A former protege of Jamie Oliver is celebrating another major award just a year after taking over a failing pub in Dummer.
Justin Brown, manager and head chef at the Sun Inn, in Winchester Road, has been named the Best Newcomer 2011 for the South East in the Great British Pub Awards. On September 8, Justin heads off to the Hilton Hotel in London for a glitzy awards ceremony hosted by comedian Rory Bremner, where he will find out if he has won the overall British title.
But the 29-year-old is already no stranger to success, winning awards for his cooking for the past three years at the event, organised by industry title the Publican's Morning Advertiser. In just 12 months Justin and his team have turned the Dummer eatery into a fine dining restaurant, winning it an AA Rosette.
"We just saw the potential here, you've got Dummer across the road, North Waltham behind us and Basingstoke only two miles away," said Justin. "We do British food, and we always have. At a lot of places you can get a curry, or a steak or noodles but we do British food and we will never move away from that."
Justin, who appeared on MasterChef: The Professionals in 2009, told the Observer he was feeling confident ahead of the Oscars of the pub world. "It's an achievement, and it's good for me. Any sort of award is good, and it keeps you on your game," said the chef, formerly of the Carnarvon Arms, in Highclere. "We have a one-in-four chance, but I'd like to think we've done enough to win."
Justin and his business partner bought the freehold on the pub from Enterprise Inns and shut for three months for a complete refurb, before opening for business.
"A lot of people have struggled here over the years, I've heard quite a few horror stories of people being in and out and various tenants. "They used to have pool tables in the back and dart board and the garden and kitchen were awful," said Justin. "We've done it to quite a high standard and now we're pushing for a second or third Rosette. We have a wine list of 50 wines - it's not your average pub."
The culinary expert moved to London aged 16, learning his trade at the five-star Landmark Hotel before going on to work at The Harrington Club, a South Kensington private members club owned by Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood. It was here that Justin cooked for Ronnie's celebrity friends like Guy Ritchie and Madonna, David and Victoria Beckham and Jamie Oliver, who recruited him for his own restaurant, Montes.
Independent judges visited all the competing pubs to assess them, with The Sun Inn coming out on top. The award is open to individuals who had entered the pub industry since January 2010.
The Publican’s Morning Advertiser Editor Paul Charity said: “The award recognises the person that has made the greatest business impact since entering the pub industry. Justin is a worthy winner of the title.”
Justin will be joining Great British Menu finalist Chris Horridge on stage at the Royal County of Berkshire Show 2011, at Newbury Showground, on the weekend of September 17 and 18, where he will be teaching people how to cure their own meats.
