South Shore cooks up Next on the Menu for Channel 4

Channel 4 has commissioned South Shore (The Floor, Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams, Accidental Tourist, Worlds Apart,) to produce Next on the Menu, a creative new food‑entertainment format that hands passionate superfans the once‑in‑a‑lifetime opportunity to create the next blockbuster menu item for some of the world’s biggest high‑street food brands.

Hosted by Ellie Taylor, Next on the Menu gives unprecedented access to the development kitchens and teams at some of the country’s biggest food retailers for a competition format that pulls back the curtain on the real processes behind how new menu items are conceived, tested and launched. Each episode introduces a brand‑new cast of dedicated superfans who step inside the beating heart of these major chains and bring their ideas to the table to turn their culinary dreams into commercially viable reality.

Across the series, contestants and viewers will see the work that goes into developing delicious new dishes. After a behind‑the‑scenes deep dive into the brand ethos the superfans will design their own creations before real development chefs will assess everything in their potential product - from flavour to production efficiency to whether the idea has the potential to capture the public imagination.

Once perfected, the final contenders face customer feedback and trials in real test‑store locations to see if their idea is worthy to be rolled out in store to paying customers. For all participants, it’s a dream come true chance to gain real insight into the innovation engines behind Britain’s biggest food brands, and the chance to influence food trends and what we all want to eat next.

Ellie Taylor said, “Next on the Menu has given me a whole new appreciation for what goes into the dishes we grab without a second thought. I’m looking forward to watching genuine superfans pitch their mouth-watering dream creations and I love that viewers will get a proper behind-the-scenes look at how big food brands evolve and maybe even help shape what we’ll all be eating next.”

Clemency Green said, “Next on the Menu combines a competition format with the irresistible appeal of getting to access and peak behind the curtain of some of Britain’s most beloved chains. It is a celebration of culinary creativity, commercial insight, fandom, and the power of a great idea.”

Next on the Menu was commissioned by Senior Commissioning Editor, Clemency Green, alongside Jo Street, Director of Commissioning for Nations, Regions and Lifestyle.

For South Shore, the Executive Producers are Andrew MacKenzie and Melanie Leach. The Showrunner is Jimmy Skelton, with Marcus Liversedge as Series Director. The Senior Production Manager is Rodrigo Jeffery Milheirão.