Great British Menu: Prashad chef Minal Patel to represent Leeds in hugely popular BBC cooking competition
A celebrated Leeds chef is to take part in a hugely popular TV cooking competition next week.
Minal Patel, who runs the kitchen at Michelin-recommended restaurant Prashad, will take centre stage in the latest series of Great British Menu.
The BBC show sees the country’s best chefs showcase their skills in order to represent their regions in the final.
It is the latest accolade for Minal and her Indian restaurant in Drighlington, which she runs with husband Bobby. Earlier this week, they were awarded the prestigious Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide for the 12th year running.
And that followed the team being shortlisted in the ‘Best World Restaurant’ category in the Yorkshire Evening Post’s Oliver Awards 2025. Minal is also in the running for the ‘Chef of the Year’ prize, with the winner set to be announced at a glitzy ceremony on March 10.
Announcing the news, a post on Prashad’s social media said: “The news is out. Prashad head chef Minal is on this year’s Great British Menu!
“The North East and Yorkshire heats start on Tuesday 18th and we can’t wait for you to see it (and watch it ourselves).
“Can you believe we’ve been tuning in to GBM for 20 fantastic years? This year celebrates ‘Great Britons’ - historical figures from our region and beyond. And just wait until you see what Minal has cooked up.
“Well done to the eagle-eyed amongst you who recognised Minal in the intro. We’ve been getting messages since the start of the season and had to keep quiet.
“Good luck to Minal and the three other fantastic chefs in her heat, Callum Leslie from the Black Swan at Oldstead, Scott John-Hodgson from Solstice and Ahmed Abdalla from Legacy.”
Prashad has long been a favourite for foodies across the region. Founded in 1992, it began as a deli serving specialist Indian sweets in Bradford, before moving to its new home in Drighlington as a restaurant.
It rose to fame on TV series Gordon Ramsay’s Best Restaurant and has since featured on several high profile programmes.
The restaurant has retained a prestigious Bib Gourmand recommendation in the Michelin Guide for the last 12 years and has earned two rosettes from AA.
Ahead of Christmas, it served up hundreds of meals entirely free of charge for people feeling the effects of the cost-of-living crisis in an inspiring display of generosity.
The talented team said that they wanted to acknowledge the financial pressures that come with the festive season, while giving back to the community that has supported them, as they dished up 800 portions of Gujarati curry from their base on Whitehall Road.