Pub trade winners in prestigious awards
Paul and Gillian Morgan, winners of Pub of the Year in The Publican Pub Food Awards 2003 have scooped another top accolade.
They walked away with the title of Best Pub Caterer at the Booker Prize for Excellence for the second year running.
The couple, who run the Hampshire Arms in Crondall, Hampshire, picked up the award from television personality Sanjeev Bhaskar at a ceremony held in the grounds of Arbury Hall in Warwickshire.
Mr Morgan (pictured) is the chef at the pub, which has a restaurant and a brasserie and deli counter which opened earlier this year after the pub underwent an extensive refurbishment. The menu focuses on locally-sourced ingredients.
The judges, who included The Publican's food editor Kerry Rogan, said the Hampshire Arms was a worthy winner in a difficult category.
"The opening of the brasserie and deli are innovative within a pub environment and have really taken the business forward in the last 12 months," the judging panel said. "However, Paul and Gill have not forgotten their roots and with the development of the pub and bar area should be applauded for reaching this level of excellence."
Meanwhile two young pub chefs reached the final in the Best Young Chef category. Chris Dawson, aged 18, from the Royal Oak in Kings Bromley, Staffordshire and 24-year-old Tracy Greenhough from the Anchor Inn in Cockwood, Devon, took part in a cook off judged by Gordon Ramsay. They created a meal in two hours from a box of secret ingredients
Although Chris and Tracy lost out to eventual winner John Paul Badley from the Mytton and Mermaid Hotel in Shrewsbury, they impressed Mr Ramsay with their passion and enthusiasm.
