PubChef Food Excellence winners announced

The PubChef Food Excellence Awards bring together the results of PubChef's chefs competition together with the pub company food awards.

There are 18 categories in this year's awards — 10 in the chefs' competition, four pub company and four people awards, with the winners all revealed at an awards ceremony of 300 people at Plaisterers Hall, London, today (Thursday, 12 March).

Chefs' competition winners...​

The chefs' competition involves a five-month search for the UK's top pub chefs, from chefs entering recipes and background information on their food businesses to a paper judging and cook-off finals at the Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board Meat Service(formerly the MLC) offices in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.

There are 10 categories in this year's competition, with 28 chefs in the final.

See our online gallery

Young Pub Chef​

Sponsored by: Budvar

Winner: Ben Abercrombie

Helyar Arms, East Coker, near Yeovil, Somerset

Dish: Roast guinea fowl breast with confit leg with parsnip and vanilla puree and morel and truffle jus

Finalists: Yarsley Bradley from the Horse and Groom, Charlton, Wiltshire; Christopher Carter from the Bell Inn, Horndon on the Hill, Essex

Global cuisine​

Winner:Simon Goodman

Duke of Cumberland Arms, Fernhurst, West Sussex

Dish: Organic salmon, selsey crab thai potato cake, mange tout, sweet chilli butter and baby samphire

Finalists: Arpad Hubai from the Ring O'Bells, Thornton, West Yorkshire; Ian Smith from the Fountain Inn, Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire

Game​

Sponsored by: Game to Eat

Winner: Michael Ward

Highwayman Inn, Kirkby Lonsdale, Lancashire

Dish: Partridge with black pudding croquet, creamed mash, Forages bacon and juniper sauce

Finalists: Simon Winson from the Orange Tree, Thornham, Norfolk; Tim Payne from the Paradise by way of Kensal Green, London

Bar dishes​

Chef: Mathieu Eke

Helyar Arms, Yeovil, Somerset

Dish: Probably the best steak sandwich in the world

Finalists: Calum Wilcock from the Three Fishes, Mitton, Lancashire; James Rogers from the Dog, Grundisburgh, Suffolk

Seafood​

Sposored by: Royal Greenland

Winner: Michael McBride

Shoulder of Mutton Inn, Kirky Overblow, North Yorkshire

Dish: Pan fried fillets of black bream, saffron potatoes and cabbage

Highly commended: Charlotte Barr from the Old Mill, Berkhamstead, Hertfordshire

Finalist: Ross Williams from the Wellington in Wellington, Herefordshire

Pub Classics​

Sponsored by: AAK

Winner: Philip Milner

Orange Tree, Thornham, King's Lynn, Norfolk

Dish: Chargrilled cornfed chicken and mushroom pie, smoked bacon mash, Norfolk glazed carrots

Finalists: Richard Upton from the Three Fishes, Mitton, Lancashire; Anthony Williams from The Williams Arms, Braunton, Devon

Team​

Sponsored by: Tilda Foodservice

Winner: Stuart Fay and Stephen Treadwell

Pub: The Bell Inn, Horndon on the Hill, Essex

Menu: Starter: Cornish crab tortellini with red wine poached scallop, crab bisque and salmon tuile

Main: Wild rabbit saddle in herb mousse with fondant potato, rabbit leg ballottine and chestnut mushrooms

Dessert: Dark chocolate fondant with hazelnut ice cream and praline.

Finalists: David Deacon and Michael McBride from the Shoulder of Mutton Inn, Kirkby Overblow, North Yorkshire; Tom Lowe from the Railway Gastro Pub, Euxton, Lancashire; Ross Williams and Rupert Davis from the Wellington in Wellington, Herefordshire

Poultry​

Winner: Thomas Pickering

Pub: Three Fishes, Mitton, nr Whalley, Lancashire

Dish: Devilled breast of cornfed Goosnargh chicken, devil sauce, chunky chips, onion rings, watercress and field mushrooms.

Highly-commended: Philip Milner from the Orange Tree, Thornham, Norfolk

Finalist: Ashley McCarthy from Ye Old Sun Inn, Colton, North Yorkshire

Desserts​

Winner: James Angus Rogers

Pub: Dog Inn, Grundisburgh, Suffolk

Dish: Bone marrow bread and bitter pudding with quince and lemon ice cream.

Highly-commended: Tamara Cookson from the Three Fishes, Mitton, Lancashire

Finalist: Annette Brassey from Ye Olde Punch Bowl Inn, Marton cum Grafton, Yorkshire

Meat​

Winner: Justin Brown

Sponsor: Essential Cuisine

Pub: Carnarvon Arms, Bughclere, Newbury, Berkshire

Dish: Double cooked shoulder of Highclere estate lamb, roast garlic mash, kurly kale and a rosemary sauce

Finalists: Tim Payne from the Paradise by Way of Kensal Green, London; Simon Goodman from the Duke of Cumberland Arms, Fernhurst, West Sussex

Pub Chef of the Year 2009​

Sponsor: Booker

Winner: Michael Ward

Company: Highwayman Inn, Nether Burrow, Lancashire

Highly-commended: Tom Lowe of the Railway Inn, at Euxton, Lancashire

People Awards​

Food Pub Manager of the Year 2009​

Winner: Alex Tipping

Pub: Royal Oak, Poynings, West Sussex

Highly commended: Leanne Langman from the Swan, Milton Keynes

Finalist: Andrea Solinas from the Avalon Public House and Garden, London

Special Achievement​

Mike Bramley, managing director Pubs & Bars division of Mitchells & Butlers.

Green Initiative of the Year (Food)​

Winner: Mill Race, Walford, Ross-on-Wye, Hereforshire

Highly-commended: The Earth & Stars, Brighton, East Sussex

Finalist: Battlesteads Country Inn & Restaurant in Hexham, Northumberland.

Pub Company Food Awards​

PubChef's pub company food awards recognise development and innovation within pubco's food offers with the last year.

Food Concept of the Year​

Winner: Whitbread's Taybarns

Finalists: Grand Union Group's - burger and cocktail bars; Greene King's Hungry Horse

Food Operator of the Year (unbranded)​

Winner: Innventure

Finalists: Youngs; ETM Group

Food Operator of the Year (branded)​

Winner: Whitbread

Finalists: Marstons Inns & Taverns; Greene King

Catering development professional​

Sponsor: TSC Foods

Winner: Sam Pedder

Company: Admiral Taverns

Highly-commended: Janine Wills from Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants

Finalist: Scott Ferguson from Wadworth