Young Pub Chef winner takes Best Food Pub at GBPA

Nineteen-year-old Ben Abercrombie landed the position of head chef at the Old Inn in Holton, Somerset, after scooping the Young Pub Chef of the Year award at the Great British Pub Food Awards 2009 at the age of 17. The pub was named Best Food Pub at last night’s Great British Pub Awards 2011 held at London’s Hilton hotel on Park Lane.

Old Inn licensee Steve Woodward took Abercrombie on after he won his first major accolade while at the Helyar Arms in East Coker, Somerset.

Head chef Ben Abercrombie, PMA Young Pub Chef of the Year in the Great British Pub Food Awards 2009, said: “It is fantastic to receive the award. I got so much stick when I started out at 17 with people telling me I would never make it.

“Through winning Young Pub Chef of the Year in 2009 I got the job at the Old Inn, stripped it all back and now we use all fresh produce. All the hard work has definitely paid off and we have so much support from people.”

In a strange conicidence, Abercrombie and Tyrone Knight, who works under Abercrombie at the Old Inn and attended last night’s awards, both used to work under another PMA awards winner — Mathieu Eke — at the Helyar Arms.

Eke scooped Best Dessert in the Great British Pub Food Awards 2010.