Head chef Luke Emmess has been awarded Fuller’s Chef of the Year.
Emmess, who runs the kitchen at Fuller’s Still and West pub in Old Portsmouth, saw off 40 other chefs with a dish of crispy pigeon liver and Japanese gnocchi.
His prize is a four-day placement in the Roganic restaurant in Hong Kong.
Emmess told Portsmouth News he “never gets stressed” in the kitchen and that elite international restaurants can’t compete with classic British pubs when it comes to the “buzz”.
“I’ve personally never had the experience of working in a restaurant with a Michelin star but I would not give up what I am doing,” he added.
Earlier this month another Portsmouth pub, the Old Customs House pub, won Fuller’s Best Newcomer award ahead of 70 other pubs after it was taken over by a new landlord in January.
