Natalie Coleman is no stranger to winning, having, as an amateur home cook taken the title of Mastchef of the Year in 2013. Now she can add Pub Chef of the Year 2022 to her accolades and she was both shocked and delighted.
“I was shaking with shock on the night of the awards as I was up against some very strong competition and the other finalist's dishes all sounded incredible,” she said.
“Winning the competition has given me a huge boost in confidence, as it's my first award as a proper chef. When I won MasterChef in 2013, it was for the amateur series and I was still a home cook, so to win an award that is for professional chefs in some of the best pubs in the UK is beyond belief and such an honour.”
Strong contenders
Natalie was up against five other top UK chefs, including Dave Wall, from the number one gastropub of the year, the Unruly Pig, Richard Crouch of the Angel at Watlington, Ayesha Kalaji, the Queen of Cups, Sean Jeffers, of the Red Lion, Freshwater on the Isle of Wight, and Ian Moss of the Coach and Horses in the Ribble Valley, Lancashire.
In a tense cook off with the other chefs, using a mystery box of ingredients, Coleman wowed the judges with her dish of chargrilled pork chop, with white bean stew, charred broccoli and salsa verde.
Judges praised the dish for its flavour and balance, alongside the commerciality of the product which they said would fly off the bar or menu of any good pub.
Creative freedom
Natalie added: “When I won MasterChef, I always said I would like to own my own gastropub one day, as I love the relaxed feel of them rather than a white clothed restaurant.
“Pubs definitely suit my personality more and are more inclusive of the public and families. I am very family orientated and in the future, I would love to create a family run business that feels like a home from home and welcomes all walks of life and serving up good British food with a twist using the best suppliers locally.”
Natalie is currently working as head chef of the Oyster Shed, a Youngs’ pub located on the river near London Bridge. The pub specialises in fish and seafood dishes, which fits well with her favourite hobby of fishing.
“I have been at The Oyster Shed coming up for a year now and have loved transforming the menu's working alongside some of the best suppliers in the UK. I am very blessed that our management team "Mariya, Tom and Matt" give me a lot of support and creative freedom when it comes to the conceptualisation of our seasonal menus," she said.
Meet all the 2022 GBPA winners:
The Dartford Sports Bar, Dartford Essex – Admiral Pub of the Year
Strait and Narrow, Lincoln, Lincolnshire – Best City / Urban Pub or Bar
The Three Hills, Bartlow, Cambridgeshire - Best Country / Rural Pub
The Bellflower, Garstang, Lancashire – Best Pub for Dogs
The Saddle Inn, Chester, Cheshire – Best Pub for Entertainment
Ye Olde Bridge Inn, Oxton, Nottinghamshire – Best Pub for Families
The Shibden Mill, Halifax, West Yorkshire – Best Pub for Food
Tamworth Tap, Tamworth, Staffordshire – Best Pub Garden
The Famous Three Kings, Fulham, London – Best Pub to Watch Sport
The Riverside at Aymestrey, Herefordshire – Best Sustainable Pub
The Lion in Treorchy, Wales – Community Hero
The Greene Oak, Windsor, Berkshire – Greene King Pub of the Year
The Gun Inn, Findon, West Sussex – Marston’s Pub of the Year
The Red Lion, Guildford, Surrey – Punch Pub of the Year
The Red Lion, Shepperton, Surrey – Star Pub of the Year
The Old Windmill, Coventry, West Midlands – Stonegate Pub of the Year
Natalie Coleman, the Oyster Shed, City of London – Best Pub Chef
Tiffany Long, the White Hart Freehouse, Ashill, Norfolk – Best Young Pub Chef
The Gun Inn, Findon, West Sussex – Great British Pub of the Year
