Great British Menu Winner Amber Francis: ‘We Should All Care About School Food’

Amber Francis has just been crowned Champion of Champions in the 20th series of Great British Menu, securing her place at the banquet with a dessert inspired by her education background. Unlike many contestants on the show, Francis doesn’t work at a fancy restaurant; instead she is head chef at a school in North London, Christ’s College in Finchley. She earned her stripes, though, in top kitchens across the country, including The Ritz London and Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire. 

Alongside this, Francis is involved with a number of community projects: she volunteers with food-based charities, and recently she spoke at the Houses of Parliament to highlight the importance of free school meals. Jenny Jefferies finds out more below.

Amber Francis On Winning Great British Menu 2025

Congratulations on your most recent accolade. How are you helping to reinvent the way that the students, staff and parents look at food?

Thank you, I really hope that appearing on as a school chef will promote more open conversation about the importance of school food for children as well as the depth of talent within the public catering sector. I am very fortunate in my role that I have daily contact with students and staff and I encourage conversations around food, whether that is in the canteen lunch queue, or in more formal educational settings such as classrooms, or in food education projects. 

It is so important to me that the whole community feels involved and is engaged in what we are serving and learning about food. I regularly attend parent events and am always available to talk with parents regarding any thoughts and ideas that they have, as well as spreading awareness about what we are trying to achieve. 

Your winning dessert was inspired by education philanthropist Hannah More. Tell us more…

‘Books, the Mind’s Food’ is a dish that is very close to my heart. It felt like a full circle moment that allowed me to combine my own school education (having attended one of Hannah More’s namesake primary schools) as well as my fine dining background and my current role using my skills as a chef to support education in schools. Hannah More was an inspirational woman that did so much to help educate women and children, as well as being a writer, poet and playwright, at a time when women were rarely allowed to be any of these things. To be able to tell More’s story on a plate of food was a real honour. 

What’s your mission as a school chef?

Personally it seems logical that we all ought to care about what we are feeding school children, it helps with behaviour, attainment within school, interpersonal relationships, including relationships with oneself. Food plays a central role in our lives and it should be treated with as much emphasis on education as many other subjects. Young people deserve to have access to good food, regardless of their background, as well as education to understand where food comes from, how to feed yourself, how to cook food and how to budget for meals to set them up for a positive future.

Where will your passion for cooking and food education take you next?

I want to continue to talk about community centred work and school food using the platform that I currently have. I have been lucky enough to talk on TV and radio as well as with publications such as yourself to be able to spread awareness about what I, and so many other chefs, do on a daily basis, which is a real privilege. I hope to continue developing this moving forwards.

What is your top tip for our readers when it comes to cooking?

Just give it a go! So many people are intimidated by cooking, but it does not have to be as complicated as it at first seems. If you have children, get them involved in cooking/preparation (age dependent) and making active decisions as to the food that they eat, you will find that children are much more adventurous and engaged with food if they are actively involved.

What’s your favourite book and why? 

Gosh, sadly I do not get much of a chance to read these days! However, Forgotten Skills of Cooking by Darina Allen and Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat are two essential books that I encourage people to read for inspiration to explore the world of food and develop their cooking skills.