Local Chef Makes Finals Of Pub Chef Of The Year Awards

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Michele Cremona receives recognition at House Of Commons

Finalists of the Pub Chef of the Year Awards, including local pub chef Michele Cremona from The Candlemaker in Battersea High Street gathered at the House of Commons last week to celebrate the inaugural awards recognising the gourmet talent working within the pub industry.

Michele was nominated by Battersea, Balham and Wandsworth MP Jane Ellison to represent her constituency with her pub having reached the finals in the national competition that received over 120 entries from MPs across the country.


Michele (Centre) with Jane Ellison (right) and BBPA CEO Brigid Simmons

Run by the British Beer & Pub Association and the All Party Parliamentary Beer Group, in partnership with Nestlé Professional, the event was also attended by celebrity chef and judge, Paul Merrett, and Pubs Minister, Marcus Jones MP.

Nominations were received from MPs around the country selecting a pub chef from within their constituency as Pub Chef or Young Pub Chef in the awards. The competition was whittled down to four finalists in each of the two categories. A cook-off for finalists was staged at the Vintry, London earlier in January where each chef had the opportunity to demonstrate their creativity and flair in presenting a dish to the select panel of judges. Each then undertook an interview.

Michele said, “The competition was very professionally run, with a high calibre and standard of entrant. The event was brilliant and highlights the quality and credibility of Pub Chef careers. I hope it helps people realise that to work in our business is a fantastic thing to do.”

Jane Ellison said, “It is wonderful to see Michele’s skill and creativity recognised in this way in Parliament. My congratulations to her for getting to the final and doing Battersea proud."

Brigid Simmonds, Chief Executive, British Beer & Pub Association said, “The huge response to our Pub Chef competition from MPs has been a real inspiration, and we’ve enjoyed so many amazing dishes from our great pub chefs. There is already huge talent in the sector, and we must work with MPs, local colleges and the whole pub sector to ensure that the next generation of pub chefs has the skills, support and opportunities to take the sector even further.”

George Vezza, Managing Director at Nestlé Professional said, “At Nestlé Professional, we are passionate about nurturing new talent in the Hospitality Industry and our Toque d’Or competition for student chefs is just one example of this commitment. This year we are proud to have supported the Parliamentary Pub Chef and Young Pub Chef of the Year Award and hope that the skill and talent displayed by Michele will inspire the next generation of chefs to consider careers in the pub sector. As more and more people are choosing pubs as destinations for eating out, this is indeed a very exciting time to develop a career as a chef”.