HEAD chef at Brown?s Hotel in Tavistock John McGeever is officially one of the best roast beef cooks in England.
The hunt for the country?s best roast beef dish ended on Friday when five chefs competed in the final at London?s Butchers Hall.
The competition, judged by TV chef Brian Turner, was to celebrate St George?s Day.
John?s roast fillet of West Devon beef with potato and onion roulette, roast vegetables and Yorkshire puddings with oxtail gravy was pipped at the post by a dish cooked by an independent caterer from York.
?I changed the garnish slightly from my original dish because it was a bit French,? he said. ?The lady who won the competition cooked a very simple roast beef meal which was probably what the judges were looking for with it being St George?s Day.
?It was good to be up in London for the final and we all had a great time.?
Brian Turner said Tavistock should be very proud of John, who was ?amongst the best roast beef cooks that England had.
?Roast beef is truly England?s national dish ? what better way to celebrate St George?s Day than to sit down to a great roast dinner with Yorkshire Pudding and all the trimmings,? he said.