Pub Restaurant Chef Award sponsored by Bisto (Premier Foodservice)

Winner - Alistair Barlow The Fleece

Youngest of all the Peach Group’s head chefs, Alistair Barlow has been at The Fleece since 2005 first as sous chef and then head chef a year later.

Describing his cooking style as modern British, he ensures all ingredients are ethically produced and sourced and uses as much local produce as possible, noting along the way past bestsellers and creatively refining them for each season. Careful menu planning includes looking at dishes that have a good male/female balance and ones that can be adapted for children, plus portion control and good value for money. Sales are regularly £25,000 a week of which two-thirds is food.

His hands-on management style shows in the pub’s very high staff retention. He believes firmly in involving the team in every aspect of the kitchen from writing menus to ordering and budgeting. Every season they all have to write a full menu, which they then sit down and discuss. Regular training days are arranged for the team to learn more about food, new skills and techniques to enhance the menu. Consequently the pub has been in the Michelin Pub Guide for several years and it regularly gets good local reviews.

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