Village pub chefs vie for coveted titles at awards ceremony
There is reason to celebrate at a village pub-restaurant near Peterborough after more industry recognition.
Head chef Zak Perrin, who took over at The Falcon Inn, Fotheringhay, in 2019 with partner Madison Keys, is a finalist in the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards Chef of the Year category.
A regular face in the finals, Zak – who appeared on BBC’s MasterChef a decade ago – was the Chef of the Year in 2021.
Meanwhile, Zak’s kitchen colleague, Levi Moukam, has been revealed as a finalist in Young Chef of the Year category. Both men took part in challenging cook-offs at Moulton College a few weeks back, to earn a coveted place in the finals, and now face an anxious wait ahead of the awards evening on October 17 at Northampton’s Royal & Derngate Theatre.
Zak and Madison took the reigns at the historic pub months before the Covid outbreak but one of the success stories of lockdown is its Guinness bread, still baked fresh every morning.
The bread – which appears on the menu and is sold in loaves from the pub shop – is also a finalist in the Artisan Product of the Year category.
The Falcon – awarded Two Rosettes by the AA for its culinary offering – serves lunch and dinner, Tuesday to Saturday, plus Sunday lunch and there’s a bar menu and afternoon tea. Check out the menus, and book, at www.thefalcon-inn.co.uk.
It is also hosting a special seven-course tasting evening with Amps Wine Merchants of Oundle on September 19 with Zak and Levi leading the menu.
Tickets at www.ampswinemerchants.co.uk