A POPULAR Evesham chef is hoping to have the recipe for success after being nominated by the town’s MP for the 2017/18 Parliamentary Pub Chef of the Year award.
Alistair Barlow of The Royal Oak was put forward for the prestigious honour by Nigel Huddleston MP and he joins a host of chefs up and down the country compete for the accolade of Pub Chef of the Year from the two categories, Pub Chef and Young Pub Chef of the Year.
Entrants will be judged by an expert panel who will shortlist contenders on December 8 for the cook-off in London on January 24.
It is at the cook-off where the chefs will display their skills to organisers, the British Beer and Pub Association as well as judges from sponsors, Nestlé Professional, the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group and acclaimed TV guest chef presenter and former Michelin star holder, Paul Merrett.
Alistair said: “I’m incredibly flattered to have been nominated by Nigel for such a prestigious award, I’ve looked at some of the other nominees and there’s some exceptionally good chefs in the running so to be involved in this competition is very exciting, and a little bit scary!
“Our aim at The Royal Oak is to serve fresh, seasonal & ethical ingredients from trusted local suppliers in a warm and friendly environment, getting this nomination is something our entire team can be proud of.”
The award, will be presented in February at the House of Commons.
Mr Huddleston said: “The Royal Oak is one of the most popular pubs in Evesham and as a regular myself, I know that the Royal Oak provides a varied menu of tasty food at reasonable prices and would be a worthy winner.
“Pubs are vital to the Worcestershire economy and there are 109 in my constituency alone, supplying 1,857 jobs and £23.7million in wages.
“In total, pubs in my constituency add £56.3million to the local economy. An evening in the pub over a pint is a staple of British life and I have always been an advocate for the place of pubs in local British communities for their positive social benefits as well as these clear economic positives.”
