Midland chef in national contest

Sep 4 2008 By Paul Bradley

A MIDLAND chef is bidding to win a national pub of the year award by designing a huge seafood menu despite being more than 100 miles from the coast.

Matt Gardner who runs the Mare and Colt pub, in Kidderminster, with business partner Jess Harris has set his sights on winning the coveted prize for the seventh year in a row.

And with octopus, lobster, monkfish and crab all on the menu, he hopes to prove that it is not just Mediterranean restaurants that can cook up a storm with the ocean’s finest ingredients.

Matt, aged 27, who learnt to cook while studying at Halesowen College, said: “There are over 140 Chef and Brewer pubs in the competition, so there is a real challenge for us to be more imaginative with the dishes we serve and the way we dress the restaurant.

“We won it for five years whilst working at the Running Horse in Bewdley, so to win it last year for the Mare and Colt was great.”

“Now we want to repeat the success in 2008.”

Nearly 50 dishes will be on the menu when the pub kicks off its seafood fortnight today and Matt and Jess are hoping to spread the word around Midlands as they let off dozens of balloons into the skies above the pub and join in the fun at Stourport Carnival at the weekend.

Matt added: “For the first time ever, we are going to be providing two menus, one for the first week and a different selection for the second.

“Diners can expect to taste a whole lobster Americane, red Thai seafood, whole black sea bream and monkfish, and six bar nibbles, including anchovy banderilles, crab claws and cured salmon rolls.”

Matt and Jess, aged 24, also challenged their 25 staff to come up with their own fish dishes so they can talk diners through the menu.

Matt said: “Last year was amazing and we really helped to put Kidderminster on the map.

“We’re raising the town’s profile nationally.”