PubChef Food Excellence Awards WINNER - Pub Chef of the Year 2007
The winner of our prestigious PubChef of the year 2007 is Mark Levy Head chef, the Russell, Ellesborough.
Mark Levy
Pub facts:
Address: The Russell,Butlers Cross,Ellesborough,Buckinghamshire,HP17 0TS01296 622618www.therussellpub.comOwners: Nicholls Group run this Punch leaseAverage covers a week: 425 to 475Menu: Mark describes it as: "British, varied and tasty".
Best-selling dishes include: Crispy Old Spot pork belly with creamed cabbage, bacon and apple sauce; and chargrilled calves' liver, champ, onions and bacon.Total covers: 76
Background
Our Pub Chef of the Year 2007, 28-year-old Mark Levy, has been a chef for 12 years.
He began his career at the Bell Inn, in Horndon on the Hill, Essex, where owner John Vereker encouraged him to enter awards.
Mark won a scholarship on his NVQ level 3 catering course at the Colchester Institute, which sent him to Keswick Hall in Virginia, US.
More recently, he worked at the Michelin-starred Star Inn in Harome, North Yorkshire and the Running Horse, Littleton, near Winchester.
The Russell is part of Nicholl's - a restaurant and country inns group started by chef and consultant Greg Nicholl. Other Nicholl's sites include Nicholl's Woburn, Nicholl's Bedford and the Boot at Soulbury.
Mark says good pub food should be "tasty, with the best use of fresh produce. Regional produce and availability should be at the forefront of the menu."
He strives to drive the menu forward and this year added a small fresh fish menu. It includes two starters and two mains.
Influences
Andrew Pern at the Star Inn. Mark says: "It is the best pub I've ever been to and he has raised the bar for chefs and licensees everywhere."
John Vereker at the Bell. Mark says: "He encouraged me to go for awards."
Alan Murchison from L'ortolan - a Michelin-starred restaurant in Reading. Mark says: "We opened the Running Horse with him and he put me in touch with Greg Nicholl, and then we opened this place."
On being a chef"I have no idea what I'd be if I wasn't a chef. It's all I've ever wanted to do. From prepping in the morning to cleaning in the evening, I love it. Seeing the end product and satisfying customers is wonderful."Mark's boss, Greg Nicholl, says: "Since he joined the Russell, Mark has made a huge difference to the food. He's raised the bar and deserves this title as he's talented and the quality of food he produces is beyond his years. He's also a great leader."PubChef editor Jo Bruce says:"The Russell is a charming country inn that ticks all the right gastropub boxes. As well as retaining the cosy bar for locals who want a decent pint or glass of wine, it also boasts an excellent restaurant serving tasty modern British dishes."
On the menu:
Dishes include:StartersLocal game terrine, Cumberland sauce and granary toast (£6.50)Loch Fyne smoked salmon, quail egg mayonnaise, capers and red onion (£8.50)
MainsBraised and roasted Amersham lamb shoulder, minced lamb dumpling, confit of garlic and salsify (£14.50)Roast breast of free range chicken, wild mushroom risotto, red wine reduction (£13.75)
DessertsAnise panna cotta, saffron poached pear and blackberries (£5.25)Warm rice pudding, Steeple Claydon honey and glazed figs (£4.95)
