin to judge the next series of Britain’s Best Home Cook. For me, home cooking is about family sitting around a table eating together, laughing and talking, with delicious, tasty and unfussy food; it’s about the people as much as the food."

She added: "My mum always said, it’s good to be an all-round cook, everyone needs to be able to master the store cupboard!”

Last week, in Episode 1, the ten home cooks prepared their ultimate pasta dinners and rustled up a fruit dish for Angela, Mary and Chris. This evening (Thursday 9th January), the nine remaining cooks whip up their ultimate meringue desserts and vegetable dishes, in an attempt to impress the judges. The weakest cooks will then face Angela’s eliminator recipe.

Angela Hartnett, MBE, is one of the UK’s most loved chefs and restaurateurs, known for her sophisticated yet simple, Italy-inspired cooking. She is chef-owner of Michelin-starred Murano, Cafe Murano St James, Covent Garden and Bermondsey.