The Simon Rogan protégé, who also heads up the kitchen at the one-Michelin-starred Rogan & Co, took the third banquet spot with his winning main course ‘Beatrix Potter's Herdwick lamb’.
In line with the children's literature theme for this year's competition, which marks 150 years since the death of Charles Dickens, Barnes’ dish was partly inspired by a passage from Potter’s seminal short story The Tale of Peter Rabbit.
It featured diced loin and belly of Herdwick lamb served in a lamb mousse; crumpets cooked in rendered lamb fat and topped with fennel pollen; and lamb consommé presented in teapots featuring Peter Rabbit illustrations.
Writing on Instagram, Barnes said: “Thank you so much for all the kind messages about Great British Menu. Such strong competition tonight and incredibly close between myself, Alex Greene and Hywel Griffith. I’m so proud that a lad from Barrow will be cooking at the banquet.”
Deanes Eipic chef Alex Greene was the first chef to make it through to this year’s Great British Menu banquet with his starter dish, which featured five different types of potato and a four-cheese custard, alongside pickled onions and onion jelly.
He was joined on Tuesday (12 May) by Whatley Manor executive chef Niall Keating, whose winning fish course - inspired by the works of author Phillip Pullman - featured black tortellini in the shape of a witch's hat, and served with a dashi broth presented in a miniature cauldron.
The finals of this year’s Great British Menu run every day this week until tomorrow (15 May), with the dessert course for the banquet being decided today (14 May).