Neil Clark, head chef at the Linnet in Great Hinton, Wiltshire, has been crowned the UK's top pub chef at the Morning Advertiser Best Pub Awards 2005. Clark, 26, who won the Food From Britain and Starters cook-offs at the PubChef Awards in autumn 2004, expressed his delight at winning the overall Pub Chef of the Year 2005 prize.
He said afterwards: "I'm absolutely over the moon to have won. I'm really passionate about my profession and it's incredibly rewarding to receive this accolade. I love the food that I am cooking at the Linnet and have a great relationship with my boss, Jonathan Furby. I would like to stay in pub cuisine and perhaps open my own place in the future."
Clark's prize includes a day at Michelin-starred chef Nigel Haworth's Three Fishes pub in Mitton, Lancashire, and a night's accommodation at Haworth's Northcote Manor restaurant near Blackburn, Lancashire.
PubChef editor, Jo Bruce, said: "Neil is a very worthy winner. He is a professional and passionate chef. He really impressed our judges with his confident style in the kitchen and the care he puts in to sourcing his ingredients."
A version of Clark's award-winning dish of Wiltshire pork tenderloin filled with spinach and prunes wrapped in Sandridge Farm bacon was served to more than 650 diners at the awards ceremony at the Hilton, Park Lane, London.
Clark, who trained at Bath College, has been head-chef at the Wadworth's-owned Linnet for three years. The chef has created a modern British menu at the pub.
Young Pub Chef category winner Tyrone Knight, who works at the Helyar Arms at East Coker in Somerset, also received a special prize. The 17-year-old will enjoy a day's cooking with TV chef Phil Vickery at his King of Prussia pub in Farnham Royal, Berkshire.
Other winners included the Spread Eagle at Sawley, Lancashire, which was named Best Food Pub and the Appletree Country Inn at Marton, North Yorkshire, which received the Best Gastro Pub prize.