Matt cooks up ‘Seafood Pub of the Year’ title for Kidderminster - One of Kidderminster’s brightest young chefs is putting the town on the map after landing a national title for his skills in the kitchen. Matt Gardner, who runs the Mare and Colt with his girlfriend Jess Harris, has beaten off competition from over 140 venues in the UK to become the ‘Chef and Brewer Seafood Pub of the Year 2007’ and is already setting his sights on offering local people a big thank you for their support. The former Halesowen College student saw sales rise by 17.1% during ‘Seafood Week’ in October, with the imaginative nature of the dishes (including one of the largest spider crabs ever seen in the UK), themed decorations and an extensive marketing campaign helping to beat budget by £5600. “Nearly 1000 diners visited the venue during those seven days and this local support was crucial in securing the title,” explained Matt, who is set to go away for a weekend of fishing as part of the prize.