Mike and Jane Pritchard of The Bridge House Hotel, Wilton, Ross,were celebrating a double triumph at the annual Flavours of Herefordshire awards, which took place on the eve of the county's new Food Festival at Hereford Racecourse. The Bridge House Hotel in Wilton managed to beat off stiff competition to retain the title of 'Restaurant of the Year' and their chef Deiniol Pritchard, no relation, was the winner of the 'Young Chef' competition. By winning the award two years running, The Bridge House hotel will be eligible for the 2007 'Outstanding Achievement' category – given for dedication to service and to the industry. To win the title Young Chef of the year, the contestants had 90 minutes to prepare two dishes in front of judges: a main course using Herefordshire beef and two other seasonal ingredients; and a dessert using at least one local ingredient. Celebrating after their awards ceremony Chef Deiniol and Head Chef Richard Arbourne said that they were dedicating the awards to the memory of the former gardener, Robert Lawrence, known as Popeye. He is remembered for his tremendous efforts in the garden and his banter in the kitchen.
