Marston's licensees taste success

Two Marston's Pub Company licensees have scooped Bronze and Merit awards in the Gastro Pub Main Course category at the British Cookery Championship 2007.

Jeff Thomas, chef patron at the Foresters in Yoxall, and Matthew Shropshall, head chef at the Royal Oak in Burton, impressed judges including Michelin star chef Kevin Viner and 2004 National Chef of the Year Steve Love, preparing their dishes from an open kitchen in front of hundreds of spectators at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham..

Jeff served up seared calves liver with sweet potato puree, fine winter greens and ruby grapefruit butter sauce, while Matthew prepared a beer braised Wychnor Park pheasant served with savoy cabbage, packington bacon comfit, parsnip puree a celeriac fondent and Jennings Cockerhoop Ale jus.

Jeff said: "I am obviously delighted to have achieved a bronze award. I haven't competed for over 25 years so to do this well in such a high profile event is amazing and has certainly inspired me to put myself forward for other national competitions."

Regular finalist and four time champion Matthew was also thrilled with the result. He said: "There was some really stiff competition this year but I think my experience, intensive preparation and training with Raymond Blanc helped to give me the edge. I developed a great combination of textures and flavors and the use of the golden Jennings Ale complemented them perfectly."

Contestants had only half an hour and were judged on their working methods, hygiene, presentation skills, seasoning and combination of flavors. Jeff said: "It is a highly pressured environment. All eyes are on you and you have to work to a strict deadline. The key is to stay calm and focused on your own dish and not allow yourself to become distracted by everything else going on around you."

Both chefs placed great importance on using local produce. Matthew said: "For me, working with meat and vegetables from the Staffordshire region means I can be confident in the quality and freshness of my ingredients, which are all key factors to success in competitions such as this. This has been a great opportunity for me to compete against some outstanding chefs but also a chance to increase awareness about the benefit to handpicking your suppliers from on your doorstep."

Marston's Pub Company catering development manager Ben Bartlett said: "I am thrilled for Matthew and Jeff - they have both done exceptionally well and I hope they will serve as an inspiration to our other chef's to get involved in more events like this in the future."