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The nation's long-time advocate of local, seasonal food, HRH The Prince of Wales, is today announced as the host for this year's Great British Menu finale banquet – a celebration of the very finest local British produce to be held in early summer 2010.

The successful culinary competition, produced by Optomen Television, is returning to ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Two Daytime as the chefs face their toughest challenge yet.

This year is all about local food and, as the National Trust has such a strong tradition of local food production, the chefs are tasked with sourcing as many ingredients as they can from farms, estates and the surrounding neighbourhood of an historic property in their region. Instead of using their usual suppliers, the chefs will have to scour the land to unearth the very finest produce, celebrating Britain's home grown food.

The President of the National Trust, The Prince, will be joined by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall for the banquet and the guest list will comprise some of the nation's best food producers, farmers and fishermen, the people who toil to put the finest local British produce on the map.

Liam Keelan, Controller ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Daytime, says: "We are delighted that The Prince of Wales has agreed to host this year's Great British Menu banquet. As a strong advocate of farming and of local and organic food, his involvement will help make the banquet a very special occasion. We hope the series will continue our aim to bring distinctive factual programming to our daytime audiences."

Nicola Moody, Director of Factual Programmes, Optomen Television, says: "Cut off from their usual suppliers the chefs this year have been forced to truly celebrate the Great British larder. With the debate on the sustainability of food production heating up, the chefs' menus will prove that locally sourced ingredients can deliver the very finest British food. It's a challenge all the chefs have thoroughly enjoyed and with three chefs battling it out in the kitchen every week, the competition this year is tougher than ever."

Great British Menu begins on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Two at 6.30pm on 5 April 2010 and the special one-hour documentary featuring the banquet will be shown in early June.

Notes to Editors

Great British Menu is an Optomen Television production for ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Two Daytime. The executive producers for Optomen Television are Nicola Moody and Gary Broadhurst. The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ executive producer is Lindsay Bradbury.

HRH The Prince of Wales has been President of the National Trust since February 2003.

Over the past four years Great British Menu has wowed Her Majesty The Queen at her 80th birthday banquet, served a magnificent meal to the gastronomic elite of France, thrilled some of the world's finest chefs and cooked a glorious homecoming banquet for men and women returned from active service in Afghanistan.

LK