Northcote chef Lisa Allen is once again aiming to cook up a storm on the ‘Great British Menu’ TV contest tonight.

Lisa Allen, head chef at the Northcote restaurant, Langho, is battling it out to represent the North West in the latest series of the BBC Two show.

Last year, Ms Allen was chosen to cook for Prince Charles at a royal banquet.

Viewers saw Lisa’s starter, wild rabbit and leek turnover with piccalilli, being enjoyed by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall and 120 guests.

This year, her mentor and chef patron at Northcote, Nigel Haworth, will also be appearing on the series as a judge for the North East region.

And another former Northcote chef, Jason Birbeck, will also compete for the North West title alongside Preston-born Johnnie Mountain, who runs Mosaica@The Factory in London.

Nigel said: “I am very proud that two chefs that have trained with me will be featuring in the programme. It is a very demanding and interesting show.”

Ms Allen studied catering at Lancaster and Morecambe College and went on to join Michelin-starred Holbeck Ghyll in the Lake District as a commis chef in 2000.

Over the next two years she moved on to the two-Michelin-starred Le Champignon Sauvage in Cheltenham.

Winner of the Best Chef Of The Year at the 2008 Northern Hospitality Awards, she then became the demi chef de partie at Northcote.

After only four years, at the age of 23, she was promoted to head chef joining a very small club of female chefs at the helm of a Michelin-starred restaurant.

In 2009 Mr Haworth had his hotpot dish chosen as the main course for a dinner for soldiers who had returned from a tour of Afghanistan.