A HEAD chef in Tavistock has won the praise of top TV chef Brian Turner — he declared Brown's Hotel's John McGreever's roast beef to be among the finest in England.
Brian, a proud supporter of traditional English food, is on a patriotic nationwide quest to find England's most creative, imaginative and tasty roast beef dishes in the run up to St George's Day (tomorrow).
He was at Plymouth's Copthorne Hotel last week to sample roast beef dishes by local chefs and cooks in the South West regional cook-off event.
Following a tasting session of two different roast beef dishes, Brian declared John's fillet of roast beef with fois gras Yorkshire pudding his personal favourite and presented him with a cheque for £250 to be donated to his chosen charity, the Devon Air Ambulance Trust.
Brian presented all those who took part with a George Award in recognition of their services to roast beef. John's roast beef dish will now be judged against winners of two other events in the South West, with the winner taking part in a national cook-off event at Butcher's Hall in London on St George's Day.
Brian's tour is part of a campaign by the English Beef and Lamb Executive to encourage people to celebrate St George's Day with Roast Beef, England's national dish. The tour will visit 15 towns and cities across England.
The search follows Brian's tour of England last year to uncover nominations for England's national dish from chefs and food lovers across the country. The response was an overwhelming thumbs-up for roast beef and Yorkshire pudding.
As a result of this enthusiasm for the national dish Brian felt it his patriotic duty to find and reward the best examples of roast beef being cooked across England and encourage people to celebrate England's national day with England's national dish.
Brian said: 'I've said it before and I'll say it again, nothing beats roast beef and all the trimmings and what better time to enjoy it than in the run up to England's national day, St George's Day.
'The quality of the roast beef dishes tasted has been outstanding and will be pretty hard to beat as we continue the tour. What's more I've been bowled over by peoples' enthusiasm and pride in our national dish.'
John added: 'I think roast beef is a fantastic dish, not to mention great English institution and I'm chuffed to bits that Brian likes my version so much.'