‘Stourbridge’ chef looking to serve up a record-breaking dish

An enterprising Stourbridge chef is looking to cap a remarkable first eight months in business by entering the ‘seafood’ record books. Matt Gardner, who manages the Mare and Colt in Kidderminster with his girlfriend Jess Harris, is aiming for his sixth consecutive ‘National Seafood Pub of the Year’ title and is urging local people to back his efforts by tasting a range of dishes during a special week starting on October 5th. The former Halesowen College student is hoping that a concerted marketing drive, special themed decorations and over 40 different starters and mains will be enough

to overcome the challenge from 140 outlets in the Chef and Brewer chain.

And, in a bid to separate himself from the competition, he has renamed one of his signature dishes as the ‘Rachel Jones Trio of Seafood’ in recognition of one of the town’s most famous daughters and producer of the record-breaking Chris Moyles show on Radio 1. “We really want to put Stourbridge and Kidderminster on the map when it comes to good dining and thought we would capture the imagination by re-naming one of our specials after a local celebrity,” explained Matt, who took the reins on January 8th. “The ‘Trio of Seafood’ is a dish I created myself and features potted shrimps, a bowl of mussels marinere and crayfish in a crisp filo pastry basket. It’s an interesting combination of simple, yet complimentary flavours that suit every taste and – being created in ‘Kiddy’ – I thought I would rename it in honour of what Rachel has achieved.”
He continued: “I’ve won the ‘National Award’ for the last five years whilst working in the kitchen at the Running Horse, but I really want to mark the fact we now have our own pub by securing the title again.”

Visitors to the Mare and Colt during ‘Seafood Week’ can choose from one of the largest selections of dishes ever assembled, including anything from Oysters and Salmon and Tiger Prawn Skewers to Swordfish Surf & Turf, Lobster Thermidor and Whole Dover Sole. There is even chance to taste the exotic Spider Crab and Seafood Salad or just simply tuck into lots of different ‘seafood’ nibbles, including Octopus, at the bar. “The Sea Fish Authority-backed week is a lot of fun, but there are some serious messages behind it, such as the importance of a balanced diet, the use of local UK produce and awareness of what you can do with these sorts of dishes,” explained Jess, who jointly manages the pub with Matt. “It also makes staff and customers more aware of different cooking methods and encourages our 25 employees to come up with ideas around marketing the event and talking diners through the different choices.”
Situated two miles outside Kidderminster Town Centre on the A449, the Mare and Colt is one of the area’s fastest growing pubs and restaurants, with turnover set to break the £600k mark this year. For further information or to book a table, please contact 01562 824116.